The battle to be the British women’s number one is an intriguing sub-plot which will continue over the grass-court season.
Emma Raducanu replaced Katie Boulter as the nation’s leading player following her run to the Queen’s quarter-finals.
Raducanu has climbed one place to 36th in the world, with Boulter dropping five places to 39th after losing in the second round.
And it’s not only Raducanu and Boulter in the mix. British number three Sonay Kartal is ranked just below them at 50th.
“It’s nice [being British number one], but I wouldn’t say it’s the most important thing for me,” said Raducanu, whose first spell came after she won the 2021 US Open.
“It was nice for me to have something to chase, and I’m sure Katie’s going to enjoy that with me.
“The grass season is still young, and so is the rest of the season. We have a healthy competition.”
Boulter, 28, had a two-year grip on the position but was leapfrogged by 22-year-old Raducanu when the rankings were released on Monday.
While both players insist it is not a huge deal – their focus remains on the bigger picture of climbing the world rankings – it is a storyline which will rumble into Wimbledon at the end of the month.
For Raducanu, though, it does represent a notable landmark as she continues to steadily rebuild her career.
She dropped outside of the world’s top 300 after wrist and ankle injuries meant she missed most of the 2023 season and she was ranked as low as 165th this time last year.
Pulling out of this week’s WTA tournament in Berlin with an ongoing back issue means she has missed the opportunity to force her way into the Wimbledon seedings.
But, with an improved serve and the ability to get low on the grass, Raducanu will still fancy her chances of replicating her run to the Wimbledon fourth round last year.
“I think maybe my goals have slightly shifted from being seeded to actually improving my game,” said Raducanu, whose recent one-sided defeats by Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff were reminders of how she remains behind the very best.
“I’d rather have a more competitive match, even if that means losing first round or second round.”