Women’s tennis seems a case where those at the top are at the top because the best are not interested. With one designing interiors and the other busy promoting her own line of designer wear, the Williams sisters have let the other girls have fun for too long now. Still they elude most tournaments on the WTA tour - but at least Serena now looks much more interested in tennis.

Maria Sharapova, who finds more fun modelling, always looked unlikely to hold on to the No.1 spot for long. Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, the current world No.1 and No.2, look focused on the job but only time will tell whether they have the temperament to compete consistently against the “W” sisters. With Sharapova looking out of contention, let's discuss the five women who could keep the No.1 ranking in their lockers for some time.

Ana Ivanovic, at 20, has age on her side and with 11 singles finals in the last 18 months her career graph looks to be in log phase. A master of top spin amidst the increasing number of power players, Ivanovic toppled Sharapova to grab top spot in the WTA rankings in June this year. Her aggressive inside-out forehands from the baseline are a treat to watch but she will need to pull up her first-serve percentage to consistently beat other top players.

Jelena Jankovic has win-loss records of 4-3 and 3-3 against Venus and Serena Williams. She is one of the very few players overall and probably the only current top 10 player who has consistently troubled both Williams sisters. She hit a purple patch in early 2007, winning four singles titles in 20 weeks and beating the likes of Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Sharapova. She is extremely fit and powerful and one of the few women who like to reply a power shot with another. She hits the two-handed backhand down the line with a surgeon’s precision. However, she needs to serve stronger to have a shot at the top spot.

Dinara Safina's brother Marat Safin might have become a casualty of the dominance of men’s tennis by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but with three finals appearances in the last two months, the Russian girl is definitely on the express way. It's still early to read much into, but with the runner-up shield bagged at French Open this year, Safina looks to be taking big strides with coach Zeljko Krajan guiding her along.

Venus Williams doesn’t seem to apply anywhere near full devotion to tennis but she is a big-match player. Her words after Wimbledon this year aptly summed it up when she said: “I would have been more disappointed about not being able to make history of winning five than actually not winning the match.” When at her best, the only player she could be challenged by is her younger sis Serena. Her powerful serve (probably the most powerful in women’s tennis) and neat volleys make her the crowd puller she is. If she can plan according to the calendar and play a little more tennis, she could reign over the world for some years.

Serena Williams probably has the best backhand on the women’s circuit. Add to it the oomph and crowds come pouring into the stands. The younger sister dominated world tennis, winning five of the six Grand Slams from the French Open in 2002 to the Wimbledon Championships of 2003. But she was forced to rest with a knee injury and it saw her lose the No.1 spot in August 2003 which she had held on to since July 2002. After that she played off and on and missed many tournaments.

Serena has played more tournaments in the last two years and has risen up the ranking chart. She has a win-loss record of 8-8 against her elder sister. Martina Hingis and Justin Henin, both of whom had records of 6-7 against Serena, have retired and no other player on the scene looks like troubling her much. If injuries don’t hit her again and her enthusiasm for the game remains, she is more than likely to make the women’s tennis throne her own.