November 19, 2016
At the final Premier Mandatory event of the campaign, the China Open, Agnieszka Radwanska reclaimed the trophy she won five years earlier, while over in indoor halls of Europe, Dominika Cibulkova and Svetlana Kuznetsova sealed their spots at the WTA Finals.
Despite the degrees of separation, Elena Vesnina proved most prescient prior to the Wimbledon fortnight when expecting a boost in form thanks to Ivan Lendl.
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | Entry lists for the first week of 2017 are out – here’s where World No.1 Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and more are starting out the new season.
You’ve probably heard their voices during a match, but now WTA’s Behind The Tour takes you face to face with the commentators who called the action during the WTA Finals in Singapore.
LONDON, Great Britain – Just hours after winning her seventh Wimbledon crown and a historic 22nd major title, Serena Williams was back on Centre Court to join Venus Williams in the final of Ladies Doubles. The sisters extended their doubles dominance and improved their record to 14-0 in Grand Slam finals by taking the title, powering past Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-4.
“It was really special to be out there again, to win Wimbledon in doubles. We love it, we love playing doubles, we love being together,” Serena said after the match.
“I had just enough time to change and get the ankles re-taped. It was fine. I didn’t want to warm down.”
It had been four years since the Williams sisters featured in a major doubles final – their victory at the 2012 Wimbledon Ladies Doubles Championships was the last time they reached this stage. With today’s victory they hold 14 Grand Slam titles together, putting them at second place on the list of most doubles titles in the Open Era. Only Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver have more, at 20 titles.
“Watching Serena playing earlier was amazing and I was so into that,” Venus said of her younger sister’s historic win earlier in the day.
“We had to hit the reset button to get ready for the doubles. She brought the energy from game one.”
The sisters came out firing straight away against the No.5 seeds Babos and Shvedova. After trading breaks early on, the Williamses grabbed the decisive break at 4-3 after a vicious Venus crosscourt backhand split the court and left Babos and Shvedova stranded.
Despite firing off a double fault while serving for the match, Venus quickly redeemed herself on the next point as Serena picked off a backhand volley to seal the title.
The Williamses joined up again for doubles for the first time this year at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia with an eye on the Summer Games in Rio later in the season. After a pair of false starts – a first-round loss in Rome and an early exit at the French Open – they look to be peaking just in time for the Olympics, where they’re seeking their fourth doubles gold medal.
#SAPStatOfTheDay: This is the fourth time @SerenaWilliams has won BOTH #Wimbledon singles and doubles titles! pic.twitter.com/GZLHjzLMIa
— WTA (@WTA) July 9, 2016
Looking for a nice Christmas gift for your tennis-loving friend or a treat for yourself? Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will help you pick the best presents.
If you wish to surprise someone with a kit worn by a top WTA player, look no further than adidas’ range launched at the US Open. Angelique Kerber lifted the champion’s trophy wearing the adidas Fall Pro Tank, featuring adjustable shelf bra and contrast racerback with mesh insert, and adidas Fall Pro Skirt, whose famous geometric print draws inspiration from New York City’s famous skyscrapers. Both the items are equipped with Climacool moisture management.
There’s also this Ana Ivanovic adidas Fall Pro Dress, one of the most beautiful designs of the season, while if you’re not into skirts, there are Simona Halep stunning adidas Fall Pro Shorts, whose built-in printed compression shorts peek through a woven mesh layer.
Even though other models were promoted far more on the courts, the adidas Barricade Classic Bounce remains the cutest shoe I’ve seen this year. Whether you like it in green or red, it promises high levels of cushioning, stability and comfort. Since the shoes were introduced even before the Australian Open, their discounted price makes them extra attractive.
If you’re looking for more affordable presents and stocking stuffers, there’s no shortage of options to surprise your tennis friends.
You can’t go wrong whether you choose this 2-pack Nike hairband in pink and deep garnet, the black and white option with a stylish split section, or adidas’ 3-pack in purple and slime. All the hairbands have silicone/gel that keeps them in place.
