Tennis News

For someone who is perhaps best known for her exploits on grass and hard, in recent times Serena Williams has looked decidedly sure footed on clay.

Over the past three years, 56 wins on the surface have brought Williams eight titles, including that elusive second French Open crown. However, from the opening stanza on the terre battue this time around, it was clear that getting her hands on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen once more would be anything but straightforward.

The first hiccup came in Madrid, where a straight set loss to Petra Kvitova finally blotted the American’s hitherto unblemished record in 2015. Her preparations were dealt a further blow in Rome, when injury brought her tournament to a premature end.

Kvitova and clay court queen Maria Sharapova left with the silverware in Madrid and Rome to enhance their own clay court credentials, while, away from the spotlight of the Premier-level events, several of the WTA’s next generation grasped the opportunity to add to their already impressive résumés; Karolina Pliskova took home the spoils on home soil in Prague, and Elina Svitolina picked up the title in Marrakech.

Elsewhere, Angelique Kerber shook off her tag as the WTA’s perennial bridesmaid, ending a run of four straight final defeats with back-to-back victories in Charleston and Stuttgart. Samantha Stosur and Karin Knapp also made it into the winner’s circle once more, triumphing in Strasbourg and Nürnberg, respectively.

Once in Paris, though, the script went out of the window. In a first week littered with upsets – 10 of the Top 16 seeds failed to make it past the third round – No.3 seed Simona Halep was the biggest casualty, succumbing to bête noire Mirjana Lucic-Baroni for the second time in three majors.

Halep’s exit left the path clear for defending champion Sharapova in the bottom half, only for Lucie Safarova to throw a spanner in the works with a memorable fourth round upset.

Safarova would go on to reach the final, the fairytale ending, though, was reserved for Williams, who after two and a half hours on Philippe Chatrier finally emerged triumphant from an absorbing encounter.

The finalists for the 2015 WTA Comeback Player Of The Year have been released, and we want to hear from you, the fans. The fan vote will count as one of the coveted media votes.

Have a look at the finalists and cast your vote before Sunday, December 6 at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Tuesday, December 8.

2015 WTA Most Improved Player Finalists

Timea Bacsinszky: After a promising start to life in the professional ranks, Timea Bacsinszky grew so disillusioned with a succession of injury setbacks that she temporarily parked her tennis dreams in favor of a career in hotel management. While it was a change in direction that ultimately was never going to satisfy her thirst for competition, it did change her outlook on the sport. This newfound perspective played its part in a blistering start to 2015 that saw Bacsinszky win 21 of her first 23 matches, collecting titles in Acapulco and Monterrey. Semi and quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, respectively, proved her success was not confined to the smaller events. And despite losing her way in the second half of the summer, she rounded off the year with a runner-up finish in Beijing.

Belinda Bencic: At last year’s US Open, a 17-year-old Belinda Bencic displayed maturity beyond her years to become the youngest Grand Slam quarterfinalist since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006. Judging by her results since, the big stage suits the young Swiss star rather well. Given her much-publicized ties with Martina Hingis, it comes as no surprise that her cerebral game really flourished on the grass in 2015, following a final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch with a title in Eastbourne and then a fourth round run at Wimbledon. Bencic was even more impressive on the cement, picking up more silverware – and wins over Serena Williams and Simona Halep – in Toronto, before reaching the final in Tokyo as her knocking on the door of the Top 10 became ever louder.

Johanna Konta: This October, Johanna Konta, who started the year barely inside the Top 150, became the newest resident inside the Top 50. But unlike many players new to life at the top of the tennis tree, the Brit appears fully furnished – both physically, technically and mentally – with the tools to stay there for the long haul. While Konta is not a household name just yet, if she continues her remarkable recent form this could all be about to change. After falling to Maria Sharapova in the first round at Wimbledon, the 24-year-old won two ITF Circuit events in Canada, before emerging from qualifying to reach the US Open fourth round. A short pit stop back in Britain and it was back on the road. This time to Wuhan where she once more made it through qualifying before coming within two points of beating childhood hero Venus Williams in the quarterfinals.

