Tennis News

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

In the end, it was perennial Shot Of The Month winner Agnieszka Radwanska who survived a thrilling rally with Kirsten Flipkens at the Connecitcut Open. Keeping her cool as the lucky loser from Belgium attempted a tweener, Radwanska won the point and later the title in New Haven.

Click here to watch all of August’s finalists.

Hear from Radwanska after her New Haven win in the WTA Insider Podcast:

Final Results for August’s WTA Shot Of The Month

1. Agnieszka Radwanska (67%)
2. Angelique Kerber (19%)
3. Eugenie Bouchard (9%)
4. Elina Svitolina (3%)
5. Johanna Konta (2%)

2016 WTA Shot of the Month Winners

January: Caroline Wozniacki
February: Agnieszka Radwanska
March: Agnieszka Radwanska
April: Monica Niculescu
May: Simona Halep
June: Agnieszka Radwanska
July: Simona Halep

How it works:

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

The BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global are just a month away, and 30 days out from the culmination of an exciting 2016 season, the WTA has announced that former No.1 and three-time WTA Finals champion Monica Seles will serve as a tournament ambassador – joining fellow WTA Legends Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. Seles will be traveling to Singapore for the first time in over two decades.

“Last time I was there was back in 1990, when I played Jennifer Capriati in a one-night exhibition,” Seles said in a conference call Thursday morning. “I never really got the chance to see much of the city.

“It’s a great honor to be back at the WTA Finals, where you get to see the best tennis champions, who work hard all year to be in the group. There are no easy matches; every match is like a Grand Slam final. We still have some open spots on the Road to Singapore with 30 days out, and it’s a lot of pressure for them.

“But for me, I’m just really excited and honored to be one of the Ambassadors for the tournament, and I very much look forward to coming back to Singapore and seeing all of the fans there.”

A nine-time Grand Slam champion, Seles qualified for the WTA Finals nine times through her Hall of Fame career, winning a hat trick of season-ending championship titles between 1990 and 1992. Her fondest memory of the tournament remains her first victory, when she overcame a tremendous five-set fight with Gabriela Sabatini in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

“Looking back on my career, with all the Grand Slams and tournament wins, that one match stands out the most. You go in knowing it’s the last match for quite some time, and I’d worked all year to be part of the WTA Finals, winning all these matches that week to be in the final.

“That feeling that I had in the match, knowing I finished the year by winning the season-ending championships, even when I was already No.1 in the world, it was extra icing on the cake that solidified my entire year.

“For me, I always felt I brought my best tennis to the WTA Finals, especially because I loved playing indoors – no win and no sun! – I always rose to the occasion. All the fans know they’re seeing the best players in the world all in one arena. As a player, you just feed off of that, but as a spectator, I really can’t wait to experience that in Singapore in 30 days.”

Seles played her last match in 2003, and has immersed herself into several ventures since she officially retired from tennis in 2008, including an appearance on Dancing With The Stars and co-authoring a series of tennis-themed young adult novels with James LaRosa. Through it all, the game remains her greatest passion.

“Mentally, I still wish I was playing out there when I’m watching some of some of the tournaments; I still want to be there. For me, coming back to Singapore will be a lot of fun because it’ll be one of the first times I’m watching tennis and all the top players for that many days in a row.

“Hopefully, I won’t get the urge to jump onto the court and play!”

Asked to give her expert analysis, Seles fielded several questions about Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams the first two women to qualify for Singapore, and whose rivalry has defined a season of surprises.

“I never experienced the numbers Serena hit in terms of Grand Slams, and so I cannot imagine the pressure she faces. But if anyone can play under that pressure, it’s Serena. She is the most mentally tough player I’ve ever faced, and so if she can stay injury-free, I believe she has the hunger to keep going.

“At the WTA Finals, I’m sure Serena will want to prove to everyone that she wants to win it and cap off the year because, as a former player, I can tell you that the last tournament and how you finish the year sets the tone for how you view your season and how you approach the next.”

Seles pegged Kerber, the new World No.1 and reigning Australian Open and US Open champion, as the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s biggest threat in Singapore, lauding the German veteran’s meteoric rise to the top of women’s tennis.

“It was amazing to see that all come together this season for Angelique. If someone told me in 2015 that she’d win two Grand Slams, I might have thought, ‘Maybe one was possible,’ but even for her, you could see the expression on her face after she won the US Open and became No.1, it was almost like a dream.

“Hopefully, that shows to a lot of up and coming players that with hard work and pure perseverance, your dreams can come true.”

Making her last WTA Finals appearance in 2002, Seles never played the round robin format that was installed a year later, one that the American fans benefits fans and players, especially defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska.

“It’s a lot better for fans because you’ll get to see the stars a couple of times, and as a player, you can still batten down the hatches for the next two matches if you lose the first.

“I really hope that, for Radwanska, she can put it all together because she has the pieces, and we’ve obviously seen it last year when she won the WTA Finals, and when she won last year, I felt it gave her so much more confidence.”

Her wildcard pick may well be Karolina Pliskova, who rocketed up the Road to Singapore leaderboard after her win at the Western & Southern Open and run to the US Open final, where she became just the fourth woman ever to defeat both Williams sisters at a major tournament.

“I was very impressed by her all-around game in Cincinnati, and how she goes for her shots whether she’s up 15-0 or down break point. I really like that attitude. I really think she could surprise us in Singapore because the court speeds will favor her. She’ll like playing indoors because you won’t have to deal with the elements, and she has a flat game, so that will suit her very well.”

