Hot news: Jelena Jankovic honored by ITF

Source: AP

Jelena Jankovic was honored Wednesday as the International Tennis Federation’s world champion of 2008.

Jankovic finished the year as the top-ranked women’s player despite failing to win a Grand Slam title in 2008—she lost in the U.S. Open final to Serena Williams. But the 23-year-old Serb still managed to win more matches than any other player on tour, and claimed WTA titles in Rome, Beijing, Stuttgart and Moscow.

“I worked really hard this year and to finish No. 1 is where I want to be and where I want to stay,” Jankovic said.

The ITF selects its world champions based on a system that includes results from the ATP and WTA tours, along with Grand Slams, Olympics and the Davis Cup and Fed Cup.