Ana Ivanovic

The second half of 2008 saw the competition for the No.1 ranking intensify, while several youngsters won their first titles and more established stars enjoyed golden form. In the end Serbia's Jelena Jankovic surged ahead as the most consistent queen of the courts, and there was also plenty of activity on the sidelines as the Tour prepared its revolutionary 2009 Roadmap calendar. 

 
JULY

Four of the world’s top women tennis players, including 2008 Grand Slam Champions Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, along with World No.1 Jelena Jankovic will face off in a one-night only single elimination event which will also celebrate tennis legend Billie Jean King.  The "BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup" is scheduled for Monday, March 2 at Madison Square Garden and will be telecast live on HBO beginning at 7:30 p.m. E.T.
 

For the first time in the history of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, a world No.1 stepped away from the sport she ruled in 2008. But there was no shortage of pretenders to the tennis throne, in a season that saw a handful of teens establish themselves as serious contenders, and mid-career surges by a clutch of more established players. There was plenty of action off court as well, including a marketing push of heroic proportions and happy news from some of the Tour's best-loved retired stars.
 
JANUARY
 

Serena and Venus Williams became the highest-earning female tennis players in 2008, according to the Women’s Tennis Association.
 

Serena made $3.852 million during the season, whereas Venus earned a little less – $3.747 million.
 
In 2008, Serena Williams won tennis tournaments in Bangalore, Miami, Charleston, as well as the US Open. Venus became the champion of Wimbledon, the tournament in Zurich and the WTA Tournament.

Four of the world’s top women tennis players, including 2008 major Champions Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, along with World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic will face off in a one-night only single elimination event which will also celebrate tennis legend Billie Jean King. The “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” is scheduled for Monday, March 2 at Madison Square Garden and will be telecast live on HBO beginning at 7:30 p.m. E.T.

The triumph of two Serbs at the Shanghai Masters over the weekend, two players on top of global rankings and another two with the throne in sight at the close of the tennis season drove Belgrade newspapers deeper into euphoria on Monday.
 
'Shanghai fairy tale,' 'Serbia's pride,' 'Serbian Shanghai,' and 'Best in the world' are some of the headlines in the newspapers, many of which allowed tennis to dominate front-pages instead of the usual, often grim political stories.
 

Novak Djokovic is trying his best to complete Serbia’s ascension to the top of the tennis world.

Jelena Jankovic, who won the U.S. Open, already is No. 1 on the women’s side, a spot that compatriot Ana Ivanovic, the French Open winner, held earlier in the year before slipping to fifth.

Nenad Zimonjic became the top doubles player when he and Canada’s Daniel Nestor teamed to beat Bob and Mike Bryan for the Masters Cup doubles title Sunday and end the American twins’ four-year run atop the year-end rankings.

Life on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour can be grueling, but it's not all catching red-eye flights and racing to the courts. While traveling and competing around the world, players also get to experience the nightlife and local flavor that each city on the Tour has to offer. From the clubs of Miami to the beer halls of Germany, check out the highlights of the Tour's year of fabulous parties.
 
Wimbledon

Serbian player Ana Ivanovic, one of the most beautiful women at the WTA, admitted she's having a relationship with Spaniard Fernando Verdasco; they met at last US Open.
 
Ana Ivanovic, 21, confirmed to Press paper she's having a relationship with Spaniard player Fernando Verdasco; she also said they met at the last US Open.

"It's true I'm dating Fernando. We met at the US Open, and then it all started," former world ranked no. 1 said.

Serbian rumoured to be gettin’ jiggy with Fernando Verdasco
 
Locker-room rumours claim that Ana Ivanovic, the world’s hottest tennis player, is seeing Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, ranked No.16 on the men’s tour.
 
According to the Swiss website 20minuten.ch, the pair fell for each other at the Beijing Olympics. She pulled out of the tournament one day before the Games began, but instead of flying home she decided to spend some time in the Chinese capital. Hmm, wonder why?