Wimbledon - Serena: I don't care about rankings
Eurosport - Sat, 04 Jul 21:00:00 2009
How can an athlete own three of the four major titles in their sport yet still not be rated the world's best?
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That was the question puzzling not only Wimbledon champion
Serena Williams on Saturday but everyone in tennis.
The American was all smiles on court after beating elder sister Venus 7-6 6-2 to win her third Wimbledon crown and she doubled up in laughter when asked to explain why
Dinara Safina, yet to win a grand slam title, held the number one ranking.
"I think Dinara did a great job to get to number one - she won (non grand slam titles in) Rome and Madrid," Serena joked.
"I think if you hold three grand slam titles maybe you should be number one but not on the WTA Tour obviously, so... You know, my motivation is maybe just to win another grand slam and stay number two, I guess," she grinned.
Serena has every right to feel baffled after she added the Wimbledon crown to the US and Australian Open titles she has won in the past 10 months.
Safina on the other hand has been rewarded by a system that appears to value consistency rather than the quality of tournaments won.
It has led many people to criticise the way the rankings are calculated and when Serena was usurped by Safina this year, the American claimed she was still the "real number one" no matter what the rankings said. Now she prefers not to dwell on it.
"I would go crazy just thinking about it. I think anyone really could," said the 27-year-old.
"I'd rather definitely be number two and hold three grand slams in the past year than be number one and not have any. I don't know what to do to be number one. I don't even care anymore.
"I think the girl, Dinara, who is number one, you can clearly see by her physique how hard she works. You can't get anywhere by not doing the best and not working your hardest.
"So I'm happy for her (but) I'm really excited that I won Wimbledon."
Safina, a finalist at the Australian and French Opens in 2009, has constantly had to defend her status but she did herself no favours when she was walloped 6-1 6-0 in the Wimbledon semi-finals by Venus.
According to WTA records, the result was the most lopsided win over a current world number one at a grand slam event.
In his last address as WTA chief, Larry Scott defended the system.
"The ranking system is designed sort of around king or queen of the hill - who is the strongest, most consistent performer over the year," he said.
"While I know it does stir debate, the one place it doesn't stir a debate is in the locker room. The players believe in that ranking system."
Reuters