For Seles, what makes the WTA Finals all the more special is how it not only provides an thrilling conclusion to one season, but also foreshadows what may happen in the next.

“It’s the last tournament before you get to take a break, so you to give it your all. You want to finish your season on the highest note and solidify your place in the game – whether you’re No.1 or have won a Grand Slam – to say, ‘Hey, I’m here to say and watch out for me next year.’ That’s the mentality.”

The WTA Finals begins on October 23; click here to book your tickets to Singapore.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

TOKYO, Japan – Caroline Wozniacki came to the Toray Pan Pacific Open having re-asserted her presence among the game’s elite at the US Open. Ranked No.74 in late August, the Dane roared into her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years, and reminded fans and pundits that she was still one to watch.

Backing up that run in New York might have been tough for some, but Wozniacki’s week in Tokyo was arguably more impressive, earning two more Top 10 victories – including a thrilling win over No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska – to take her first title of 2016. Can she keep up her exciting start to the WTA’s Asian Swing?

WTA Insider caught up with Wozniacki after withstanding the charge from Japanese teenager, Naomi Osaka:

WTA Insider: Take me through the week and how you were able to maintain your form from the US Open with some great wins. What was the key for you this week in Tokyo?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great week, and I think the court really suits me. It’s kind of fast; the ball is a little heavy, but I’ve played well here in the past, and I think grinding and fighting for every point was key. I had some tough three-set matches here this week, and I managed to pull those off. I’m just really happy to be here at the end of the tournament.

WTA Insider: Going back to maybe a few days after the US Open, and you’re thinking about the rest of the season. What’s going through your mind as you know you’re playing well and have a great opportunity in Asia. What’s your motivation or your thought process before heading to Tokyo?
Wozniacki: Honestly, I took some days off and relaxed after enjoying a good US Open run. I had some sponsor commitments, and had a few hits, or actually one hit before I left for Tokyo. I practiced with a few of the girls here before my first match. I felt good, like I was hitting the ball well. I knew I’d face a few tough opponents, but I was feeling confident and hitting the ball well. That combination is good for me.

WTA Insider: Did you think you had a level of confidence heading to Tokyo that you hadn’t had the rest of the year?
Wozniacki: I just felt like I played well at the US Open, and if I could keep that up, I would be tough to beat. But you never know; it’s a new week, new tournament, and I was just coming in here trying to take one match at a time – I know that’s a cliché – and go from there. I know that, when I’m healthy, I can play well, so hopefully I can carry this on into the rest of the year.

WTA Insider: Flashback to Zhuhai, and maybe again when we spoke in Eastbourne. Your injuries were creeping up and had obviously derailed your season for several months. You kept saying that if you kept working, surely luck has to break your way somehow. Do you feel like that’s what has happened over the past four weeks?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great few weeks. I’m just happy that I’ve managed to get some great wins under my belt. It hasn’t been about getting easy draws, but I’ve gotten some breaks to win the tight matches. I’ve been healthy for a little bit now, which is huge for me. Hopefully I can build on that moving forward.

WTA Insider: Talking about the final a little bit: you fell behind the early break, and was able to turn things around. Was there a leg issue as well?
Wozniacki: I don’t know; hopefully it’ll feel better tomorrow. I got some treatment on it, got it taped up. Right now, I’m going to try and enjoy this win for as long as I can. It was a tough match; Naomi’s a great player, and really young, so she has lots of potential. I think we’ll see lots of her in the future.

WTA Insider: You were talking about the ability to turn things around and play better tennis in New York, and you’re playing much more offensively, getting to the net. That seems like a change; is that something you’ve put into your mind about shortening points?
Wozniacki: I think I’m maybe moving a little bit faster. I’ve been able to work on my fitness, so that means that I can get to the ball faster and take it earlier. That gets my opponent out of position, and that makes it easier to get to net, when the opportunity is there.

WTA Insider: You’re going to board a plane fairly quickly to head over to China. There’s lots of points in Wuhan and Beijing. How much does getting back into the Top 20 or other possible ranking goals play on your mind?
Wozniacki: Not really. I’m playing well; obviously, being in the Top 10 is a goal. But everything else, I’m just happy to have won here and I’m going to do my best to deal with this really quick turnaround. We’ll have to see how I can do that, go out there and fight.

WTA Insider: The semifinal you played against Aga was one of the most riveting matches of the year. You had your back against the all and were able to pull that out. How much do those wins over top players mean to you right now?
Wozniacki: It was such a great fight. Aga and I know each other so well, and we know each other’s games so well. We always know we’re going to have long rallies, and it’s going to be a fun match for both of us. I had my back against the wall and she was playing really well, but I somehow managed to fight and stay aggressive. I went for my shots and they went in at the right moments. It was a grueling match, but a fun one and I really enjoyed it. It definitely means a lot beating a top player, and feeling like I’m back where I want to be.

WTA Insider: Do you fee like you are? Are you there, or are you getting there? Where is Caroline right now?
Wozniacki: I think I’m feeling good. Obviously, you can always improve and always play better. But I feel like I’m hitting the ball well; I’ve beaten four Top 10 players in the last couple of weeks, and it’s been good. I’m just enjoying it and hopefully I can carry this momentum forward to the rest of the year.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.