Petra Kvitova's surging win over Ashleigh Barty to make the Australian Open semi-finals ensured Simona Halep's reign as world number one is over, not that the Romanian is bothered.
The Czech star overtook Halep's points total, while Naomi Osaka and Karolina Pliskova also have a mathematical shot at assuming the mantle when the new rankings come out next week.
Entering the opening Grand Slam of the year, 11 players had a chance to hold the top spot, but that has now been whittled down.
Of the three in the running, only Pliskova has been there before, in 2017 when she became the first Czech women to do so.
To do so again she must win the title on Saturday.