Tennis News

January was defined by five breakthrough players who brought some impressive performances to the first month of 2016. Which one soared the highest?

Have a look at the nominees for January’s Breakthrough Performance of the Month and cast your vote before Thursday at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, February 8.

January 2016 WTA Breakthrough Performance of the Month Finalists:

Daria Kasatkina: Building on the momentum she’d started at the end of last season – reaching the third round of the US Open as a lucky loser and the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup as a qualifier – 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina began 2016 with a bang by defeating Venus Williams in three sets at the ASB Classic. A former junior French Open champion, the Russian came to Melbourne full of confidence and promptly upset No.27 seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the first round. Backing up that win over fellow junior prodigy Ana Konjuh, Kasatkina’s run ended at the hands of World No.1 Serena Williams in the third round.

Johanna Konta: Konta’s breakthrough also involved a win over the elder of the Williams sisters; unseeded at the Australian Open, Konta took out the No.8 seed in two decisive sets en route to her first Grand Slam semifinal, where she lost to eventual champion Angelique Kerber. During her historic two weeks in Melbourne – where she became the first Brit to reach the final four Down Under since Sue Barker in 1977 – Konta outlastes 2015 Australian Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round, capturing an 8-6 final set just to reach her first career major quarterfinal, and went one step better when she ended the fairytale run of Zhang Shuai.

Zhang Shuai: Zhang came into the Australian Open without ever having won a Grand Slam main draw match in 14 previous attempts. She earned her first victory in emphatic style, however, when she blasted past No.2 seed Simona Halep in straight sets. The qualifier backed up her win with efficient wins over Hobart champion Alizé Cornet and Varvara Lepchenko – and survived a tricky fourth round with No.15 seed and 2015 semifinalist Madison Keys – before she ran out of gas on her eighth match of the tournament (three in qualifying, five in main draw) against Konta. Zhang’s run nonetheless guaranteed she would be the new Chinese No.1, a prestigious mantle with Li Na having recently retired and the 2016 Olympic Games on the horizon.

Samantha Crawford: The powerful young American has long struggled with injuries and inconsistencies since winning the 2012 US Open girl’s singles title, but had an impressive week at the Apia International Sydney. Unseeded in qualifying, she took out 2014 champion Tsvetana Pironkova to reach the main draw and hit through Belinda Bencic and Andrea Petkovic to reach the semifinals, where she lost to eventual champion Victoria Azarenka. With textbook technique and effortless power, Crawford is within spitting distance of the Top 100 thanks to her run in Sydney, and should be one to watch as her ranking continues to increase.

Daria Gavrilova: Hometown favorite Daria Gavrilova rode a wave of support into her first-ever Grand Slam second week at the Australian Open. Dismissing No.6 seed Petra Kvitova in the second round, the Russian-born Aussie won a classic third round encounter against Kristina Mladenovic and bageled Carla Suárez Navarro in her next match before falling in three. Gavrilova is another former junior champion, winning the US Open title in 2010, but a torn ACL stunted her progress and kept her off the tour for nearly all of 2014. Last year, she won the 2015 WTA Rising Star of the Year Award and is set to reach a career-high ranking of No.33 following her run Down Under.

How it works:

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

PHOENIX, AZ, USA – Mixed doubles gold medalist Bethanie Mattek-Sands received a hero’s welcome when she touched down in her hometown of Phoenix. Last week she took home the gold along with partner Jack Sock after beating out Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram in an all-American final, 6-7(3), 6-1, 10-7 at the Olympic tennis event in Rio.

The American was received by family and friends – including her husband, Justin Sands – at the airport. Local news crews were on hand to capture the welcome party as Mattek-Sands showed off the prized hardware.

Thanks to Nonstop Tennis NBC NBC12 for surprising me Skyharbor International Airport (PHX) today. I am so… https://t.co/Xm8pt4KxAw

— Bethanie MattekSands (@BMATTEK) August 17, 2016

“Winning that match point — what a feeling,” Mattek-Sands told Phoenix’s 12 News. “It’s really not comparable to a feeling I’ve ever experienced.”

“You’re just up there thinking about everything you did that got you to that point, and I get emotional now,” she said. “I want to do it again. I want to be a part of Tokyo 2020.”

The welcome party didn’t stop at the airport, though, as Mattek-Sands is set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Arizona Diamondbacks vs New York Mets baseball game at Chase Field later today.

And now gold medalist Bethanie Mattek-Sands is throwing out the first pitch at the #Dbacks game tomorrow!

— 12 News (@12News) August 16, 2016