WTA Breakthrough Of The Month: Peng
Peng Shuai was a few months removed from a US Open semifinal appearance when a back injury took her out of the game for almost a year.
“For me, two years ago, I was at a peak level,” Peng said at the China Open. “I could choose whether I would like to play or not. Actually, my friends and family did not agree with my surgery, because it’s too risky. Now I’m near 30 years old.”
The former Chinese No.1 agreed to have surgery, and was determined to get back to playing her best tennis.
“After the surgery, no one could guarantee I could come back to the court. What if I have more injuries if I come back to the court? I’d like to thank them for their support and care. I was a little bit stubborn to have the surgery. My friends and family supported me to undergo this surgery. It was quite a challenge for me.”
Peng began showing flashes of brilliance at home, upsetting former World No.1 Venus Williams in Beijing before finally adding a WTA title to her illustrious resume, winning the Tianjin Open.
Just shy of the Top 100 heading into 2017 (from a low of No.768), Peng is your Breakthrough Player of the Month!
Final Results for October’s WTA Breakthrough Performance Of The Month
1. Peng Shuai (70%)
2. Johanna Konta (23%)
3. Daria Gavrilova (8%)
2016 Breakthrough Performance Of The Month Winners
January: Zhang Shuai
February: Jelena Ostapenko
March: Nicole Gibbs
April: Cagla Buyukakcay
May: Kiki Bertens
June: Elena Vesnina
July: Kristina Kucova
August: Karolina Pliskova
September: Naomi Osaka
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com