Everyone needs a white visor, even if they have several already. Stella McCartney offers the most beautiful one, with lovely mesh lining on body and subtle adidas and designer logo.
Wristbands also make a great affordable gift. You can pick these purple ones from Nike’s new collection, these discounted red adidas ones, or these classic white Fila ones.
One can never have enough socks and these adidas Climalite striped ones are adorable!
Narrowing down a selection of bras, I’ve come down to these three: this light blue EleVen bra with crossed spaghetti straps, this secure and compressive Nike bra that offers multidirectional medium support, and this purple Under Armour bra with stylish straps for lightweight support.
If you’d like something that is extravagant, yet not expensive, pick these pink Nike arm sleeves, that Serena Williams sported at the US Open. They offer a UPF 40+ protection.
Finally, it’s time for some luxury. If you want a tennis bag that provides a stylish transition from a stroll in the city or a business meeting to a tennis practice, Court Couture Karisa Black Pebble Bag is your perfect splurge. The racquet department of this embossed faux leather bag fits two racquets. There are inner and outer accessory pockets, as well as a separate cosmetics case to carry your essentials.
If you’re still unsure whether any of these items are the best picks for you, don’t risk and give your friend a Tennis Warehouse gift card. There are tons of things to choose from and a lot of them are discounted now!
LONDON, Great Britain – Serena Williams wasn’t sure how she found herself at the net on match point. At least not for as long as she did. But as was the case at the Australian Open, Angelique Kerber dug in and made her hit that extra shot, poking, prodding, and counterpunching as we’e seen the German do so well. Kerber was not going to give it away. Serena had to earn it. And as she finally put away the last ball with a casual forehand volley into the open court, the 34-year-old American fell to the turn and laid still.
Finally. No.22. Finally.
“On match point I hit a great shot and she got it back and I was like, ‘How appropriate that I have to win this at the net because I’m never at the net,” Serena told ESPN after the match with a laugh.
For nearly a year, Serena’s path to her Open Era record-tying 22nd major was paved with crushing disappointment. Her nervous, three-set loss to Roberta Vinci at the 2015 US Open was, in her own words, heartbreaking. What should have been the Summer of Serena – a coronation of her greatness looked sure to come at the US Open with the completion of the Calendar Slam – ended with a shock loss. She took the rest of the season off and returned at the Australian Open in January, again in search of No.22. Again she came up short, as Kerber blocked her way with brick-wall defense.
The big-match losses continued. Victoria Azarenka beat her in the final of the BNP Paribas Open. Then came a loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Miami Open. When she earned her first title of the season at the Italian Open in Rome, she looked back to her dominant ways. Then came a one-way loss to Garbiñe Muguruza in the French Open final.
“I have definitely had some sleepless nights, if I’m just honest, with a lot of stuff,” Serena said. “Coming so close. Feeling it, not being able to quite get there.”
And then things changed. Serena willed the change. She woke up one morning after the French Open and decided to stop feeling sorry for herself. She would not allow herself to be the victim of some universal conspiracy to keep her off the podium. She was the architect of her own destiny. And in that moment, the Serena Williams took back the reigns.
“One day I woke and I felt different,” Serena told a small pool of reporters after the final. “I felt I can do better. I can do this. Not only can I do this but I’m going to do this and there’s nothing in this world that’s going to stop me.”
The change in mentality showed both on and off the court. I wrote last week about the clear change in how Serena spoke about herself throughout the fortnight. That was based on just my observation. I put that theory to Serena after the final. She agreed.
Q: One thing that I’ve noticed with you in the press room here and off the court as well is there does seem to be a re-embracing of “I’m Serena. I’ve done what I’ve done.” How far away did you think that you got from that last year? I feel like you were trying to diffuse the pressure a little bit of the run up to New York, saying “I’m just doing my best, that’s all I can do.” But it seems like you kind of recaptured yourself here.
A: Yeah, I definitely think so. I feel like… God, get it, girl [laughs]. Wow. Yes. Very well said.
