Stuttgart: Shot Of The Day (Sunday)
Angelique Kerber had Sunday’s shot of the day at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Angelique Kerber had Sunday’s shot of the day at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia take the Parking Challenge at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Angelique Kerber racked up the most prize money of any WTA player during 2016, and she did so in historic fashion. Find out who else made the prize money leaders list, right here!
As the tennis world headed stateside for the summer, an intriguing sub-plot was developing amidst the hunt for trophies.
Serena Williams had reigned supreme atop the rankings since February 2013, however, she faced an unexpected challenge to due to the rapid emergence of Angelique Kerber. At Wimbledon, Williams kept the upstart in check, yet maintaining the status quo over the summer months proved an altogether sterner test.
Golden Girl Puig
This was by no means the only story of the summer. The Rio Olympics produced a tennis tournament befitting the world’s greatest sporting stage and a gold medalist who made waves far beyond the Copacabana.
Monica Puig went into the Games on the back of a quietly impressive year on tour. What followed, though, must have been beyond her wildest dreams. Playing the tennis of her young career, the Puerto Rican swept into the semifinals – taking out Garbiñe Muguruza for the loss off two games along the way – where she produced a rousing finale to see off Petra Kvitova in three rollercoaster sets.
With the most improbable of victories – no Puerto Rican athlete had ever won Olympic gold – now within reach, Puig would not be denied, powering past Kerber, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, to create history.
New Queen In Queens
In Cincinnati, Kerber tasted further disappointment, narrowly missing out on claiming the No.1 ranking after losing to an on-song Karolina Pliskova in the final. If this smarted with the German, she hid it well at the US Open, where she cantered through the early rounds to raise the possibility of a final showdown with Serena for all the marbles.
Surprisingly, it was Serena that faltered, failing to make the date when she was outgunned by Pliskova in the semifinals. This ensured Kerber would rise to the summit of the rankings, regardless of the result in the final. The German marked her coronation in fitting fashion, lifting her second Grand Slam with a thrilling 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory on Arthur Ashe.
“It’s always tough to play against her,” Kerber afterwards. “I was trying to stay in the moment, be aggressive, I was just trying to enjoy the final. It’s an amazing stadium. It means a lot to me. When I was a kid, I was always dreaming to be the number one player in the world and to win Grand Slams, and today’s the day.”
Elsewhere…
Interspersed between Wimbledon and the start of the North American hardcourt stretch was the chance for success at a couple of tennis’ less celebrated venues. Simona Halep, Viktorija Golubic and Laura Siegemund were among those to grasp the opportunity for silverware, triumphing in Bucharest, Gstaad and Badstad, respectively.
As usual, the US Open build-up began in Stanford, where Johanna Konta took home the trophy after defusing Venus Williams in an entertaining final. Over in Washington DC, Yanina Wickmayer delivered a reminder of her potential, before the WTA headed across the border for an entertaining – and unpredictable – Rogers Cup, eventually won by a resurgent Halep.
MADRID, Spain – If Agnieszka Radwanska thought the absence of Serena Williams would make her task any easier at the Mutua Madrid Open, Friday’s draw provided an immediate reality check.
Williams’ withdrawal elevated Radwanska to top seed, but her reward is a meeting with one of the draw’s most dangerous of floaters: Dominika Cibulkova.
Last month in Indian Wells, Cibulkova came within a point of victory against Radwanska only to fall agonizingly short in a thrilling second-round clash. The Slovak followed this up with a title in Katowice and the former French Open semifinalist will present a real challenge on Radwanska’s least favorite surface.
And should she pass this opening test, things will not get any easier for the Pole. Awaiting her in the second round will be either Caroline Garcia or Johanna Konta, before a likely third-round date with one of the WTA’s finest clay courters, Sara Errani.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova is also in Radwanska’s half of the draw but has been handed a less formidable opening opponent in the shape of Lara Arruabarrena, while No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka begins against Laura Robson. Azarenka and Kvitova are projected to meet in the last eight.
Like Radwanska, No.2 seed Angelique Kerber has been placed in a tricky section. She starts against the mercurial Barbora Strycova, and also finds Sloane Stephens, Daria Kasatkina and Carla Suárez Navarro in her quarter.
Home hopes will rest chiefly on the shoulders of Suárez Navarro and Garbiñe Muguruza. Suárez Navarro opens up against big-serving Timea Babos, while No.3 seed Muguruza meets Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Keeping Muguruza company in arguably the most open section of the draw are Simona Halep, Timea Bacsinszky and Karolina Pliskova.
Click here to see the draw in full.
Top half @MutuaMadridOpen. pic.twitter.com/cDLkYnuxPo
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) 29 April 2016
It’s time to crown the 2016 WTA Shot Of The Year. It started with all the WTA Shot Of The Month winners and the fans narrowed it down to the four best, two from each group.
• Final Group voting opens Tuesday, November 22 and ends Monday, November 28 at 11:59pm ET
• The 2016 WTA Shot of the Year winner will be announced Tuesday, November 29
Final Group
January: Caroline Wozniacki
March: Agnieszka Radwanska
July: Simona Halep
September: Kirsten Flipkens
Group A Results
1. March: Agnieszka Radwanska (38%)
2. January: Caroline Wozniacki (30%)
3. May: Simona Halep (19%)
4. April: Monica Niculescu (10%)
5. February: Agnieszka Radwanska (4%)
Click here or below to watch Group A shots
Group B Results
1. July: Simona Halep (42%)
2. September: Kirsten Flipkens (27%)
3. June: Agnieszka Radwanska (19%)
4. October: Angelique Kerber (6%)
5. August: Agnieszka Radwanska (6%)
Click here or below to watch Group B shots
How it works:
Each Shot of the Month winner is placed into one of two groups.
The two shots from each group that received the most were placed into a final group.
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com.
Catherine Bellis moved smoothly into the Hawaii Open final on Friday with a straight-set win over Jacqueline Cako on Saturday.
Who’s your favorite player? Who had the best post on social media in 2016? Click here to vote!
Spelling challenges, emoji challenges, cracker challenges, selfie challenges and, of course, the WTA Frame Challenge – which video was the best of the year? Click here to vote!
Join WTA Stars and Legends Chris Evert, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Lucie Safarova, and Shelby Rogers, along with WTA coaches Marc Lucero and Rob Steckley, as they set sail on a once-in-a-lifetime, interactive tennis vacation experience that is for tennis enthusiasts of all ages.
The WTA Legends Cruise offers guests the opportunity to spend four nights aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship with WTA Stars, Legends and fellow tennis fans. The Cruise will depart from Miami, Florida, on November 13, 2017, and will sail to Nassau, CocoCay, and Key West, before returning to Miami on November 17.
For more information visit www.WTALegendsCruise.com.