Dubai Duty Free COO Ramesh Cidambi and Salah Tahlak Executive Vice President Corporate Services present trophy to Barbora Strycova.

The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) announced on Monday that Ashleigh Barty and Barbora Strycova have earned the 2019 WTA Year-End World No.1 Singles and Doubles Rankings presented by Dubai Duty Free (DDF).

Australia’s Barty has clinched the year-end WTA singles No.1 ranking for the first time in her career, becoming the 14th WTA player since the inception of computer rankings in 1975 to achieve the accolade.

Strycova has earned this season’s year-end No.1 doubles ranking also for the first time, and 2019 marks the second year in a row a player from the Czech Republic has achieved the honor, after Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova ended 2018 as the co-ranked No.1 team.

“On behalf of Dubai Duty Free, I’d like to offer our congratulations to Ashleigh Barty and Barbora Strycova on achieving the WTA Year-End World No.1 singles and doubles rankings for the first time in their careers,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Dubai Duty Free. “Ashleigh and Barbora have written their names into the history books in 2019 following their debut Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon respectively, which was just one of many amazing achievements this season, and I look forward to welcoming them to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next year in February.”

Barty became the 27th player to reach the WTA World No.1 ranking on 25^th June 2019 and including her triumphant week at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, has amassed 15 weeks in the top spot. Her ascent to the World No.1 ranking over the summer also marked the first time an Australian woman had held the position since Evonne Goolagong Cawley reached this historic milestone on April 26, 1976.

“To be able to call myself the Year-End World No.1 singles player is one of the proudest moments of my career,” said Barty. “This achievement is truly a team effort, and I would not be receiving this honor or had the best season of my life without the people around me who have supported me on this incredible journey.”

Barty has enjoyed a standout season on the WTA Tour, which saw her lift her career-first WTA Premier Mandatory title at the Miami Open presented by Itaú, her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, and subsequently became the first player to qualify for the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, where she lifted the trophy after defeating reigning champion Elina Svitolina in the final.

Strycova meanwhile also lifted her maiden Grand Slam title this year, partnering with Hsieh Su-Wei to triumph at Wimbledon. The team also lifted the trophy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Mutua Madrid Open and the Nature Valley Classic (Birmingham), and closed out their season with a runner-up finish at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen. She ascended to the World No.1 doubles ranking on Monday July 15, 2019, becoming the seventh woman representing the Czech Republic to achieve the No.1 doubles ranking, and is the 43rd woman overall to reach the top spot in doubles.

“This is an incredible moment in my career, and I’d like to thank Hsieh Su-Wei who has been my partner for much of this season and helped me reach this goal,” said Strycova. “It’s been a fantastic year for me and to finish the year as the top doubles player is an amazing feeling.”

“Ashleigh and Barbora have both enjoyed incredible seasons and we are delighted to see them receive their WTA Year-End World No.1 trophies,” said Micky Lawler, WTA President. “I would also like to offer my ongoing thanks to Dubai Duty Free for their association with the WTA Year-End No.1 awards as well as their continued support for women’s tennis.”

Both Barty and Strycova were presented with their respective WTA Year-End World No.1 trophies at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen by Ramesh Cidambi, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Duty Free and Salah Tahlak, Executive Vice President-Corporate Services of Dubai Duty Free.