This is a list of women's historical number one ranked tennis players, traditionally determined at year-end.
More recent rankings are much better sourced.
| Year | Players | Country | Sources and Notes |
| 1921 | Suzanne Lenglen (3/8) | FRA}} France | Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London) |
| 1922 | Suzanne Lenglen (4/8) | FRA}} France | Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London) |
| 1923 | Suzanne Lenglen (5/8) | FRA}} France | Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London) |
| 1924 | Suzanne Lenglen (6/8) | FRA}} France | Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London) |
| 1925 | Suzanne Lenglen (7/8) | FRA}} France | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1926 | Suzanne Lenglen (8/8) | FRA}} France | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1927 | Helen Wills Moody (1/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1928 | Helen Wills Moody (2/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1929 | Helen Wills Moody (3/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1930 | Helen Wills Moody (4/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1931 | Helen Wills Moody (5/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1932 | Helen Wills Moody (6/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1933 | Helen Wills Moody (7/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1934 | Dorothy Round Little | UK}} United Kingdom | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London) |
| Helen Jacobs (1/2) | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis |
| 1935 | Helen Wills Moody (8/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London); Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; Pierre Gillou, president of the French Tennis Federation |
| 1936 | Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling | DEN}} Denmark | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis |
| Helen Jacobs (2/2) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London); Fred Perry |
| 1937 | Anita Lizana | CHI}} Chile | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London); Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis |
| 1938 | Helen Wills Moody (9/9) | USA}} United States | Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London); Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; Pierre Gillou, president of the French Tennis Federation |
| 1939 | Alice Marble | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; Gordon Lowe; John Olliff |
1940–
1945 | none (World War II) | Although there were no world rankings during this period, the United States Lawn Tennis Association continued to rank players from the U.S. during the war years. These were Alice Marble (1940), Sarah Palfrey Cooke (1941 and 1945), and Pauline Betz Addie (1942, 1943, and 1944). |
| 1946 | Pauline Betz Addie | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; Pierre Gillou, president of the French Tennis Federation; John Olliff |
| 1947 | Louise Brough Clapp (1)/(3) | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis |
| Margaret Osborne duPont (1/4) | USA}} United States | John Olliff, Lawn Tennis Almanack |
| 1948 | Margaret Osborne duPont (2/4) | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; John Olliff, Lawn Tennis Almanack | |
| Louise Brough Clapp (2/3) | USA}} United States | Pierre Gillou, president of the French Tennis Federation |
| 1949 | Margaret Osborne duPont (3/4) | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; Pierre Gillou, president of the French Tennis Federation; John Olliff |
| 1950 | Margaret Osborne duPont (4/4) | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; John Olliff, Lawn Tennis Almanack |
| 1951 | Doris Hart (1/2) | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; John Olliff, Lawn Tennis Almanack |
| 1952 | Maureen Connolly Brinker (1/3) | USA}} United States | Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis; Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1953 | Maureen Connolly Brinker (2/3) | USA}} United States | World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1954 | Maureen Connolly Brinker (3/3) | USA}} United States | World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1955 | Doris Hart (2/2) | USA}} United States | World Tennis magazine (U.S.) | |
| Louise Brough Clapp (3/3) | USA}} United States | Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1956 | Shirley Fry Irvin | USA}} United States | World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London) |
| 1957 | Althea Gibson (1/2) | USA}} United States | Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London); Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1958 | Althea Gibson (2/2) | USA}} United States | Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London); Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1959 | Maria Bueno (1/4) | BRA}} Brazil | Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London); Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1960 | Maria Bueno (2/4) | BRA}} Brazil | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| 1961 | Angela Mortimer Barrett | UK}} United Kingdom | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1962 | Margaret Court (1/7) | AUS}} Australia | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1963 | Margaret Court (2/7) | AUS}} Australia | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1964 | Margaret Court (3/7) | AUS}} Australia | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London) |
| Maria Bueno (3/4) | BRA}} Brazil | Ned Potter, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll; Ulrich Kaiser |
| 1965 | Margaret Court (4/7) | AUS}} Australia | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Joseph Macauley, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll; Sport za Rubezhom (Russia) |
| 1966 | Billie Jean King (1/6) | USA}} United States | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Joseph Macauley, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Pierre de Thier, Belgium |
| Maria Bueno (4/4) | BRA}} Brazil | Bruce Walkley, Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1967 | Billie Jean King (2/6) | USA}} United States | Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Joseph Macauley, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); British Lawn Tennis Reader's Poll |
| 1968 | Billie Jean King (3/6) | USA}} United States | Bud Collins; Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Rino Tommasi; Ulrich Kaiser; Seagram's (panel of experts) |
| 1969 | Margaret Court (5/7) | AUS}} Australia | Bud Collins; Joseph Macauley, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Rino Tommasi |
| 1970 | Margaret Court (6/7) | AUS}} Australia | Bud Collins; Joseph Macauley, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Judith Elian, L'Equipe; Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Mike Gibson (Wimbledon referee); Rino Tommasi |
| 1971 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley | AUS}} Australia | Joseph Macauley, World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Bjorn Hellberg, Tennis Tidning (Sweden); L'Equipe magazine; Rex Bellamy, The Times (London); Frank Rostron |
