Better late than never

Posted December 27, 2007 10:00 pm

Associated Press

Evonne Goolagong finally made it to No. 1, although the honor was 30 years late in coming.

The Australian tennis star was told by the WTA Tour that she should have been top-ranked for a two-week period in 1976. That was a stretch in which she was in the middle of winning six tournaments, including the Australian Open and the season-ending Virginia Slims Championship.

But when some tournament records were transferred to a computer in 1976, all of Goolagong's points were not entered and she never received the top ranking, the WTA said. The WTA has amended its records, making Goolagong the 16th No. 1 player since the introduction of tour computer rankings in 1975.

Two weeks ago, the 56-year-old Goolagong received a trophy from the WTA that is now displayed in her oceanside home.

"I'm very proud of the achievement," Goolagong told The Associated Press. "I was on a roll for that stretch in 1976. It was a great surprise to hear after all these years."

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.