The ITF announced today that World No.1 Jelena Jankovic and Rafael Nadal are the 2008 ITF World Champions. This is the first time that either player has received this honor.
Jankovic becomes Serbia’s first Singles World Champion after securing the year-end No.1 ranking in a standout year. She reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the US Open, and won more matches on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour than any other player, capturing four titles in Rome, Beijing, Stuttgart and Moscow. The 23-year-old also represented her country at the Olympics and in Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, where she helped Serbia qualify for the World Group for the first time ever.
“I am very proud of myself for all I have accomplished in 2008 and am delighted to be named ITF World Champion,” Jankovic said. “I worked really hard this year and to finish No.1 is where I want to be and where I want to stay. It was also an honor to represent Serbia in the Beijing Olympics and I hope I can achieve further success for my country in Fed Cup.”
The ITF’s selection of its World Champions is based on an objective system that considers not only performances at the Grand Slams, Olympic Games and respective tours, but also gives weight to performances in the two ITF international team competitions, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and the Olympic Games.
“Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic both enjoyed breakthrough years in 2008,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. “Both players are excellent ambassadors for their countries, for whom they have achieved considerable success both as individuals and in the ITF team competitions.”
The ITF also announced that Cara Black and Liezel Huber and Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic are the 2008 ITF Doubles World Champions.
Black and Huber are Women’s Doubles Champions for the second successive year. The duo surpassed their 2007 effort by capturing 10 titles during the year, including the US Open and the season-ending championships. For the second year running Black and Huber ended the year co-ranked world No.1 in the individual doubles rankings. Huber also made her Fed Cup and Olympic debut for the United States, having formerly represented her home nation South Africa.
Noppawan Lertcheewakarn was named the 2008 ITF Junior World Champion, becoming the first ever Asian player to receive this honor. Lertcheewakarn was the most consistent player on the girls’ circuit, capturing four singles and two doubles titles during the year. A member of the ITF/Grand Slam Touring Team, the 17-year-old reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and won four events in Asia. In doubles, Lertcheewakarn teamed up with Sweden’s Sandra Roma to win the junior US Open, and was also champion at the pre-Wimbledon event at Roehampton. Her overall win-loss records for the year were 39-12 in singles and 31-11 in doubles.
ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “I would like to pay tribute to all the ITF World Champions for 2008, who have contributed to another memorable year for the sport at all levels.” The ITF World Champions will receive their awards at the annual ITF World Champions Dinner on Tuesday 2 June, in Paris, during Roland Garros.
© 2008 WTA Tour Inc.
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