2018 BSA's: WTA Year in Review, Pt.1
2018 was no different. In fact, often times it looked something like this:
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— The Cult Cat (@Elverojaguar) October 31, 2018
Becoming a #successful #kitten in three steps:
1.) setting ambitous targets
2.) failing
3.) hitting the target
via excellentmeow #instagram
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This year alone we saw...
Simona Halep cement her position in Romania's sports landscape for the rest of her life, and Serena Williams, while coming up short when it came to slam history, arguably have more impact than ever on the culture of the sport, as well as our lives in general.
Another year, another title. The US might lead the total tally but the Czechs have absolutely been owning this competition in the last decade. pic.twitter.com/Q4rSJyuf4k
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) November 11, 2018
Also, the Czechs added another title to their Fed Cup dynasty, a sixth in the last eight years. On the other hand, the formerly dynastic Russian FC squad tumbled down the competition's ladder into zone play for the first time since 1997.
There were four first-time slam semifinalists (the most since 2014, and making it at least one breakthrough performance at 20 of the last 22 majors), and three maiden slam champs (making it five at the last seven majors, all since Serena's last win). A year after a 37-year old (Venus) reached a pair of slam finals, a 36-year old (her sister, of course) played in two this season. The U.S. Open finalists were separated in age by sixteen years, the biggest gap in a slam final since 1991 (Navratilova/Seles).
2018 singles champions included players ranked from #1 (Halep) to #299 (Margarita Gasparyan). One (Pauline Parmentier) hadn't won a crown in nearly a full decade (the third-longest drought ever), and a 30-year old (Tatjana Maria) was the oldest first-time title winner since 2007, and just the second thirtysomething maiden tour champ in ten years. A month and a half later, Mihaela Buzarnescu won *her* first at age 30, too. Five months after her first in nearly ten years, 32-year old Parmentier won *another* title.
The first-ever "lucky loser" champion in tour history was born in the form of teenager Olga Danilovic, while the WTAF crowned a fourth consecutive champ (Elina Svitolina, after Aga Radwanska, Dominika Cibulkova and Caroline Wozniacki) who took the round robin event without yet having claimed a slam singles title in their career. For the second straight year, the four majors and WTA Finals were won by five different women. Before 2017, it'd only happened once in tour history.
Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese player to win a major singles title, while Wozniacki (after saving two MP in Melbourne) was the maiden Dane. Halep was the first Romanian to win a slam in forty years, while Ons Jabeur was the first Tunisian to reach a tour singles final ever, and Daniela Seguel was the first Chilean to win a main draw WTA match since 1980.
A year after experiencing the biggest ever non-injury/retirement related ranking slide for a season-ending #1 (to #21), Angelique Kerber won her first title since 2016 and her third career major at Wimbledon, leaving her just a Roland Garros crown away from a Career Slam. Marta Kostyuk became first player born in 2002 to play in a slam main draw (she reached the Australian Open 3rd Round), and while Wang Qiang didn't become the first Chinese woman to win three singles titles in a season it wasn't for a lack of effort, as she finished '18 on a results run of SF-RU-SF-SF-W-RU on the 4Q Asian swing and finished in the Top 20 for the first time.
A year after the first all-teen singles final since 2009 (featuring 19-year olds Dasha Kasatkina and Alona Ostapenko), 2018 played host to the youngest (17-year old olds Danilovic vs. Anastasia Potapova) since 2005. In all, five tour singles finalists were aged 18 or under, with two of them going home as winners. Seven titles were won by players 30 and over, though for the first time since 2006 (and second time since '98) no titles were won by a Williams, whatever their age.
Halep finished her second straight season at #1, but came up a converted MP short of becoming the first woman to sweep the Rogers Cup (in Montreal this year) and Cincinnati titles in back-to-back weeks. 2017 U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens didn't win her first post-NYC match until February, but went on to win her first Premier Mandatory crown (Miami), reach another slam final (RG) and close out her season by reaching the WTAF title match and posting her first career Top 10 season, her first as the #1-ranked Bannerette. Demi Schuurs didn't win her first doubles major, but the Dutch woman led the tour with seven titles after reaching nine finals with four different partners. Aryna Sabalenka won her first tour title(s), but came up just short (#11) of reaching the Top 10. She was the only player to take a set off eventual U.S. Open champion Osaka in their Round of 16 clash, but it was still Sabalenka's best (so far) major result. Her time will come... probably very soon.
Osaka became the third Japanese player (first since 2003) to make her Top 10 debut this season, while Kiki Bertens was the first Dutch woman since 1996, and just the second to finish a season there (Betty Stove '78).
The first Taiwanese (Liang En-shuo) girls slam champ was crowned, as well as the first ever from mainland China (Wang Xiyu) and the first Pole (Iga Swiatek) since 2007. The youngest-ever girls' #1 (Coco Gauff, at 14 years, 4 months) was recognized, while a Pastry (Clara Burel) finally rose to #1 after winning the Junior Masters after a series of big event runner-up results (AO, RG & Youth Olympics) in '18.
On the wheelchair tour, *two* women are closing in on becoming the first to claim all eight slam s/d titles in a career. This year alone, Diede de Groot (3) and Yui Kamiji (1) shared the four slam singles crowns, facing off in three finals. They combined to share the doubles titles at two slams, and both won another with a different partner.
Halep extended her tour-best streaks in the Top 10 (250+) and Top 20 (270+), while Svetlana Kuznetsova fell out of Top 100 for first time in over 800 weeks. In the closing weeks of the season, though, Sveta's fellow Hordette Margarita Gasparyan climbed into the Top 100 for the first time in over two years, and since and her three (count 'em, three) knee surgeries.
Meanwhile, the USTA was (finally) found "mostly liable" in the organization's court case vs. Genie Bouchard that stemmed from her locker room slip and concussion in 2015, and an out of court settlement was reached in the middle of a trial that should never have happened in the first place; Alize Cornet won her complaint vs. antidoping forces in the "broken intercom" snafu, while Sara Errani was effectively "exonerated" in "the tortellini incident" at the heart of *her* antidoping case, but still saw her suspension increased, leaving the Italian "disgusted" with the whole process; Madison Brengle filed suit over injuries incurred from blood testing; and an angry Serena Williams publicly questioned the number of times she was tested in comparison to other players.
And if you're planning on raising the stakes still more, 2019... well, good luck with that. You're gonna need it.
Of course, I said the same thing a year ago and, well, you know how that challenge turned out.
It was yet another season during which there was more than enough glory to go around -- 35 different singles champions and 22 different nations, 81 different doubles/mixed winners, and 50 different title-winning WD/MX pairs -- but that doesn't mean the discussion to determine the year's top player was one that lasted long into the night, with a number of mental ballots having to be cast and pro/con arguments piled atop one another until an acceptable "compromise" choice as the season's top player was finally decided upon.
Because, for once, the race for 2018's version of "Ms.Backspin" evolved into something of an open and shut discussion come fall. With no truly "dominant" doubles duo on tour this year, and with the expected Czech Fed Cup success barely making a dent in the final standings, it came down to which player had the most solid *individual* campaign. While there were many legitimate nominees, including multiple slam winners as well as the tour's title leader (none one in the same, mind you, as *that* would have produced *quite* the candidate), only one combined an affecting story of triumph and resilience and high-level results over the course of the majority of the season, most notably the claiming of the lone major accomplishment that had previously eluded her.
