PDF《2017》

5 WTA Story continued 1995CTheWTAPlayersAssociationmergeswiththeWomen'

s TennisCounciltoformtheWTATour,andfollowingMonica Seles'

inspiring return to the sport in the summer, the season concludes with a new title sponsor C software company Corel.

1997 C On March 30, Martina Hingis becomes the fastest player ever to win $1 million in a season and a day later became the youngest-ever world No.1, ending Graf'

s record reign (for men and women) of

377 total weeks.

1999 C After

17 years, Graf retires from the tour with

22 Grand Slam singles titles and a record $21,895,277 in career earnings. 2000CSanexbodycareproductscomesonboardastheTour'

s title sponsor for three years. After

22 consecutive years, Madison Square Garden hosts its last season-ending WTA Championships. 2001CTheAustralianOpenrestoresequalprizemoney,while overall Tour prize money increases to $50 million in

63 events, including the first-ever Middle EasternTour events in Doha, Qatar and Dubai, UAE. Munich hosts the season- ending Championships.

2002 C The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, fulfill their father'

s prophecy by becoming the No.1 players in the world C firstVenus in February, then Serena in July. Serena wins three majors, defeating her older sister in each final. Los Angeles hosts the season-ending Championships for the first time since 1976.

2003 C SerenaWilliams wins the Australian Open to complete the '

Serena Slam'

while Kim Clijsters becomes the first female athlete to earn $4 million in season earnings.

2004 C Dubai Duty Free becomes Presenting Sponsor of the Middle East/Asia-Pacific region, while Anastasia Myskina, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova lift Russia'

s first Grand Slam singles titles.

2005 C Sony Ericsson becomes the Tour'

s worldwide title sponsorinalandmark$88million,six-yeardeal,thelargest and most comprehensive sponsorship in the history of tennis and of women'

s professional spor........