While she was dishing out bagels on court, reminding her opponents and anyone watching this was a focused, determined, positive Serena, off-court she took every opportunity to remind reporters that her last three Slam losses did not change her character as a champion. At times it felt like it was just as important to say it out loud to herself as it was for the press to hear.
“I definitely feel like when I lose I don’t feel as good about myself. But then I have to remind myself that you are Serena Williams. Do you know what you’ve done, who you are, what you continue to do not only in tennis, off the court? You’re awesome. I think that shows the human side of me, that I’m not a robot. I only expect perfection.”
For the first time since 2006, we saw a rematch of a Grand Slam final in the same season. Kerber flummoxed Serena with her defense at the Australian Open and there is no denying that Serena was unsettled throughout the match with nerves. On Saturday, Serena controlled those nerves. In fact, she controlled everything. On the surface that rewards her game like no other, she served 13 aces, one of which wiped out the only break point she faced all day. She fired 39 winners to 21 unforced errors on a day when Kerber forced her to earn every inch.
“Serena was serving unbelievable today,” Kerber said afterwards. “At the end I was trying everything, but she deserved it today. She really played an unbelievable match. I think we both play on a really high level. I tried everything.
“I mean, I think I was not the one who lost the match, I think she won the match. Just one can win, and today Serena deserved it.”
On a day when Kerber hit just nine unforced errors in the match, Serena had to win it. And on this day, instead of throwing her hands up to the heavens asking how Kerber could get that one ball back every time, she simply gripped her racquet tighter and took control.
“We had a lot of long, tough points,” Serena said. “I think every single point I worked for, and nothing was given to me.”
That sums up much of Serena Williams’ career. With her seventh Wimbledon title she is now tied with Stefanie Graf for the Open Era record in major titles. She now just two wins short of Martina Navratilova’s Open Era record of Slam wins. She has won more matches at Wimbledon than any other active player. On Monday she will remain No.1, the oldest woman to hold the top ranking, for her 301st week.
After the match the BBC ran a montage of Serena’s march to No.22, narrated by Serena herself reading Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.” It was a moving montage of all her trials and tribulations over the last 12 months.
“I knew Maya when she was around,” Serena told a pool of reporters. “I used to go hang out with her. She was someone I really admired and I think her work should always live on.
“It’s an extremely powerful poem to me and it meant a lot to me last year. It’s one of my favorite poems of hers and I think it’s so powerful. The words are so strong and so encouraging. And I think it describes me. I really do.
“One of the most powerful lines that I like is when she says don’t get me twisted with your bitter twisted lies. Were you happy to see me down, were you sad when I fell down? And then one of my favorite parts is ‘I’m the hope and the dream of a slave.’
“So those really, really resonate with me because that’s what my ancestors were. I’m the product of that. If you break down those words, it was a dream probably for my ancestors to be here and to see what they, because of their perseverance, were able to let me have this opportunity. It’s so touching and it’s so amazing that because of that I do have that opportunity.”
We may never know the true depth of the emotional impact this last year – or really these last 20 years – has had on her personally. But her internalization of the words and the message, one of hope, of overcoming, of being judged and misunderstood, of celebrating her black history while defying it, speaks volumes of where she’s been and how she tapped into that inner strength to get back to where she wants to be.
Earlier in the week, a reporter asked what it feels like to go down as one of the greatest female athletes of all time. Serena did not blink. She did not hesitate.
“I prefer the word ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time’.”
Rise up. Serena is back.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Angelique Kerber’s stellar 2016 season is earning her recognition from the editors of espnW, who have compiled their shortlist of honorees for this year’s IMPACT25.
IMPACT25 honors achievements not only from athletes like Kerber and US Olympic gymast Simone Biles, but also from influencers like Hillary Rodham Clinton and Leslie Jones.