| Billie Jean King (4/6) | USA}} United States | Bud Collins; Rino Tommasi |
| 1972 | Billie Jean King (5/6) | USA}} United States | Tennis magazine (U.S.); World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Bud Collins; John Barrett; Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Rino Tommasi; Frank Rostron |
| 1973 | Margaret Court (7/7) | AUS}} Australia | Bud Collins; John Barrett; Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Rino Tommasi; World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| 1974 | Chris Evert (1/8) | USA}} United States | World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); John Barrett; Rino Tommasi; Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| Billie Jean King (6/6) | USA}} United States | Bud Collins |
| 1975 | Chris Evert (2/8) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; John Barrett; World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| 1976 | Chris Evert (3/8) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; Bud Collins; World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| 1977 | Chris Evert (4/8) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; John Barrett, Financial Times (London); Judith Elian, L'Equipe; Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London); Peter Bodo, Tennis magazine (U.S.); Rino Tommasi, Tennis Club (Rome); Wataru Tsukagoshi, Tennis Magazine of Japan; World Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| 1978 | Chris Evert (5/8) | USA}} United States | International Tennis Federation; Tennis Magazine (Australia); World Tennis magazine (U.S.); John Barrett; Joe Macauley, Tennis Australia; Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| Martina Navratilova (1/7) | TCH}} Czechoslovakia | Women's Tennis Association; Bud Collins; Lance Tingay |
| 1979 | Martina Navratilova (2/7) | TCH}} Czechoslovakia | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; Jeffrey Bairstow, Tennis magazine (U.S.); Peter Bodo, Tennis magazine (U.S.); World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Alan Trengrove, Tennis Magazine (Australia); Bud Collins; John Barrett, Financial Times (London); Rino Tommasi, Tennis Club (Rome); Joe Macauley, Tennis Australia; Wataru Tsukagoshi, Tennis Magazine of Japan; Lance Tingay |
| Chris Evert (6/8) | USA}} United States | Judith Elian, L'Equipe |
| 1980 | Chris Evert (7/8) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett; World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay; Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| 1981 | Chris Evert (8/8) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; Alexander McNab, Tennis magazine (U.S.); Peter Bodo, Tennis magazine (U.S.); World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Alan Trengrove, Tennis Magazine (Australia); Judith Elian, L'Equipe; John Barrett, Financial Times (London); Waturu Tsukagoshi, Tennis Magazine of Japan; Rino Tommasi, Tennis Club (Rome) |
| Tracy Austin | USA}} United States | John Barrett, Financial Times (London); Lance Tingay |
| 1982 | Martina Navratilova (3/7) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London); World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Tennis magazine (U.S.) |
| 1983 | Martina Navratilova (4/7) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London); World Tennis magazine (U.S.); Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London) |
| 1984 | Martina Navratilova (5/7) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1985 | Martina Navratilova (6/7) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1986 | Martina Navratilova (7/7) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1987 | Steffi Graf (1/8) | FRG}} West Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1988 | Steffi Graf (2/8) | FRG}} West Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1989 | Steffi Graf (3/8) | FRG}} West Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1990 | Steffi Graf (4/8) | FRG}} Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1991 | Monica Seles (1/3) | YUG}} Yugoslavia | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1992 | Monica Seles (2/3) | FR Yugoslavia}} Yugoslavia | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1993 | Steffi Graf (5/8) | FRG}} Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1994 | Steffi Graf (6/8) | FRG}} Germany | Women's Tennis Association |
| Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | ESP}} Spain | International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1995 | Steffi Graf (7/8) | FRG}} Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| Monica Seles (3/3) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association |
| 1996 | Steffi Graf (8/8) | FRG}} Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1997 | Martina Hingis (1/3) | SUI}} Switzerland | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1998 | Lindsay Davenport (1/4) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 1999 | Martina Hingis (2/3) | SUI}} Switzerland | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation; John Barrett, Financial Times (London) |
| 2000 | Martina Hingis (3/3) | SUI}} Switzerland | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2001 | Lindsay Davenport (2/4) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association |
| Jennifer Capriati | USA}} United States | International Tennis Federation |
| 2002 | Serena Williams (1/6) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2003 | Justine Henin (1/3) | BEL}} Belgium | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2004 | Lindsay Davenport (3/4) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association |
| Anastasia Myskina | RUS}} Russia | International Tennis Federation |
| 2005 | Lindsay Davenport (4/4) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association |
| Kim Clijsters | BEL}} Belgium | International Tennis Federation |
| 2006 | Justine Henin (2/3) | BEL}} Belgium | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2007 | Justine Henin (3/3) | BEL}} Belgium | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2008 | Jelena Janković | SRB}} Serbia | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2009 | Serena Williams (2/6) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2010 | Caroline Wozniacki (1/2) | DEN}} Denmark | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2011 | Caroline Wozniacki (2/2) | DEN}} Denmark | Women's Tennis Association |
| Petra Kvitová | CZE}} Czech Republic | International Tennis Federation |
| 2012 | Victoria Azarenka | BLR}} Belarus | Women's Tennis Association |
| Serena Williams (3/6) | USA}} United States | International Tennis Federation |
| 2013 | Serena Williams (4/6) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2014 | Serena Williams (5/6) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2015 | Serena Williams (6/6) | USA}} United States | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2016 | Angelique Kerber | GER}} Germany | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |
| 2017 | Simona Halep | ROM}} Romania | Women's Tennis Association |
| Garbine Muguruza | ESP}} Spain | International Tennis Federation, WTA Player of the Year |
| 2018 | Simona Halep | ROM}} Romania | Women's Tennis Association; International Tennis Federation |