Despite their joint refusal to take part in the current French Open, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina from Russia will be at the top of the double world rankings for the first time next Monday. This was announced by the WTA in an advance notification.
“This is a great honour for us,” said Makarova (30), who is ranked 36th in the individual. The left-hander and her partner Vesnina (31) have won a total of twelve titles so far – including the Grand Slam trophies at the French Open 2013, the US Open 2014 and Wimbledon 2017.
In the final of the Australian Open in Melbourne Park at the end of January, the double Olympic champion of Rio de Janeiro 2016 was defeated by Kristina Mladenovic (France) and Timea Babos (Hungary).
Makarova and Vesnina are players number 37 and 38 respectively, who make the leap to the top of the double ranking. Previously, only one Russian woman had succeeded in doing so: Anna Kournikova in 1999.
This season Makarova/Vesnina have won 19:5. They recently won their first title at the Premier Mandatory Event in Madrid in 2018, but surprisingly, the duo did not compete together at the current French Open in Stade Roland Garros.
Vesnina, Wimbledon single semi-finalist from 2016, played with Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) – Makarova with her countrywoman Anna Kalinskaya. But without each other Vesnina and Makarova apparently can’t – both retired in round one.