Belinda Bencic (Getty Images)
Switzerland's
Belinda Bencic has become the first teenager in seven years to reach
the top 10 of the WTA rankings after climbing to ninth in the world on
Monday.
A run to the final at the St. Petersburg Ladies
Trophy ensured that Bencic, 18, became the first woman aged under 20 to
enter the top 10 since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009.
"As a small kid, everyone is dreaming to one day become top 10," Bencic, who won two titles in 2015, said in a statement.
"I
now realise that all the hard work paid off. Until now, I didn't know
if I would make it. But this is an amazing moment for me and just ... my
dream. My goal is reached."
A sport that was
once the domain of teenage champions, with players such as Steffi Graf,
Monica Seles, Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario and Martina Hingis winning grand
slam titles before turning 20, has seen a shift in recent years.
Maria
Sharapova's triumph at the 2006 US Open was the last time a teenaged
player won a slam, while last year's four majors were all won by
30-something women as Serena Williams and Flavia Pennetta walked away
with the spoils.
Reuters
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