The new queen of Paris

Maria Sharapova hopes she can emulate women’s tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and set an example for the players who will follow in her footsteps as she once again sits on top of the world.

The Russian officially today becomes world number one for the first time in four years, and she will do so as the 10th woman to win all four grand slam titles in her career after lifting the French Open trophy on Saturday.

Sharapova defeated Italy’s Sara Errani 6-3 6-2 to put the icing on the cake of her long road back to the top after 10 months out with a shoulder injury in 2008 and 2009. The women’s game has struggled to match the extraordinary era in the men’s game at the moment, with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic reaching new heights all the time. But in Sharapova the sport has a true global superstar, and someone who cares passionately about what it means to be number one.