Nearly 40 years ago, Tracy Austin reached No. 1 as a teen

On April 7, 1980, 39 years ago nearly to this day, Tracy Austin became world No. 1. The milestone came seven months after she became the youngest US Open champion in history at 16 years and nine months.

“Winning the US Open at 16 definitely changed my world that day," she told *Tennis 365*. "All of a sudden, my goal was to try and become No. 1.”

In 1980, she would be ranked No. 1 for two weeks in April and then for 19 weeks from July 7. In 1981, she would enjoy a 26-match win streak complete with her second US Open title.

Injuries cut the American's career short when she was still in her early 20s. In 1992 at the age of 29, Austin became the youngest player ever to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.