Sounds like Monica is doing exactly the right thing.
She HAS to get stronger. Unless she loses 30 more pounds (I do NOT recommend this) Monica will never again be as fast as she was in 1990. So she isn't going to compete on footspeed. Lindsay doesn't compete on footspeed either. She's the hardest hitter on the tour, the most pure 'power player'. And right now, she's the best player on the tour. That's a model that Monica can duplicate. Power and accuracy. Can Monica get a serve as big as Lindsay's? It's possible. Monica's taller and heavier than Serena, and Serena can serve with anyone. Will Monica GET a serve that big? No. But she can improve it.
I can't see Monica returning to the top five.
Venus, Kim, Jenn and Lindsay are staying in the top five. Venus and Kim are still improving. Lindsay's the best on the planet right now. Jenn hasn't won since the French, but she's making finals and semis, and that's enough for a top five spot. (Note that Lindsay and Venus are both holdoing top five spots while losing a lot of time to injury. They aren't going anywhere.)
That leaves ONE opening for a bunch of players with perceptible weaknesses.
Martina - True, she can't beat a top ten player who has any power at all, but that can/will/MUST change. She's too good otherwise to lose to players who just hit the ball hard and keep it in the court.
Serena - Well, she has to show up and play at least fifteen tournaments. If she does, top five for sure.
Amelie - Fragile psyche.
Justine - Injuries
Monica- Conditioning (still). The second week of the 2 week tourneys always shows the flaws in Monica's conditioning.
Jelena - Flavor of the month. Has the Lindsay Davenport 'shoulder slump' when things go poorly.
I expect those six players to compete for the #5 ranking. And at l;east four of them will actually hold it next year. But I can't see Monica ending 2002 with a ranking that high.