Stat of the Day: Karolina Pliskova a win away from shaking “No. 1 without a major” tag
She’s currently one of three women who’ve been No. 1 on the WTA rankings but who haven’t won a Grand Slam title.
With a steely 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, Karolina Pliskova moved into her second career Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, and is now just a win away from her first career Grand Slam title.
Should she beat Ashleigh Barty in the final on Saturday, she would shake a tag that has been following her around for years, a dubious club that only three women are currently a part of: players who’ve been No. 1 on the WTA rankings but who haven’t won a Grand Slam title.
Pliskova spent eight career weeks at No. 1 between July and September 2017, but her best results at the majors have been reaching the final at the 2016 US Open (falling to Angelique Kerber) and now a second major final at 2021 Wimbledon.
The other two women on the list are Dinara Safina, a three-time major finalist who spent 26 weeks at No. 1, and Jelena Jankovic, a one-time major finalist who spent 18 weeks at No. 1.
Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep all got to No. 1 first, too, but they all ended up winning majors and taking their names off the list.