So, on whose head will the "Ms. Backspin" crown rest for the next twelve months (I think it's pretty clear), and who followed in the "Ms.B" pecking order behind her? Well, let's see...
Here are the final "Ms. Backspin" rankings for 2018:
...of all the stories of '18, none was told with more heartfelt emotion than that of the world #1, who burst out of the gates by sweeping the singles/doubles titles in Shenzhen, winning fifteen straight (WS+WD) matches, and playing the part of warrior in Melbourne en route to the final despite saving MP in two different matches, badly turning her ankle in a marathon 3:44 win and staring into the dead eyes of exhaustion. The confidence Halep gained during those early weeks surely shot her into the clay season with a renewed purpose, and she did finally crash through the slam title glass ceiling at Roland Garros in perhaps the most beloved major title turn since the late Jana Novotna finally won *her* first at Wimbledon two decades ago. Before a back injury ended her season early (and could very well be a story into '19), the Romanian won in Montreal and held MP in the Cincinnati final, coming that close to yet another historic two-week effort. Her back-to-back #1 seasons have solidified her standing in the game, and now we'll see just how much she's learned from her experiences, as she's set to begin next year without a daily guiding hand after Darren Cahill announced a one-year hiatus from coaching.
A fun stat:
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 9, 2018
Simona Halep is the first player to beat three Grand Slam champions in QFs (Kerber), SFs (Muguruza) and F (Stephens) to win a Women's Singles GS title since Justine Henin at the 2007 US Open (Serena, Venus, Kuznetsova).
2. Naomi Osaka, JPN
...the potential of Osaka's big game has been apparent for a while. It was just a matter of consistently corralling it on gameday. The addition of Sascha Bajin (ex-Serena & Vika hitting partner, and Caro "assistant coach") proved to be the secret ingredient to success, as the 20-year old (now 21) won big at Indian Wells, even bigger at the U.S. Open, and yet still only seems to be scratching the surface of what she's ultimately capabale of, both on and off court. Osaka is the latest Generation PDQer riding the wave of instant stardom, and the next challenge will be dealing with the higher level of expectation that will await her in 2019.
3. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
...the Dane was the first of three maiden slam winners in '18, seizing the final spotlight from Halep in Melbourne and (for four weeks, anyway) taking away the #1 ranking after a tour record six-year absence from the top spot. Though she won in Eastbourne (her first grass title in nine years), the Dane operated just under the radar for much of the season as she suffered from a lingering "full-body" injury that was eventually diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis before the U.S. Open. Finally able to treat her pain, Wozniacki surged again late, taking a Premier Mandatory title in Beijing in the fall and finishing at #3 in the rankings for a second straight season.
4. Angelique Kerber, GER
...Kerber's "year after" her brilliant '16 campaign proved to be a trying one a season ago. She dropped from #1 to out of the Top 20, didn't win a title and her internal game was missing the burning drive that pushed her to new heights. Armed with a new coach (Wim Fissette, though the wandering, tennis rebuild-loving Belgian -- who has re-upped with Vika Azarenka -- will be replaced by German Rainer Schuettler in '19), Kerber immediately went to work erasing her memories of '17. After going 3-22 last season after losing the 1st set, she won her first three such matches in '18. She won her first ten matches of the year (not counting her additional 4-0 Hopman Cup action), winning Sydney and nearly taking down Halep in the AO semis, holding MP but falling 9-7 in the 3rd. Her season highlight was her third career slam title run, as she won her first Wimbledon title by becoming the first player not named Venus to defeat Serena Williams in multiple slam finals (she also defeated former slam winner Ostapenko, and future one Osaka along the way). Her results leveled off down the stretch, but managed to hold of Wozniacki for a #2 finish.
5. Petra Kvitova, CZE
...at times in '18, Kvitova was downright scary. After being grateful (as she still is) to be playing again at all in '17, the Czech upped her game this season with improved fitness and movement. The result was shockingly evolved clay court prowess, as she won Prague/Madrid in back to back "SuperPetra" weeks. For stretches, the "Pojds!" were flying a often as winners were coming off her racket. She strung together the tour's two longest winning streaks -- 14 and 13 matches -- and led the tour in titles with five, winning on three surfaces, and guided the Czechs back to the Fed Cup final. Though she didn't play in the concluding FC weekend, her picked up her sixth career title in the competition, behind only Chris Evert (8) and Billie Jean King (7). Her only disappointment in '18 was a lack of slam success, as she never advanced past the 3rd Round in a major.
7. Kiki Bertens, NED - remember when she was *just* a Fed Cup heroine and clay court specialist? After fully committing to improving her game, Kiki is now an all-court threat with a big hard court title (Cincinnati), Wimbledon QF and (this year) tour-best twelve Top 10 wins (with only *two* coming on clay).
8. Diede de Groot, NED (WC) - the Dutch wheelchair star won three major singles and three major doubles crowns, and played in the final for the only two '18 slam crowns that eluded her.
9. Sloane Stephens, USA - backed up her U.S. Open title with a win in Miami and second slam final. Kvitova aside, she was arguably *the* pre-Fed Cup final player of the year as she led Team USA back to the final, but she didn't play vs. CZE and the Bannerettes' reign ended in a sweep.
10. Elina Svitolina, UKR - she won three first-half titles, saw her results dip at mid-season, but trusted her "process" and was rewarded with a hard-fought, confidence-building WTA Finals title. Will it be the stepping stone to grand success in '19?
12. Serena Williams, USA - still on her way back, Williams nonetheless managed to reach a pair of slam finals in SW19 and NYC, though her losses to Kerber and Osaka mean she dropped two major finals in straight sets in the same season for the first time ever. RSVP slam #24 in '19, though, right?
13. Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE - a one-time dominant junior doubles duo, the Czechs earned their pro tour bones as a pair in '18, becoming the first pair to sweep Roland Garros & Wimbledon since 2003. They were the sixth and seventh (and last) players to hold the top doubles ranking this season, ending as the co-#1's.
14. Aryna Sabalenka, BLR - Generation PDQ's looming threat, she's seemingly just a step away from joining her cohorts in the latter stages of majors.
15. Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA - good friends who make beautiful doubles music together. The AO and WTAF champions, and U.S. Open finalists, will surely challenge for the #1 ranking in '19 (they ended this season just 10 points out of the #1 slot). Babos spent thirteen weeks there this season.
17. Ash Barty, AUS - the most accomplished combo player on tour, Barty won a pair of singles titles, four in doubles (including the U.S. Open) and finished in the Top 20 in both disciplines.
18. Elise Mertens, BEL - along the Barty, the tour's preeminent dual threat in '18. The Waffle was a first-time slam semifinalist Down Under, three-time singles and four-time doubles champ.
19. Wang Qiang, CHN - the two-time singles champ, four-time finalist and back-to-back Asian Games Gold medalist is poised to become the best Chinese player in the post-Li era. Well, at least until Wang Xiyu comes of age.
20. Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU - few "second" careers have bubbled up as suddenly as Buzarnescu's, as the doctorate earning (after leaving the sport due to injury and nearly ready to officially retire two season ago) 30-year old Romanian came all the way back (and then some) this season, reaching her maiden slam Round of 16 (RG), winning her first titles (in doubles and singles), notching her first three Top 10 wins and reaching Top 20 (singles) and Top 30 (doubles), both for the first time. Another late summer injury prevented a full 4Q schedule and even greater accomplishments this season, but come '19 she could very well author one of the most improbable success stories ever on a tour that is fast becoming known for just such tales.
Julia Goerges, GER - the German carried over her late '17 run into the new year, winning in Auckland and reaching the Charleston final. A maiden slam SF at Wimbledon led to her Top 10 debut.
Karolina Pliskova, CZE - the Czech kicked things into a higher gear after adding Rennae Stubbs (w/ help from Conchita Martinez) to her coaching team. Brighter in spirit and seemingly more focused (not like in '16, but closer), she got her lethal serve back, reached the U.S. Open QF and two 4Q finals (winning Tokyo over Osaka). The sky could be the limit again in '19.
USA Fed Cup Team - a year after the surprise title run, Kathy Rinaldi & Co. returned to the final.
Yui Kamiji, JPN (WC) - now playing in the lengthening shadow of de Groot, she's still the definitive #2 in the sport who is arguably (for now) the best player of the post-Esther Vergeer era. She and de Groot could soon become the "Chris & Martina"-style historic rivals of wheelchair tennis.
Gaby Dabrowski/CAN, Latisha Chan/TPE, Nicole Melichar/USA, Bethanie Mattek-Sands/USA - in chronological order, the year's slam MX doubles champs.
Anastasija Sevastova, LAT - the U.S. Open semifinalist is now the top-ranked Latvian.
Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS - the longtime Russian duo reached the AO and I.W. finals and won in Madrid. They spent five weeks at #1 before (recent) new mother Vesnina ended her season.
="Ms.BACKSPIN" WINNERS=
2001 Jennifer Capriati / USA
2002 Serena Williams / USA
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne / BEL
2004 Maria Sharapova / RUS
2005 Kim Clijsters / BEL
2006 Amelie Mauresmo / FRA
2007 Justine Henin / BEL
2008 Cara Black & Liezel Huber / ZIM-USA
2009 Italian Fed Cup Team
2010 Francesca Schiavone / ITA
2011 Petra Kvitova / CZE
2012 Serena Williams / USA
2013 Serena Williams / USA
2014 Czech Republic Fed Cup Team
2015 Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza / SUI-IND
2016 Angelique Kerber / GER
2017 Latisha Chan & Martina Hingis / TPE-SUI
2018 Simona Halep / ROU
=YEARLY "Ms. Backspin" Top 10's=
[2001]
1. Jennifer Capriati, USA
2. Lindsay Davenport, USA
3. Venus Williams, USA
4t. Kim Clijsters, BEL
4t. Justine Henin, BEL
6. Martina Hingis, SUI
7. Jelena Dokic, AUS
8. Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
9. Serena Williams, USA
10. Monica Seles, USA
[2002]
1. Serena Williams, USA
2. Venus Williams, USA
3. Jennifer Capriati, USA
4. Kim Clijsters, BEL
5. Anna Smashnova, ISR
6. Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
7. Monica Seles, USA
8. Justine Henin, BEL
9. Jelena Dokic, AUS
10. Paola Suarez, ARG
[2003]
1. Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL
2. Serena Williams, USA
3. Kim Clijsters, BEL
4t. Anastasia Myskina, RUS
4t. Elena Dementieva, RUS
6. Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
7. Maria Sharapova, RUS
8. Ai Sugiyama, JPN
9t. Virginia Ruano Pascual, ESP
9t. Paola Suarez, ARG
[2004]
1. Maria Sharapova, RUS
2. Lindsay Davenport, USA
3. Anastasia Myskina, RUS
4. Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
5. Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
7. Virginia Ruano Pascual/Paola Suarez, ESP/ARG
8. Elena Dementieva, RUS
9. Serena Williams, USA
10. Vera Zvonareva, RUS
[2005]
1. Kim Clijsters, BEL
2. Lindsay Davenport, USA
3. Mary Pierce, FRA
4. Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL
5. Serena Williams & Venus Williams, USA/USA
6. Maria Sharapova, RUS
7. Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
8. Cara Black, ZIM
9. Patty Schnyder, SUI
10. Nadia Petrova, RUS
[2006]
1. Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2. Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL
3. Maria Sharapova, RUS
4. Nadia Petrova, RUS
5. Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
6. ITA Fed Cup Team
7. Martina Hingis, SUI
8. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
9. Kim Clijsters, BEL
10. Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
[2007]
1. Justine Henin, BEL
2. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
3. Venus Williams, USA
4. Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
5. Serena Williams, USA
6. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
7. Anna Chakvetadze, RUS
8. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
9. Maria Sharapova, RUS
10. Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
[2008]
1. Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2. Serena Williams, USA
3. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
4. Maria Sharapova, RUS
5. Venus Williams, USA
6. Dinara Safina, RUS
7. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
8. RUS Fed Cup Team
9. Elena Dementieva, RUS
10. Vera Zvonareva, RUS
[2009]
1. ITA Fed Cup Team
2. Serena Williams, USA
3. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
4. Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA/USA
5. Nuria Llagostera-Vives/Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez, ESP/ESP
6. Dinara Safina, RUS
7. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
8. Kim Clijsters, BEL
9. USA Fed Cup Team
10. Elena Dementieva, RUS
[2010]
1. Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2. Kim Clijsters, BEL
3. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
4. Serena Williams, USA
5. Gisela Dulko/Flavia Pennetta, ARG/ITA
6. ITA Fed Cup Team
7. Vera Zvonareva, RUS
8. Samantha Stosur, AUS
9. Vania King/Yaroslava Shvedova, USA/KAZ
10. USA Fed Cup Team
[2011]
1. Petra Kvitova, CZE
2. Li Na, CHN
3. Liezel Huber, USA
4. Kveta Peschke/Katarina Srebotnik, CZE/SLO
5. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
6. Liezel Huber/Lisa Raymond, USA/USA
7. Samantha Stosur, AUS
8. CZE Fed Cup Team
9. Victoria Azarenka, BLR
10. Kim Clijsters, BEL
[2012]
1. Serena Williams, USA
2. Victoria Azarenka, BLR
3. Maria Sharapova, RUS
4. Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
5. Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
6. Sara Errani, ITA
7. CZE Fed Cup Team
8. Angelique Kerber, GER
9. Petra Kvitova, CZE
10. Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA/USA
[2013]
1. Serena Williams, USA
2. Victoria Azarenka, BLR
3. Simona Halep, ROU
4. Hsieh Su-Wei/Peng Shuai, TPE/CHN
5. ITA Fed Cup Team
6. Roberta Vinci, ITA
7. Maria Sharapova, RUS
8. Marion Bartoli, FRA
9. Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
10. Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
[2014]
1. CZE Fed Cup Team
2. Serena Williams, USA
3. Maria Sharapova, RUS
4. Petra Kvitova, CZE
5. Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
6. Simona Halep, ROU
7. Li Na, CHN
8. Genie Bouchard, CAN
9. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
10. Peng Shuai, CHN
[2015]
1. Martina Hingis/Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2. Serena Williams, USA
3. CZE Fed Cup Team
4. Angelique Kerber, GER
5. Simona Halep, ROU
6. Garbine Muguruza, ESP
7. Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
8. Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
9. Maria Sharapova, RUS
10. Karolina Pliskova, CZE
[2016]
1. Angelique Kerber, GER
2. CZE Fed Cup Team
3. Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, FRA/FRA
4. Serena Williams, USA
5. Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
6. Martina Hingis/Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
7. Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
8. Karolina Pliskova, CZE
9. FRA Fed Cup Team
10. Garbine Muguruza, ESP
[2017]
1. Latisha Chan & Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI
2. Alona Ostapenko, LAT
3. Garbine Muguruza, ESP
4. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
5. Simona Halep, ROU
6. Elina Svitolina, UKR
7. Venus Williams, USA
8. Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
9. Caroline Garcia, FRA
10t. USA Fed Cup Team
10t. CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
==NORTH AMERICAN & ATLANTIC REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sloane Stephens/USA
RUNNER-UP: Serena Williams/USA
RISERS: Madison Keys/USA and Danielle Collins/USA
SURPRISE: Bernarda Pera/USA
VETERAN: Serena Williams/USA
FRESH FACES: Amanda Anisimova/USA and Sonya Kenin/USA
COMEBACKS: Rebecca Marino/CAN and Allie Kiick/USA
DOWN: CoCo Vandeweghe/USA, Venus Williams/USA & Shelby Rogers/USA
JUNIORS: Coco Gauff/USA, Whitney Osuigwe/USA and Caty McNally/USA
DOUBLES: Nicole Melichar/USA, Gaby Dabrowski/CAN and Bethanie Mattek-Sands/USA
ITF PLAYERS: Rebecca Marino/CAN and Madison Brengle/USA
NCAA PLAYERS: Ashley Lahey/USA (Pepperdine) and Fernanda Contreras/MEX (Vanderbilt)
IMPROVED: Danielle Collins/USA and Asia Muhammad/USA
UNDERRATED: Taylor Townsend/USA and Sachia Vickery/USA
FED CUP: Sloane Stephens/USA and Genie Bouchard/CAN
FED CUP CAPTAIN: Kathy Rinaldi/USA
WHEELCHAIR: Dana Mathewson/USA
TEAMS: USA Fed Cup & Stanford Cardinal (NCAA)
KEEP AN EYE ON...: Claire Liu/USA and Giuliana Olmos/MEX
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Bianca Andreescu/CAN
SELL: Venus Williams/USA (slowly until the summer of 2020)
HOLD: CiCi Bellis/USA
BULLISH FUTURE: United States
==SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICAN REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mariana Duque Marino/COL
RUNNER-UP: Veronica Cepede Royg/PAR
RISER: Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA
SURPRISES: Daniela Seguel/CHI and Melissa Morales/Kirsten-Andrea Weedon, GUA/GUA
VETERAN: Mariana Duque Marino/COL
FRESH FACE: Emiliana Arango/COL
COMEBACK: Paula Ormaechea/ARG
DOWN: Teliana Pereira/BRA
JUNIOR: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL
DOUBLES: Alexa Guarachi/CHI
ITF PLAYER: Fernanda Brito/CHI
NCAA PLAYER: Luisa Stefani/BRA (Pepperdine)
IMPROVED: Maria Fernanda Herazo Gonzalez/COL
UNDERRATED: Montserrat Gonazalez/PAR and Charlotte Roemer/ECU
FED CUP: Veronica Cepede Royg/PAR
FED CUP CAPTAIN: Ramon Delgado/PAR
WHEELCHAIR: Natalia Mayara/BRA
TEAM: PAR Fed Cup
KEEP AN EYE ON...: Maria Carle/ARG
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Emiliana Arango/COL
SELL: Maria Irigoyen/ARG
HOLD: Nadia Podoroska/ARG
BULLISH FUTURE: Colombia
==ASIA/PACIFIC REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Naomi Osaka/JPN
RUNNER-UP: Ash Barty/AUS
RISERS: Wang Qiang/CHN, Yulia Putintseva/KAZ and Dasha Gavrilova/AUS
SURPRISES: Wang Yafan/CHN and Ellen Perez/AUS
VETERANS: Hsieh Su-wei/TPE and Zhang Shuai/CHN
FRESH FACES: Jiang Xinyu/Tang Qianhui(CHN/CHN), Priscilla Hon/AUS and Jamiee Fourlis/AUS
COMEBACK: Alja Tomljanovic/AUS
DOWN: Ana Konjuh/AUS and Latisha Chan/TPE
JUNIORS: Wang Xiyu/CHN, Liang En-shou/TPE and Wang Xinyu/CHN
DOUBLES: Ash Barty/AUS and Xu Yifan/CHN
ITF PLAYERS: Lee Hua-chen/TPE and Zoe Hives/AUS
NCAA PLAYERS: Astra Sharma/AUS (Vanderbilt) and Eudice Chong/HKG (Wesleyan University)
IMPROVED: Zheng Saisai/CHN and Luksika Kumkhum/THA
UNDERRATED: Ankita Raina/IND and Shuko Aoyama/JPN
FED CUP: Ash Barty/AUS and Miyu Kato/Makoto Ninomiya, JPN
FED CUP CAPTAIN: Toshihisa Tsuchihashi/JPN
WHEELCHAIR: Yui Kamiji/JPN
TEAM: JPN Fed Cup
KEEP AN EYE ON...: Karman Thandi/IND, Lizette Cabrera/AUS and Pranjala Yadlapalli/IND
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Wang Xiyu/CHN, Elena Rybakina/KAZ and Samantha Stosur/AUS (doubles)
SELL: Samantha Stosur/AUS (singles) and The Elite Trophy (Zhuhai)
HOLD: Sania Mirza/IND and Peng Shuai/CHN
BULLISH FUTURE: China and Taiwan
==AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Maria Sakkari/GRE
RUNNER-UP: Ons Jabeur/TUN
RISER: Julia Glushko/ISR
SURPRISE: Basak Eraydin/TUR
VETERAN: Pemra Ozgen/TUR
FRESH FACE: Ipek Oz/TUR
COMEBACK: RSA Fed Cup
DOWN: Cagla Buyukakcay/TUR
JUNIORS: Sada Nahimana/BDI and Lina Glushko/ISR
DOUBLES: Chanel Simmonds/Madrie Le Roux (RSA/RSA) and Julia Glushko/Lina Glushko (ISR/ISR)
ITF PLAYERS: Julia Glushko/ISR and Sandra Samir/EGY
NCAA PLAYER: Mayar Sherif/EGY (Pepperdine)
IMPROVED: Valentini Grammatikopoulou/GRE
UNDERRATED: GRE Fed Cup
FED CUP: Maria Sakkari/GRE
FED CUP CAPTAIN: Anis Bouchlaka/TUN
WHEELCHAIR: Kgothatso Montjane/RSA
TEAM: TUN Fed Cup
KEEP AN EYE ON...: Zoe Kruger/RSA
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Ons Jabeur/TUN and Helene Pellicano/MLT
SELL: Cagla Buyukakcay/TUR
HOLD: Ipek Soylu/TUR
BULLISH FUTURE: Tunisia and Malta (yes, Malta)
==RUSSIA & EASTERN EUROPEAN REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Simona Halep/ROU
RUNNER-UP: Elina Svitolina/UKR
RISERS: Dasha Kasatkina/RUS, Anett Kontaveit/EST and Aliaksandra Sasnovich/BLR
SURPRISES: Kateryna Kozlova/UKR
VETERAN: Anastasija Sevastova/LAT, Lesia Tsurenko/UKR and Kaia Kanepi/EST
FRESH FACES: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR, Dayana Yastremska/UKR and Anastasia Potapova/RUS
COMEBACKS: Mihaela Buzarnescu/ROU and Margarita Gasparyan/RUS
DOWN: BLR Fed Cup, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS and Alona Ostapenko/LAT
JUNIORS: Dasha Lopatetskaya/UKR, Viktoriia Dema/UKR and Daniela Vismane/LAT
DOUBLES: Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina (RUS/RUS) and Vera Zvonareva/RUS
ITF PLAYERS: Andreea Amalia Rosca/ROU
NCAA PLAYER: Anastasia Rychagova/RUS (Kansas)
IMPROVED: Vera Lapko/BLR and Veronika Kudermetova/RUS
UNDERRATED: Ekaterina Alexandrova/RUS and Lyudmyla Kichenok/Nadiia Kichenok, UKR/UKR
FED CUP: Alona Ostapenko/LAT
FED CUP CAPTAIN: Florin Segarceanu/ROU
WHEELCHAIR: Viktoriia Lvova/RUS
TEAMS: ROU Fed Cup, RUS 14s (W) and UKR 16s (RU)
KEEP AN EYE ON...: Marta Kostyuk/UKR
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Marta Kostyuk/UKR, Sofya Zhuk/RUS and Anna Blinkova/RUS
SELL:
HOLD: Victoria Azarenka/BLR, Maria Sharapova/RUS
BULLISH FUTURES: Ukraine and Latvia
==WESTERN EUROPEAN REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN (by a paper-thin margin)
RUNNERS-UP: Angelique Kerber/GER and Petra Kvitova/CZE
RISERS: Kiki Bertens/NED, Karolina Pliskova/CZE and Petra Martic/CRO
SURPRISES: Dalila Jakupovic/SLO, Tamara Zidansek/SLO and Karolina Muchova/CZE
VETERANS: Julia Goerges/GER, Pauline Parmentier/FRA and Kveta Peschke/CZE
