Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur will be
#1
and
#2
on Monday.
Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud will be
#1
and
#2
on Monday.
Those are the two Finals at the US Open.
WTA Players with Multiple Year End
#1
's:
Chris Evert
Martina Navratilova
Steffi Graf
Monica Seles
Martina Hingis
Lindsay Davenport
Justine Henin
Serena Williams
Caroline Wozniacki
Ash Barty
IGA SWIATEK
An elite list.
Iga Swiatek's First Run at
#1
• 75 Weeks
• 97-16 Record
• 9 Titles
• 3 Grand Slams (2 RG + 1 USO)
• 1 WTA 1000 (Rome)
Longest Run at
#1
after Debut:
Graf: 186 Weeks
Hingis: 80 Weeks
Swiatek: 75 Weeks
The 3 big clay titles on the WTA side have been split by the 3 best players in 2023, which sets up a very intriguing Roland Garros.
Rome: Elena Rybakina
Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka
Stuttgart: Iga Swiatek
Chris Eubanks not getting a WC for Atlanta is so wild given that it's his home tournament, is set as the first alternate though so just needs 1 withdraw.
This Year's WTA 1000 Champs:
Dubai: Barbora Krejcikova
Indian Wells: Elena Rybakina
Miami: Petra Kvitova
Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka
Rome: Elena Rybakina
Montreal: Jessica Pegula
Cincinnati: Coco Gauff
Guadalajara: Maria Sakkari
Beijing: Iga Swiatek
Federer and Serena are retired.
Rafa and Novak didn't play.
Indian Wells still got almost 442K fans, which was near the record. Tennis will be just fine without the GOATs.
Today in Melbourne:
Swiatek overcomes 1-4* in 3rd
Collins announces she will retire later in the season
Burel beats Pegula
22-20 match tiebreak between Rybakina and Blinkova
SEVEN 5 setters on the men's side
Rune unexpectedly loses
Medvedev comes from 2 sets down at 4am
It's taken time, but the WTA finally has a consistent 4 players that will be going at it at for most, if not all the big titles.
Rybakina: AO Finalist + WIM/IW Champ
Sabalenka: AO Champ + IW Finalist
Swiatek: World
#1
+ Dominated 2022
Krejcikova: Dubai Champ + 2021 RG Champ
That win secures
#1
after Canada for Iga, on Monday she will have the most Weeks for active players:
🇵🇱 Swiatek 72 Weeks
🇩🇰 Wozniacki 71 Weeks
🇷🇴 Halep 64 Weeks
🇧🇾 Azarenka 51 Weeks
🇩🇪 Kerber 34 Weeks
🇯🇵 Osaka 25 Weeks
🇺🇲 Venus 11 Weeks
🇨🇿 Pliskova 8 Weeks
🇪🇸 Muguruza 4 Weeks
Let's be honest, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner have far and away been the Top 4 players this season.
No better way to end the tennis season than them facing off in Semis and Final.
I really don't understand the outrage over Venus Williams getting a Wild Card for the Australian Open. The tournament director wants to bring the crowds, and Venus will.
Not to mention she's a legend and a 2 time former Finalist. Said the same thing with Andy Murray last year.
WTA Race after Clay Season:
1. Sabalenka 5620
2. 🇵🇱 Swiatek 5145
3. 🇰🇿 Rybakina 4406
4. 🇺🇲 Pegula 2445
5. 🇨🇿 Muchova 2140
6. 🇺🇲 Gauff 1865
7. 🇨🇭 Bencic 1800
8. 🇨🇿 Krejcikova 1741
It's clear who the 3 best players of the year have been so far.
Iga Swiatek, Belinda Bencic, Elina Svitolina, and Victoria Azarenka, take a bow.
The tennis we just witnessed for the last 3 hours was out of this world from all 4 players.