Kerber finished 2016 atop the WTA rankings after a year of career breakthroughs, chief among them a pair of Grand Slam victories at the Australian Open and US Open, along with a silver medal showing at the Olympic tennis event, and a runner-up finish at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
Click here to check out the full list of honorees on espnW.com.
GSTAAD, Switzerland – Two weeks on from facing Serena Williams at the home of tennis, Amra Sadikovic continued her career renaissance with victory on a slightly more low-key, but no less important, stage.
Playing on home soil, at the Ladies Championship Gstaad, Sadikovic produced a battling display to see off Rebecca Peterson, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in just under two hours.
Struggling for motivation and money, Sadikovic walked away from the game two years ago. Inspired to return following the fairytale comeback of fellow Swiss Timea Bacsinszky, Sadikovic has been making up for lost time, already reaching a higher ranking than during the first phase of her career.
And against Peterson there was enough to suggest that her rise up the tennis pyramid may not yet be over, reeling off the final three games to emerge triumphant.
“It is a big difference, playing Wimbledon and now Gstaad, but I have to say I’m happy here – I’ve always played good anywhere back home. Even though it’s much smaller than Wimbledon it’s a nice atmosphere,” Sadikovic said.
“It was quite easy [moving back to clay], I think it took two days and I felt good. I had more problems with the altitude, so I had to fight for every point as I was not comfortable at all. I tried to mix it up, use my variety and even though I missed a few balls in the second set it made the difference in the end.”
Also advancing in the top half of the draw were Mandy Minella, Claire Feuerstein and Irina Khromacheva.
Feuerstein recovered impressively from a slow start to defeat Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, while Khromacheva ably defused Lucie Hradecka, breaking six times en route to a 6-2, 7-5 victory.
Minella bounced back from her heartbreaking Wimbledon exit, defeating Ons Jabeur in an equally dramatic encounter. Jabeur served for the match in the second set only to see Minella fightback and eventually triumph, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
#SADIKOVIC Amra won her 1. Round Match against #PETERSON Rebecca 6:2,3:6,3:6. #WTA Gstaad #thegirlsarebackinthealps pic.twitter.com/rmdoilcfFp
— Ladies Open Gstaad (@WTA_Gstaad) July 11, 2016
The WTA’s all-star cast battle it out for wins, titles and ranking points all year long – but who is getting the most clicks? This week, wtatennis.com will count down the Top 50 Most Popular Players Of 2016.
Last up on the list goes from No.10 to No.1! Find out who tops the list…
10. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
The former World No.1 became the first woman in over a decade to capture the Sunshine Double, and hopes to return to tennis after giving birth to her first child.
9. Monica Puig (PUR)
Puig piqued fan interest in a major way when she became the first Puerto Rican to win an Olympic Gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.
8. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
Pliskova enjoyed a summer surge of her own, winning the Western & Southern Open and beating both Williams sisters en route to the US Open final.
7. Johanna Konta (GBR)
Konta continued to rewrite British tennis history in 2016, becoming her country’s first Grand Slam semifinalist and Top 10 player in over two decades.
6. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)
The Genie Army remained loyal to Bouchard through a year of ups and downs, one that nonetheless saw her earn wins over Konta and Angelique Kerber.
5. Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP)
Spain’s first Grand Slam champion since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Muguruza stunned Serena Williams to win the French Open.
4. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
The perennial Fan Favorite and proverbial Hot Shot Queen earned more big results in 2016, including a Premier Mandatory crown in Beijing.
3. Simona Halep (ROU)
Halep earned a Premier Mandatory title of her own at the Mutua Madrid Open, and earned a WTA Finals berth for the third straight year.
2. Serena Williams (USA)
Still she rises: Serena won a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, putting her one win away from breaking Stefanie Graf’s Open Era mantle.
1. Angelique Kerber (GER)
World No.1 Angelique Kerber bookended a breakthrough season with a pair of Grand Slam titles in Australia and New York, making her the top searched player on the WTA website..
Check out who else made the cut from No.50 to No.11…
No.50 to No.41
No.40 to No.31
No.30 to No.21
No.20 to No.11