FRESH FACES: Elise Mertens/BEL, Katerina Siniakova/CZE and Donna Vekic/CRO
COMEBACKS: Petra Kvitova/CZE, Angelique Kerber/GER and Andrea Petkovic/GER
DOWN: Johanna Konta/GBR, Garbine Muguruza/ESP and Aga Radwanska/POL
JUNIORS: Clara Burel/FRA, Clara Tauson/DEN and Kaja Juvan/SLO
DOUBLES: Demi Schuurs/NED and Barbora Strycova/CZE
ITF PLAYERS: Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK and Fiona Ferro/FRA
NCAA PLAYER: Arianne Hartono/NED (Mississippi)
IMPROVED: Kiki Bertens/NED, Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK and Rebecca Peterson/SWE
UNDERRATED: Aleksandra Krunic/SRB, Alison Van Uytvanck/BEL and Polona Hercog/SLO
FED CUP: Petra Kvitova/CZE
FED CUP CAPTAIN: Petr Pala/CZE
WHEELCHAIR: Diede de Groot/NED
TEAMS: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE), CZE Fed Cup and Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
KEEP AN EYE ON...: Olga Danilovic/SRB and Kaja Juvan/SLO
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Iga Swiatek/POL, Ivana Jorovic/SRB and SVK Fed Cup
SELL: ITA Fed Cup
HOLD: Timea Bacsinszky/SUI, Laura Siegemund/GER and Sara Errani/ITA
BULLISH FUTURES: Slovenia and Serbia
**YEARLY REGIONAL PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR WINNERS**
==NORTH AMERICAN & ATLANTIC REGION==
2008 Serena Williams, USA
2009 Serena Williams, USA
2010 Serena Williams, USA
2011 Serena Williams, USA
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Serena Williams, USA
2015 Serena Williams, USA
2016 Serena Williams, USA
2017 Venus Williams, USA
2018 Sloane Stephens, USA
==SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICAN REGION==
2008 Gisela Dulko, ARG
2009 Gisela Dulko, ARG
2010 Gisela Dulko, ARG
2011 Gisela Dulko, ARG
2012 Paula Ormaechea, ARG
2013 Paula Ormaechea, ARG
2014 Paula Ormaechea, ARG
2015 Teliana Pereira, BRA
2016 Mariana Duque, COL
2017 Beatriz Haddad, BRA
2018 Mariana Duque, COL
==ASIA/PACIFIC REGION==
2008 Zheng Jie, CHN
2009 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2010 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2011 Li Na, CHN
2012 Li Na, CHN
2013 Li Na, CHN
2014 Li Na, CHN
2015 Sania Mirza, IND
2016 Sania Mirza, IND
2017 Chan Yung-Jan, TPE
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
==AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN REGION==
2008 Cara Black, ZIM
2009 Shahar Peer, ISR
2010 Shahar Peer, ISR
2011 Chanelle Scheepers, RSA
2012 Chanelle Scheepers, RSA
2013 Cara Black, ZIM
2014 Cara Black, ZIM
2015 Ons Jabeur, TUN
2016 Cagla Buyukakcay, TUR
2017 Maria Sakkari, GRE
2018 Maria Sakkari, GRE
==EUROPE==
[Non-Russian Europe, 2008-12]
2008 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2009 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2010 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
[Russia, 2008-15]
2008 Dinara Safina
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova
2010 Vera Zvonareva
2011 Maria Sharapova
2012 Maria Sharapova
2013 Maria Sharapova
2014 Maria Sharapova
2015 Maria Sharapova
[Non-Russian Eastern Europe, 2013-15]
2013 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2014 Simona Halep, ROU
2015 Simona Halep, ROU
***
[RUSSIA & EASTERN EUROPEAN REGION]
2016 Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2017 Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2018 Simona Halep, ROU
[WESTERN EUROPEAN REGION]
2013 Aga Radwanska, POL
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2018 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
**HARD COURT PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS**
2004 Lindsay Davenport, USA
2005 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2006 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2007 Justine Henin, BEL
2008 Serena Williams, USA
2009 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2010 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Serena Williams, USA
2015 Serena Williams, USA
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Elina Svitolina, UKR
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
**CLAY COURT PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS**
2004 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2005 Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL
2006 Nadia Petrova, RUS
2007 Justine Henin, BEL
2008 Dinara Safina, RUS
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2010 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2011 Li Na, CHN
2012 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2015 Angelique Kerber, GER
2016 Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, FRA/FRA
2017 Simona Halep, ROU
2018 Simona Halep, ROU
**GRASS COURT PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS**
2004 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2005 Venus Williams, USA
2006 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2007 Venus Williams, USA
2008 Venus Williams, USA
2009 Serena Williams, USA
2010 Serena Williams, USA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Marion Bartoli, FRA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Serena Williams, USA
2016 Serena Williams, USA
2017 Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2018 Angelique Kerber, GER
**INDOOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS**
2004 Anastasia Myskina, RUS
2005 Mary Pierce, FRA
2006 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2007 Justine Henin, BEL
2008 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2009 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2010 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Angelique Kerber, GER
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
2015 Aga Radwanska, POL
2016 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
2017 Julia Goerges, GER
2018 Elina Svitolina, UKR
*"RISING PLAYER" WINNERS*
2002 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
2003 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2004 Maria Sharapova, RUS & Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2005 Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
2006 Nadia Petrova, RUS
2007 Jelena Jankovic, SRB & Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2008 Dinara Safina, RUS
2009 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2010 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2011 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2012 Aga Radwanska, POL
2013 Simona Halep, ROU
2014 Simona Halep, ROU & Genie Bouchard, CAN
2015 Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2016 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2017 Caroline Garcia, FRA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
*"FRESH FACE" WINNERS*
2002 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2003 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2004 Tatiana Golovin, FRA
2005 Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
2006 Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
2007 Agnes Szavay, HUN
2008 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2009 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2010 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
2011 Monica Niculescu, ROU
2012 Laura Robson, GBR
2013 Sloane Stephens, USA & Genie Bouchard, CAN
2014 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2015 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2016 Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