Karolina Pliskova: Tall, rangy and with a fearsome serve. It is no surprise that Karolina Pliskova has already drawn plenty of comparisons with her fellow Czech Petra Kvitova. And judging by her success in 2015, she could soon be following her compatriot into the Grand Slam winner’s circle. After a couple of titles earmarked her as one to watch the previous campaign, she built on this platform thanks to more silverware, this time on home soil in Prague, and five other finals. While Pliskova was unable to make much of an impact at the majors, the aforementioned accomplishments saw her break into the Top 10 and come within a whisker of reaching the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova: It has been a year to remember for Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, who is now on the cusp of the Top 20 following titles in Katowice and Bucharest and a number of reputation-enhancing showings elsewhere. It is all a far cry from 2014, during which she endured one particularly soul-searching slump in form. However, the young Slovak was consistency personified this time around, chalking up 42 wins – four coming over members of the Top 20 – and reaching the quarterfinals or better on eight occasions. 

WTA Most Improved Player Winners

2014: Eugenie Bouchard
2013: Simona Halep
2012: Sara Errani
2011: Petra Kvitova 
2010: Francesca Schiavone 
2009: Yanina Wickmayer 
2008: Dinara Safina 
2007: Ana Ivanovic 
2006: Jelena Jankovic 
2005: Ana Ivanovic

Click here to see all the WTA Most Improved Player Winners

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a media vote with a fan vote counting as one media vote

Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Sabine Lisicki are the three fastest servers of all time on the WTA, and they’re all known for bombing double digit aces regularly in their matches. You can see for yourself in the above video – Lisicki set the record for most aces in a match this season with 27.

But someone else, a WTA Rising Star, topped the list for most aces on the WTA this year – who is it?

Here are the Top 10 most aces on the WTA in 2015:
10] Garbiñe Muguruza – 234
9] Venus Williams – 235
8] CoCo Vandeweghe – 260
7] Sabine Lisicki – 262
6] Lucie Safarova – 267
5] Kristina Mladenovic – 270
4] Samantha Stosur – 282
3] Madison Keys – 328
2] Serena Williams – 498

And most aces on the WTA in 2015 goes to… drum roll…

1] Karolina Pliskova – 517
She may not have made the Top 10 fastest servers of 2015 – she’s actually No.16 on that list, her fastest recorded serve clocking in at 119.0 miles per hour at Indian Wells – but WTA Rising Star Karolina Pliskova hits the corners and paints the lines and produces ace after ace, match after match.

Two of the players in the Top 10, Keys and Stosur, are among eight USANA Ambassadors who, this year, helped raise $25,000 as part of Aces For Humanity for the USANA True Health Foundation.

This article used insights from WTA partner SAP, a worldwide leader in enterprise software.

– The art of the interview: Great piece by Rohit Brijnath on what it’s like to interview the greats of the game, with anecdotes about Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer.

– The World According to Beezus: A candid interview with Barbora Strycova over at The Tennis Island.

“Yeah, I mean, I am emotional and I’m like this on and off the court,” she said. “This is also one thing I’m working at with my mental coach. You can show your emotions and…” – at this point, she paused shortly, then deadpanned – “I feel like people love me or hate me; there is no in-between.”

– New WTA Insider Podcast: On this week’s episode, hear from Petra Kvitova’s long-time coach David Kotyza and learn more about what makes the two-time Wimbledon champ tick.

– CooCoo for CoCo: CoCo Vandeweghe is raising money for the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Travel and Training fund. Read more it and donate here.

– Samantha Crawford sneaks out the Australian Open wildcard: The 20-year-old American came out of nowhere to win the 50K ITF in Scottsdale, Arizona to win her first pro title and secure a main draw wildcard into the Australian Open in January. On the Rise tennis blog has a great write-up of Crawford’s ability to snag these wildcards at the last possible chance.

– Irina Falconi honored in Ecuador: The American was honored in her hometown of Portoviejo, Ecuador last week. “It was truly an honor to be recognized by my birth city of Portoviejo, Ecuador, and I am extremely humbled by the warm reception of the people and authorities in this beautiful town. I felt very welcomed, and Portoviejo will always stay close to my heart.”

– Czech Dynasty: WTA Backspin recaps the Fed Cup weekend.

– Ump Chat: An interview with chair umpire Marijana Veljovic.

– Million Dollar Kiki: Kristina Mladenovic met Hilary Swank on the court.

Nice meeting @HilarySwank on tennis courts! pic.twitter.com/YjizL7n3al

— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) November 17, 2015

– Walk in Garbi’s shoes: Garbiñe Muguruza is auctioning off her Wimbledon shoes for charity.