Despite an unexpected early exit, Svitolina still ranks in the top five of another list.

In the third round of the WTA1000 Miami tournament concluded early this morning, Ukrainian player Svitolina, a former年终总决赛 champion, surprisingly lost to American player Baptiste, marking her first failure to reach the semifinals in a WTA1000 event this 2026 season. Yet, she is the player with the most victories since the 2026 season began, across both men's and women's tennis.

Despite her early elimination, Svitolina remains one of the active players with the longest tenure in the TOP20, holding the fifth position. So, who are the other active players among the top five with the longest TOP20 stays? Let this article take you through them today.

Since the 2026 season, American player Venus Williams has struggled to secure a win, whether in巡回赛 or Grand Slam events. Currently, she has suffered six consecutive losses this season. Moreover, Williams has participated in all tournaments using wild cards. Her world ranking has now fallen beyond 500.

Nevertheless, this player, who has successfully defended titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open, has spent a total of 853 weeks in the TOP20. With this record, she leads all active players, ranking first on this list. Perhaps soon, this American legend, now past forty, may truly be approaching retirement. Currently, she likely views competing on the tennis court more as part of enjoying life.

Compared to Venus Williams, Belarusian player Azarenka undoubtedly has less fame. Still, she has successfully defended an Australian Open title and reached the finals of the年终总决赛. Due to various reasons, Azarenka has not appeared on the tennis court in the 2026 season. Last season, she achieved her 100th hard-court Grand Slam victory at the US Open. Azarenka spent 541 weeks in the TOP20, a number far less than Williams, yet she still ranks second on this list.

American player Keys has won titles both in WTA1000 and Grand Slam events. Unfortunately, since entering the 2026 season, her form has noticeably declined. Keys has only reached the quarterfinals twice in巡回赛; at the Australian Open, she only advanced to the fourth round, ending her title defense hopes early.

In the third round of the WTA1000 Miami tournament early this morning, Keys, after winning the first set, was reversed by Chinese top player Zheng Qinwen who won the next two sets, marking her second early exit in a WTA1000 event this 2026 season. She has spent 437 weeks in the TOP20, ranking third.

Czech player Karolina Pliskova has twice reached Grand Slam finals, but over time, her form has significantly changed. Early in the 2026 season, her world ranking even dropped beyond 1000. Fortunately, she managed to recover, reaching the third round at the Australian Open and improving her ranking to 418th. Still, this is far from her peak ranking, yet she spent 403 weeks in the TOP20, ranking fourth.

Ukrainian player Svitolina has spent 401 weeks in the TOP20, making her the only player among the top five who has not reached a Grand Slam final. However, winning titles at WTA1000 level events and the年终总决赛 is still a notable achievement. It is believed that surpassing the records of Pliskova and Keys is only a matter of time for Svitolina. What do you think, readers? That concludes today's tennis story; we'll continue tomorrow.（Source: Tennis Home Author:一心居士）