2017 Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2018 Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
*JUNIOR/"NextGen" WINNERS*
2002 Vera Zvonareva, RUS
2003 Vera Dushevina, RUS
2004 Maria Kirilenko, RUS & Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
2005 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2006 Olga Puchkova, RUS
2007 Tamira Paszek, AUT
2008 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
2009 Melanie Oudin, USA
2010 Alisa Kleybanova, RUS
2011 Caroline Garcia, FRA
2012 Taylor Townsend/Genie Bouchard, USA/CAN
2013 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2014 CiCi Bellis, USA
2015 Dalma Galfi, HUN
2016 Kayla Day, USA
2017 Claire Liu, USA
2018 Wang Xiyu, CHN
*NCAA PLAYER*
2015 Jamie Loeb, USA (North Carolina)
2016 Danielle Collins, USA (Virginia)
2017 Francesca Di Lorenzo, USA (Ohio State)
2018 Astra Sharma, AUS (Vanderbilt)
*"SURPRISE" WINNERS*
2002 Anna Smashnova, ISR
2003 Anca Barna, GER
2004 Claudine Schaul, LUX
2005 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2006 Severine Bremond, FRA
2007 Sybille Bammer, AUT
2008 Aleksandra Wozniak, CAN
2009 Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
2010 Vania King/Yaroslava Shvedova, USA/KAZ
2011 Galina Voskoboeva, KAZ
2012 Sara Errani, ITA
2013 Karin Knapp, ITA
2014 Tereza Smitkova, CZE
2015 Johanna Konta, GBR
2016 NED Fed Cup Team
2017 BLR Fed Cup Team
2018 Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU
*"VETERAN" WINNERS*
2002 Monica Seles, USA
2003 Ai Sugiyama, JPN
2004 Lindsay Davenport, USA
2005 Lindsay Davenport, USA
2006 Martina Hingis, SUI
2007 Venus Williams, USA
2008 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2009 Serena Williams, USA
2010 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2011 Li Na, CHN
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Serena Williams, USA
2015 Serena Williams, USA
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Venus Williams, USA
2018 Angelique Kerber, GER
*"COMEBACK" WINNERS*
2002 Chanda Rubin, USA
2003 Lina Krasnoroutskaya, RUS
2004 Mary Pierce, FRA
2005 Venus Williams, USA
2006 Martina Hingis, SUI
2007 Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA/USA
2008 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2009 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2010 Justine Henin, BEL
2011 Sabine Lisicki, GER
2012 Hsieh Su-Wei, TPE
2013 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2014 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, CRO
2015 Russian Fed Cup Team
2016 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
2017 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2018 Serena Williams, USA
*"MOST IMPROVED PLAYER" WINNERS*
2003 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2004 Alicia Molik, AUS
2005 Kveta Peschke, CZE
2006 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2007 Marion Bartoli, FRA
2008 Vera Zvonareva, RUS
2009 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2010 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2011 Aga Radwanska, POL
2012 Varvara Lepchenko, USA
2013 Julia Glushko, ISR and Alison Riske, USA
2014 Alize Cornet, FRA
2015 Dasha Gavrilova, RUS/AUS
2016 Monica Puig, PUR
2017 Maria Sakkari, GRE and Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
2018 Kiki Bertens, NED and Wang Qiang, CHN
*"DOWN" WINNERS*
2002 Meghann Shaughnessy, USA
2003 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
2004 Jelena Dokic, SRB
2005 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2006 Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA/USA
2007 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2008 Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
2009 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2010 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2011 Venus Williams, USA
2012 Vera Zvonareva, RUS
2013 Nadia Petrova, RUS
2014 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2015 Genie Bouchard, CAN
2016 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK
2017 Angelique Kerber, GER
2018 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
*"DOUBLES" WINNERS*
2003 Martina Navratilova, USA
2004 Virginia Ruano Pascual, ESP
2005 Cara Black, ZIM
2006 Lisa Raymond, USA
2007 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2008 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2009 Nuria Llagostera-Vives/MJ. Martinez-Sanchez, ESP/ESP
2010 Gisela Dulko, ARG
2011 Liezel Huber, USA
2012 Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2013 Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2014 Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2015 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, FRA/FRA
2017 Chan Yung-Jan/Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI
2018 Demi Schuurs, NED
*"TEAM OF THE YEAR" WINNERS*
2003 Virginia Ruano Pascual/Paola Suarez, ESP/ARG
2004 Virginia Ruano Pascual/Paola Suarez, ESP/ARG
2005 Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA/USA
2006 Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
2007 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2008 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2009 Italian Fed Cup Team
2010 Gisela Dulko/Flavia Pennetta, ARG/ITA
2011 Kveta Peschke/Katarina Srebotnik, CZE/SLO
2012 Czech Republic Fed Cup Team
2013 Hsieh Su-Wei/Peng Shuai, TPE/CHN
2014 Czech Republic Fed Cup Team
2015 Czech Republic Fed Cup Team
2016 Czech Republic Fed Cup Team
2017 U.S. Fed Cup Team
2018 Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
*"ITF PLAYER OF THE YEAR" WINNERS*
2008 Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
2009 Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova, CZE
2010 Mathilde Johansson, FRA
2011 Casey Dellacqua, AUS
2012 Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, ESP
2013 Reka-Luca Jani, HUN
2014 Denisa Allertova, CZE
2015 Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
2016 Isabella Shinikova, BUL
2017 Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU
2018 Viktoria Kuzmova, SVK
*"FED CUP PLAYER OF THE YEAR" WINNERS*
2005 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2006 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2007 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2009 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2010 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2013 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2016 Caroline Garcia, FRA*
2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
2018 Petra Kvitova, CZE
--
* - non-championship team
*"FED CUP CAPTAIN OF THE YEAR" WINNERS*
2015 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA*
2016 Paul Haarhuis, NED*
2017 Kathy Rinaldi, USA
2018 Kathy Rinaldi, USA*
--
* - non-championship team
*"COACH OF THE YEAR" WINNERS*
2018 Sascha Bajin (Osaka)
The annual listing of the people, successful quests, dynasties, controversy-and-adoration attracting icons, trusting processes, generational waves, Eastern European booms, surviving malevolent entities, on-point Instagram games and other things of indeterminate description that provided me with a "helping hand" in shaping this season's Backspin landscape. Some may not necessarily have been THE stories of the year but they surely struck this Backspinner's fancy at some point. And that's enough.
