That Was The Year That Was: Part I

JANUARY

Eighteen months after she retired as the reigning world No.1, Justine Henin returns to the tour at the Brisbane International - only to be edged by fellow comeback queen Kim Clijsters in a thrilling final.

Li Na and Zheng Jie reach the semis of the Australian Open, the first time two Chinese players have made the last four at the same Grand Slam event. Li subsequently become the first player from China to crack the Top 10.

A ceremony is held at Melbourne Park to mark the 40th anniversary of Margaret Court's Grand Slam season, with two of her finals victims, Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals, in attendance.

Serena Williams defends her Australian Open title, beating Henin in the final. The win is Serena's fifth in Melbourne and 12th major overall, equal to King on the all-time list.

Serena and Venus beat co-No.1s Cara Black and Liezel Huber for their 11th Grand Slam together.

Black completes a career mixed doubles Grand Slam by winning the Australia title with Leander Paes.

FEBRUARY

Having defended in Sydney, Elena Dementieva wins her 16th - and what would later prove to be her last - singles title at the Paris Indoors.

French great Amélie Mauresmo, who announced her retirement during the 2009 off-season, is honored in Paris.

Colombia's Mariana Duque Marino becomes the first of nine first-time WTA titlists in 2010, winning her home event at International-level Bogotá.

A year after she was denied a visa to compete, Israel's Shahar Peer advances to the semis at Dubai, falling to eventual champion Venus Williams.

MARCH

The WTA mourns the passing of Georgina Clark, who served the tour with distinction for 24 years.

Australia's Samantha Stosur enjoys the first Top 10 debut of the season.

Jankovic wins the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the final.

Following on from a similar event at the Australian Open, Indian Wells hosts Hit For Haiti, with Steffi Graf and Andrea Agassi among the star participants.

Serena is named Laureus Sportswoman of the Year, with Clijsters earning the best comeback award.

Sony Ericsson announces its ongoing sponsorship commitment to the WTA, as lead global sponsor through the end of 2012.

At 125 weeks, Huber passes Natasha Zvereva to move into third place on the all-time list of weeks at doubles No.1.

The WTA Player Awards for 2009 are announced during the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Recepients include the Williams sisters, Clijsters, Melanie Oudin, Yanina Wickmayer and Huber.

APRIL

Clijsters wins the third tournament of her second career, ending Venus's 15-match winning streak in the final at Miami.

All-time great Martina Navratilova reveals she is battling breast cancer.

Wozniacki wins her first title of the season at Ponte Vedra Beach; five more are to come.

Samantha Stosur launches a superb clay court season by winning her first Premier title on green clay of Charleston.

Henin wins the first title of her comeback, and 42nd overall, beating Stosur in the final at Stuttgart.

In the Fed Cup semifinals, Italy beats the Czech Republic to reach the final for the fifth year in a row, while a Williams-less US side upsets Russia.

Serena becomes the seventh woman to spend 100 weeks at No.1 in the rankings.

MAY

In reaching the quarters at Madrid, Venus cements her return to No.2 for the first time in seven years.

France's Aravane Rezai sizzles all the way to the Madrid title, beating Henin and Venus along the way.

The 17-match winning streak of Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta is ended by the Williams sisters in the final at Madrid.

Better known for her doubles results, Spanish lefty María José Martínez Sánchez upsets two-time champion Jankovic in the final at Rome.

Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru defends her Warsaw Open title, proving her first triumph as a lowly-ranked qualifier had been no fluke.

Camille Pin, 28, announces retirement after first round doubles loss at Roland Garros, her home Slam.

Stosur snaps Henin's 24 match winning streak at Roland Garros.

JUNE

Her 30th birthday approaching, Francesca Schiavone makes her Top 10 debut after becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam title, beating fellow first-time finalist Stosur in an inspirational final at Roland Garros.

With their doubles triumph in Paris, the Williams sisters become only the third pair to hold all four major titles simultaneously - and duly capture the top ranking. For the first time, they are now No.1 and No.2 in both singles and doubles.

Sweden's Oriflame signs on as official cosmetics partner of the WTA, and China's PEAK signs on as official apparel sponsor in Asia-Pacific.

Russian Ekaterina Makarova wins her first title at Eastbourne - as a qualifier.

Former Wimbledon champions King, Navratilova, Virginia Wade, Conchita Martinez and Jana Novotna are among guests at the WTA's first European Alumni Reunion in London.

The 'Spice Girls' of tennis, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova, return to the All England Club to play the Ladies' Invitational event.

Henin sustains right elbow injury while playing Clijsters in fourth round at Wimbledon; will miss rest of season. Read More