For the second straight year, Sania Mirza will end the season as the world’s top doubles player after securing the 2016 WTA year-end World No. 1 doubles ranking.
“It’s very, very exciting to finish two years in a row as No. 1,” Mirza said. “It’s been an incredible year for me again, with seven WTA titles, a Grand Slam and ending the year at the WTA Finals in Singapore. Finishing the year No. 1 is amazing… It’s a dream come true and gives me motivation and inspiration to come out and work even harder next year.”
Mirza was close to being usurped by Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the very last minute; the American could have taken the year-end doubles No. 1 ranking if she and Lucie Safarova had won the title at the WTA Finals in Singapore. However, the pair lost in the final and ensured that Mirza would end the year at the top once again.
Mirza made history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the No. 1 ranking in doubles on April 13, 2015. She has gone on to hold the No. 1 ranking for 81 consecutive weeks and will finish as the year-end No. 1 doubles player for the second consecutive year.
Mirza won eight titles with three different partners in 2016, clinching her third Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open with Martina Hingis.
The Indian-Swiss duo claimed two titles before their win in Melbourne at the Brisbane International and the Apia International Sydney and then went on to win two additional titles at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
The Indian star began a new partnership with Barbora Strycova starting at the Western & Southern Open in August, achieving instant success by winning the title. The pair lifted their second trophy at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. Mirza clinched one additional title in 2016 at the Connecticut Open with Monica Niculescu.