2008 WTA Tour

2008 WTA Tour

The 2008 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 36th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on December 31, 2007, and concluded on November 9, 2008 after 59 events.

The season was characterised by its frequent changes in the No. 1 ranking, with Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Janković and Serena Williams all holding the position at one point during the season. Eventually, Janković finished the season as the No. 1 player in the world despite not winning a Grand Slam tournament. She did, however, reach the final of the U.S. Open, and won four tournaments throughout the season.

Four different players won the Grand Slam titles, with Maria Sharapova winning her third major title at the Australian Open, Ana Ivanovic winning her maiden title at the French Open, Venus Williams winning her seventh Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, and Serena Williams winning her ninth Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. Dinara Safina also reached her first Grand Slam final at the French Open, and won four events during the season.

One of the big stories of the year was the shock retirement of Justine Henin on May 14, less than two weeks before she was set to defend her French Open title. She became the first player to retire while ranked at No. 1 in the world. Henin later returned for the 2010 season.