So...
===============================================
2. "The Great Wave of Osaka," "Belarusian Boom" and the rise of Generation PDQ
We’re all that girl... pic.twitter.com/forndlADQd
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) August 17, 2018
===============================================
3. Serena vs. "Serena": the irrational notion of an "ideal" great, combined with double-standards, rose-colored glasses, grandstanding, a loss of minds, reality and the clarity of life = a living, imperfect, reliably human icon for the ages (aka, "Serena is still Serena")
...also a likely offseason highly-charged "Carl Talk" discussion surely to last deep into the night
===============================================
4. "Trust the Process"... but why don't you...? Oh, all right then... you win, Eli
===============================================
5. Angie Kerber & the Enchanted Forest
===============================================
6. The Bracelet (wins!)
Amazing play again from @KrunicAlex! #LibemaOpen pic.twitter.com/Kk3PQ2sAVR
— WTA (@WTA) June 16, 2018
How about that!?@KrunicAlex runs down Flipkens drop shot to nail the forehand! #LiberaOpen pic.twitter.com/zxDbTBgJkM
— WTA (@WTA) June 17, 2018
.@KrunicAlex ??#LibemaOpen pic.twitter.com/jCUL8uOdLW
— Ashish TV ???? (@Ashish__TV) June 17, 2018
===============================================
7. "Cheer (and Fear) the Kasatkina: A Tale of a Russian Swashbuckler"
Almost, @DKasatkina... ??#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/RnnVsULghd
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2018
===============================================
8. Latvian Thunder: After the Storm
9. The (Belated) Day of the Dane
...the end of the need for anymore "Wozniology-101" classes
===============================================
10. SuperPetra Warning: Tennis at Your Own Risk
11. The Future of Bannerette Tennis is Bright, and it's named Sloane, Madison and CiCi... err, or Sonya and Amanda, or Whitney and Coco, err, or maybe...
===============================================
12. Diede the Great vs. Queen Kamiji: The Greatest Wheelchair Rivalry
FIVE consecutive ladies’ wheelchair doubles title for Yui Kamiji.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 15, 2018
2018 champion of the ladies’ wheelchair singles AND doubles for Diede de Groot.#Wimbledon is a place of happy memories for these two… pic.twitter.com/NxfTcaWyzZ
===============================================
13. What Becomes a
===============================================
14. The Year of the Coaches
1. Sascha Bajin (Naomi Osaka)
2. Darren Cahill (former Simona Halep)
3. Raemon Sluiter (Kiki Bertens)
4. Wim Fissette (former Angelique Kerber)
5. Philippe Dehaes (Dasha Kasatkina)
6. Kamau Murray (Sloane Stephens)
7. Rennae Stubbs, with Conchita Martinez (Karolina Pliskova)
8. Piotr Wozniacki (Caroline Wozniacki)
9. Andrew Bettles (Elina Svitolina)
10. Craig Tyzzer/Jason Stoltenberg (Ash Barty)
HM- Ronald Schmidt (Anastasija Sevastova)
===============================================
15. Hsieh Su-wei's Traveling Death-Defying Roadshow of Tennis Sudoku
Hsieh Su-wei's @jwo_tennis flourish takes the award for Shot of the Month presented by @Cambridge_FX! https://t.co/VkAyIQAPlS pic.twitter.com/FOnlI0rpNF
— WTA (@WTA) October 8, 2018
"Sometimes the girls say, 'I don't know where she hits'... but sometimes I don't know where I hit too!"
— #7TENNIS ?? (@7tennis) January 22, 2018
??????
She wowed us on court, and Hsieh Su-wei has also provided some gold in the press room. pic.twitter.com/I8x74SQbqD
===============================================
16. The Li Na Generation Stirs
...and Wang Qiang fills in the "in-between" time until they fully arrive
===============================================
17. The "Elite" Trophy
...with all due respect (or not), why? No, check that... that rule is just asinine.
Rule explanation: In a round-robin format like the WTA Finals or @WTAEliteTrophy, the 2nd place finishers from each group stay on-site as semifinal alternates until the 1st place finisher takes the court. pic.twitter.com/kBUUD7ByqE
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) November 3, 2018
===============================================
18. Death, Taxes, Serena, White House Embarrassments, Tennis God dirty little tricks and Antidoping Overreach Attempts (in 2018 it involved Cornet, Errani...)
...things we just can't quit.
At least not until 2020. Or (gulp) 2024.
===============================================
19. Mugu Gotta Mugu
===============================================
20. RSVP the Barty Party
Ash, after the *only* match all season (of 29) in which she won the 1st set but lost...
===============================================
21. Veni, Vidi... Vika?
===============================================
22. Belgian Rumble: Open (almost) Every Week (almost *all* week long)
===============================================
23. Welcome back Schmiedy! And Mihaela! And Margarita! And...
===============================================
24. The Sharapova Insta-game. Still intriguingly strong.
===============================================
25. Passages... from the court of life (Jana Novotna, Maria Bueno), and the more constricted one, as well (Aga Radwanska, Roberta Vinci, Patty Schnyder, Casey Dellacqua, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Olga Savchuk and others).
26. "To HoF or Not to HoF, that is the Question"
...what makes someone a "Hall of Famer?" And which women's stars, past and present, might soon (or eventually) earn the honor?
27. Sombrerenko!
Lesia Tsurenko captures Acapulco title | https://t.co/D0fm4Yii3f pic.twitter.com/cAlRy8hWcu
— TENNIS.com (@Tennis) March 5, 2017
.@LTsurenko accepts the @AbiertoTelcel trophy and sombrero for the second consecutive year! pic.twitter.com/CkkbHHrx1v
— WTA (@WTA) March 4, 2018
===============================================
28. "Where in the World is Eliessa Vanlangendonck?"
29. "What's Jamie Hampton Retweeting?"
I admire both Obi Wan and Dumbledore. When things got really bad and they faced a powerful foe they just rolled over and died, allowing some teenagers to deal with the mess.
