1. Jelena Jankovic

Jelena Jankovic

A well deserved number 1 ranking for this native of Belgrade, Serbia. Jelena brings a dangerous combination of power, precision, endurance and sex appeal to the court. In 2008 she added plenty of cash to her to her resume while compiling a 65 wins against 19 losses. At age 23, Jelena finished the year strong winning successive tournaments in at the China Open, The Porsche Grand Prix and the Kremlin Cup. Her late season wins propelled her to the top of the rankings, kept her in front of the media and helped to land a big deal with Reebok. Jelena was a finalist at the U.S. Open and looks to improve upon her Grand Slam performances in 2009.

2. Serena Williams – Serena brings her big game to every match and her record shows it. The world’s second ranked player has impressive stat boasting $21,961,000 in career earning and $3,852,173 earned in 2008. At 27 years young, Serena claimed 4 championship titles in 2008 including the prestigious U.S. Open. Proud owner of 32 career championships, Serena is a force to be dealt with on the court. Off the court, her fashion line and endorsements her in the spotlight.

3. Dinara Safina – Dinara can get it on! Long known as a passionate player, Dinara lets everyone know how she feels. The 22 year old Russian bombshell explodes on and off the court. At 5’ 11’, the blonde Dinara stands out wherever she is. Although finishing the year poorly, she compiled 4 titles and earnings amounting to $2,541,270 in 2008. A finalist at the French Open, the native of Moscow looks to start the year fast in 2009. Her specialty is her two-fisted backhand and when she’s on, her game is poetry in motion.

4. Elena Dementieva – Well deserved star power glows around this agile 27 year old blonde-haired, blue-eyed, leggy Russian beauty. With 480 career wins and $10,627,000 in career earnings, Elena has plenty to smile about. In 2008, Elena could not get it done in the Grand Slams but she garnered three more tour titles and almost 2 million in earnings. Enthusiastic supporters keep rooting her on and look for some major wins in 2009. As gracious off the court as she is on, Elena looks to the Australian Open to jump start the upcoming season.

5. Ana Ivanovic – Miss Ana, Miss Ana wherefore art thou? Labeled “the body” by avid tennis fans, Ana Ivanovic had a topsy-turvy 2008 as she burst to tennis world prominence with her final appearance in the Australian Open and followed by her win at the French Open. The sultry, statuesque Serb may have been a bit overwhelmed by the publicity as she faltered near the end of the year. With 3 wins and more than 3 million dollars earned on 2008, Ana’s still smiling though. And, at 21 she should. Good things are ahead for this media and tennis phenom.

6. Venus Williams – At 28, and with 515 career wins and almost $22 million in career earnings, it is safe to say Venus never goes down easily. Players have to overcome her big play style to advance and American Venus Williams has plenty of power and lots of savvy. She won the championship at Wimbledon and along with her sister, Serena, claimed the doubles as well. 2008 reaped 3.7 million in earnings and while only claiming 3 titles, she was knocking on the door in most events. Venus sports a revitalized intensity these days and she’ll still be a force in 2009.

7. Vera Zvonareva – Vera is on the way up. A power packed all court performer, this 24 year old blonde Russian hits as hard as anyone and sports a wicked two handed backhand. With more than 5 million in career earnings, this 5’ 7” 130 pound dynamo covers the court well and donning her trademark white cap claimed two titles and more than $1.7 million in 2008. Look for Vera to get out of the blocks fast at the Australian Open as she sets her sights on Grand Slam success in 2009.

8. Svetlana Kuznetsova – another top Russian player, the solid Svetlana hails from St. Petersburg and is an effective clay and hard court performer. At 5’ 8’, 161 pounds, Svetlana looks to improve in 2009. Earning $1,771,000 and claiming no titles in 2008, Svetlana seeks more dimension to her play. If she finds her power serve, watch out! With more than $10 million in career earnings, this 23 year old is one of the hardest workers on the circuit.

9. Maria Sharapova – 21 years old, and proud owner of four Grand Slam championships, the 6’ 2” 130 pound endorsement icon, Maria Sharapova has come a long way and has big plans to go even further. With massive international appeal, her mammoth fan base has reasons to expect big results. Although battling injuries for the past two years, Maria managed to only lose 4 times in 2008 and ran up 32 victories along the way to amassing another $1.9 million in earnings. 2008 Winner of the Australian Open, watch out for Maria in all the big events. Regarded as a threat in every major, Maria has been practicing hard for an early season launch.

10. Agnieszka Radwanska – 2008 was a good year for the 19 year old Pole. Agnieszka claimed three titles, won over one million dollars and performed well in all four Grand Slam events. Her most impressive win was in Istanbul as she smothered Elena Dementieva in the finals. The 5’8’, 123 pound youngster seemed to gain some confidence from that win and finished the year on an upbeat note. Light on her feet and solid with her strokes, this fire plug never gives up. 2009 could well be her breakout year!

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