Tennis News

MOSCOW, Russia – Five-time BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global winner Serena Williams was forced to withdraw due to a right shoulder injury; having already qualified for the WTA Finals back in August, the former No.1’s absence means one more woman can join the Elite Eight.

“The race now intensifies this week as players fight for the remaining berth,” says WTA CEO Steve Simon. 

The stage is set for a battle royale at Moscow’s Kremlin Cup, the final Premier-level tournament of the 2016 season. Johanna Konta currently sits at No.9 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard – No.8 without Serena – but should either Carla Suárez Navarro or Svetlana Kuznetsova – who won the title last year – take home the trophy by week’s end, they will leapfrog the Brit and complete the field in Singapore.

All three women have enjoyed solid fall swings, as Konta finished runner-up at the China Open, her best result at a Premier Mandatory tournament in what has already been a breakthrough year for the first British woman to crack the Top 10 since Jo Durie in 1984. Kuznetsova saved a match point to defeat 2015 WTA Finals champion Agnieszka Radwanska en route to the semifinals of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, while Suárez Navarro is coming off a semifinal finish at the Generali Ladies Linz.

Kuznetsova is the top seed in Moscow, and begins her title defense against either Alizé Cornet or Shelby Rogers after receiving a first round bye. Suárez Navarro also has a bye into the round of 16, and will begin her tournament as the No.3 seed against either Lucie Safarova or Daria Gavrilova.

“Fans can expect an exciting WTA Finals this year,” continued Simon, “with reigning champion, Agnieszka Radwanska, defending her title and our World No.1 Angelique Kerber, seeking to consolidate her outstanding season with a victory in Singapore.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

March was packed with plenty of amazing shots – we narrowed it down to the five best.

In the end, it was Caroline Wozniacki’s sneaky lob that took top honors. Taking on Lucie Safarova in the Miami Open quarterfinals, the former World No.1 relied on her full defensive arsenal against the big-hitting Czech veteran. As Safarova approached the net, the eventual finalist pulled off an impressive lob that left her opponent frozen at net.

Click here to watch all of March’s finalists.

Final Results for March’s WTA Shot Of The Month presented by Cambridge Global Payments

1. Caroline Wozniacki (36%)
2. Kirsten Flipkens (24%)
3. Venus Williams (22%)
4. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (10%)
5. Elena Vesnina (8%)

2017 WTA Shot of the Month Winners

January: Agnieszka Radwanska
February: Angelique Kerber

How it works:

Five shots are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com 

Doi, Jurak & Ostapenko Visit Children’s Hospital

Earlier in the week, Misaki Doi, Darija Jurak and later Jelena Ostapenko stopped by the MUSC Medical Center to visit kids in the hospital. The players hung out and played with the kids in the atrium of the children’s wing.

Atawo Hosts Special Olympics Tennis Clinic

Meanwhile, Raquel Atawo went and hit with the tennis players from the Special Olympics South Carolina. They ran through some drills and she gave them pointers on their game, and later answered all their questions at a Q&A session.

Also as a part of WTA Charities initiatives in Charleston, Ons Jabeur acted as a celebrity server at a fundraiser for special needs and disabilities and Kayla Day also paid a visit to Joint Base Charleston, a military base housing the United States and Charleston’s Navy and Air Force facilities.

Suárez Navarro Visits Monterrey Hospital

Meanwhile in Monterrey, Carla Suárez Navarro took time out of preparation for the Abierto GNP Seguros to visit the Christus Muguerza Hospital.

The Spaniard got the chance to meet and chat with the young patients there, who were in recovery from advanced scoliosis, and even signed some tennis balls for them as a keepsake.

See more photos of Suárez Navarro’s visit here!

Americans Get Artsy With Special Needs Athletes

Ashley Weinhold and Caitlin Whoriskey spent Tuesday morning with a group of athletes that are part of the Special Needs Athletes Association of Nuevo Leon.

The American players helped the athletes paste small scraps of tissue paper on a banner filling the Abierto GNP Seguros logo with bright colors, and the morning ended with everyone enjoying some tasty tacos.

Click here to see the finished product!

– All photos courtesy of Volvo Car Open and Abierto GNP Seguros

WTA Charities is the WTA’s global philanthropic organization dedicated to making a positive impact across the globe. Our mission is to be a social responsibility vehicle built on the WTA’s values to empower and provide for a better future. We’re dedicated to combining, strengthening and enhancing the community and charitable efforts of the WTA through its members (players, alumnae and tournaments), along with our partners.