— James Alvarez (@ObscureGent) November 16, 2018
===============================================
30. The End of an Era... aka a malevolent entity is now all on Its own.
===============================================
**Past "BACKSPIN MVP" Top 3's**
[2012]
1st - "The Radwanska"
2nd - Victoria Azarenka
3rd - "Carl & Carla"
[All-Time Backspin MVP - 2012]
1st - Kim Clijsters
2nd - Justine Henin
3rd - Jelena Jankovic
[2013]
1st - Serena Williams & Vika Azarenka
2nd - "The Radwanska"
3rd - "Citizen Anna"
[2014]
1st - Team Genie and/vs. Team Sloane
2nd - 2004 Revisited (Russian Revolution)
3rd - Captain/Coach Amelie Mauresmo
[2015]
1st - "Being Simona Halep"
2nd - Maria Sharapova's Instagram account
3rd - "The (Almost) Grand Slam" (Serena Williams)
[2016]
1st - Halep & "The Cliffs of Simona"
2nd - Free Maria Sharapova
3rd - "La Petit Taureau" Week
[2017]
1st - "Latvian Thunder"
2nd - "In Rinaldi We Trust"
3rd - Karmic Kiki & the Pastry Queen Named Caro
posted by Todd.Spiker @ 6:20 PM
6 Comments:
I never realize--all at once--everything that goes on in a single season until I read this. This was a lot. Thanks for writing about it :)
Also, that spinning flag globe is wonderful.
Thanks. ;) (And I've been waiting for half the season for a chance to finally use those!)
This year was nuts.
This list shows that the South and Central America contingent needs to step up.
Ms Backspin?
1.Halep-Was the most dominant player, and played almost everybody in a meaningful match.
2.Stephens-Similar to Venus last year, played the biggest matches throughout the year, even though she only won once.
3.Bertens-Became a threat everywhere.
4.Osaka- The Halep match at IW was the warning shot, the Serena match was the coronation.
5.Wozniacki/Kerber- Veterans keeping themselves relevant.
HM-Kvitova- 2nd year in a row that the tour's leading title winner doesn't even rank.
Patty Schnyder called it a career. Patty has been around so long that when her career started, the Baltimore Ravens were still in Cleveland. That Dirk Nowitzki, who when he suits up next week, will set a NBA record for 21 consecutive years with the same franchise, was not yet in Dallas. And he is 6 months older than Patty.
Fun fact-first ever Dallas Mavericks draft pick? Kiki Vandeweghe, who like Nowitzki, was born in West Germany.
Stat of the Week-8- The number of runner up finishes the last two years for US participants in slams/YEC.
The narrative going into Australia might be that US women have lost the last 3 slam finals. But taking the YEC into account, it spotlights a rather troubling trend.
Remember when the Russians would get teased because with the exception of Sharapova, the only way they could win a slam final was to have both finalists be Russian? Well, the US has won two slams the last two years. Serena beat Venus, and Sloane beat Madison. We can only beat our own.
2017 RU USA
AO-V.Williams
F-
W-V.Williams
US-Keys
YEC-V.Williams
2018 RU USA
AO-
F-Stephens
W-S.Williams
US-S.Williams
YEC-Stephens
Note the other two were both Halep, so check her family tree. She might be American.
So it isn't gloom and doom for US tennis. They may not be winning, but at this point are still competing for titles.
Quiz Time!
Venus and Serena each lost two slam finals in the last two years. Before 2017, when was the last time a US woman lost 2 or more slam finals in a single season?
Answer.
I didn't make it multiple choice because it seems obvious. Some might guess Serena Slam Venus, but it is way more recent. Think 2016, when Kerber and Muguruza acquired their maiden slam titles vs Serena, making it 3 straight years in which the US has lost at least 2 slam finals.
And, of course... Kiki Vandeweghe is you-know-who's uncle. ;)
Quiz: awl, I was discounting the Sisters and was trying to think back to maybe either late-career Navratilova or post-comeback Seles. Though now I think the last time w/o a Williams was '05 (Davenport twice).
Oh, Sneaky Patty. That was one of the first nicknames around here, and she lived up to it in a way at the end, walking away just after she'd finally worked her way back into competing for slam MD slot (and actually making it into one -- her first since 2011 -- at the U.S. Open).
And Burel (naturally, with *another* runner-up result in a big event, this time to fellow Pasty Diane Parry in Mexico) assured herself of the year-end girls #1 this weekend.
*ITF JUNIOR COMBINED YEAR-END RANKINGS*
2004 Michaella Krajicek, NED
2005 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2006 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
2007 Urszula Radwanska, POL
2008 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA
2009 Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2010 Dasha Gavrilova, AUS
2011 Irina Khromacheva, RUS
2012 Taylor Townsend, USA
2013 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2014 CiCi Bellis, USA
2015 Dalma Galfi, HUN
2016 Anastasia Potapova, RUS
2017 Whitney Osuigwe, USA
2018 Clara Burel, FRA
By the way, the Wheelchair Singles Masters event is this week in Orlando.
*WHEELCHAIR TENNIS MASTERS CHAMPIONS*
1994 Monique Kalkman, NED
1995 Monique Kalkman, NED
1996 Chantal Vandierendonck, NED
1997 Maaike Smit, NED
1998 Esther Vergeer, NED
1999 Esther Vergeer, NED
2000 Esther Vergeer, NED
2001 Esther Vergeer, NED
2002 Esther Vergeer, NED
2003 Esther Vergeer, NED
2004 Esther Vergeer, NED
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 Esther Vergeer, NED
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2013 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2014 Aniek van Koot, NED
2015 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2016 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2017 Diede de Groot, NED
2018 ?
The Eddie Herr junior event is, as well.
*EDDIE HERR 18s CHAMPIONS*
1993 Tatiana Panova, RUS
1994 Anna Kournikova, RUS
1995 Eugenia Kulikovskaya, RUS
1996 Andrea Sebova, SVK
1997 Zsofia Gubacsi, HUN
1998 Virginie Razzano, FRA
1999 Aniko Kapros, HUN
2000 Edina Gallovits, ROU
2001 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2002 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2003 Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
2004 Monica Niculescu, ROU
2005 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
2006 Urszula Radwanska, POL
2007 Melanie Oudin, USA
2008 Lauren Embree, USA
2009 Dasha Gavrilova, RUS
2010 Samantha Crawford, USA
2011 Yulia Putintseva, RUS
2012 Ana Konjuh, CRO
2013 Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2014 Dalma Galfi, HUN
2015 Kylie McKenzie, USA
2016 Maria Lourdes Carle, ARG
2017 Whitney Osuigwe, USA
2018 ?
Yes, Kiki was added just because of you know who. Interesting on two fronts, is that Kiki might be the best West German Dallas ever drafted. You could argue Detlef Schrempf, but Dallas never drafted Nowitzki, they got him in a draft day trade with the Bucks. Another twist is that Kiki held out and never played for Dallas.
Vandeweghe played at UCLA for the Wim Fissette of basketball coaches in Larry Brown, who counting ABA, NBA, and college has had 14 head coaching jobs. That includes Davidson, where he took over for Maryland bound Lefty Driesell, then got into a dispute during the offseason, after which he quit, to be replaced by Terry Holland, never coaching a regular season game.
Schnyder may not have had a great second career, but getting to play both #1 Halep at Fed Cup, and Sharapova(her last MD match) in NY this year was a stage befitting her career.
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