WTA Players to reach 100 Weeks at
#1
• Steffi Graf
• Martina Navratilova
• Serena Williams
• Chris Evert
• Martina Hingis
• Monica Seles
• Ash Barty
• Justine Henin
• IGA SWIATEK
Talk about an elite list to be apart of at just 22 years of age for Iga.
📸 Jimmie48/WTA
Anett Kontaveit's career is unfortunately cut short at Age 27 due to a chronic back injury, but still a fantastic career.
• Former World
#2
• 17 Finals
• 6 Titles
• 21 Top 10 Wins
Mentioned earlier in the week that if Danielle Collins won Miami, she'd be in a good spot for the Olympics, she has now done that
Only 4 per country can go so this will be interesting.
The 1000s are the biggest events the ATP has so they rightfully promote it as such. These are their majors, which is probably why they are extending some of them to make it feel that way.
Meanwhile, at the same event, WTA posted a 5 minute highlight as if it was any other event
TennisTV milking every possible second from the best their product can offer.
Almost 80 (!) minutes of videos uploaded in less than 24 hours.
Highlights, press conferences, trophy ceremony, new angles... everything. That's how you do it.
Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros:
• 28-2 Record
• 25 Straight Set Wins
• 3 Titles in 4 Years
• First WTA Player to defend Slam since Serena in 2016
• First WTA Player to defend RG since Henin in 2007
Coco Gauff will get much needed rest. Ends 2022 on a 5 match losing streak but that doesn't take away her incredible year at just 18.
• Roland Garros Runner Up
• 38-22 Record
• Top 10 Debut
•
#1
in Doubles after Toronto
Still can't get over Swiatek's performance timeline, at just 22 it's so ridiculous what she's already accomplished.
QF in every big event she's played, most of those being at least SFs, with 4 major and 5 1000 titles.
Aryna Sabalenka has without question been the best player on the WTA this year, and gets another big title here.
• Australian Open Champ
• Madrid Champ
• 29-4 Record
• Stuttgart and Indian Wells Final
• Adelaide 500 Champ
It has been 1 full year since Iga Swiatek has taken over as World
#1
• 57-10 Record as
#1
• 2 Grand Slams
• 1 WTA 1000
• 6 Overall Titles
Longest Run at
#1
after Debut:
Graf: 186 Weeks
Hingis: 80 Weeks
Serena: 57 Weeks
Swiatek: 52 Weeks
Iga Swiatek continues to win at an absurd rate.
• 2nd Indian Wells Title in 3 Years
• 13-2 in Big Finals
• 19-4 in WTA Finals
• 20-2 in 2024
• 146-19 Record Since 2022 Doha
• 8th 1000 Title
• 2nd 1000 Title of 2024
• Drops 21 Games in 6 Matches, 0 Sets
Garbine Muguruza had an outstanding career on the WTA Tour and can now enjoy retirement.
• 449-238 Career Record
• 2 Grand Slam Titles
• Beat Serena & Venus in GS Finals
• 4 Weeks as World
#1
• 10 WTA Titles
• 3 WTA 1000 Titles
• 2021 YEC Title
Just a few weeks after breaking down in her press conference after another early loss at a major this year, Maria Sakkari produces the best week of her career
• 2nd WTA Title
• First WTA 1000 Title
• First Title since 2019 Rabat
• 9th in Race
I don't think there is a better ticket in tennis than getting Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz in the same session.
The pure athleticism you get when watching those two in person is unmatched, and those two are expected to be the face of the sport the next decade.
AO Day 5:
Laver:
12pm
🇵🇱 Swiatek vs 🇺🇲 Collins
🇪🇸 Alcaraz vs 🇮🇹 Sonego
7pm
🇰🇿 Rybakina vs Blinkova
Medvedev vs 🇫🇮 Ruusuvuori
MCA:
🇳🇴 Ruud vs 🇦🇺 Purcell
🇺🇲 Pegula vs 🇫🇷 Burel
7pm
🇩🇰 Rune vs 🇫🇷 Cazaux
Azarenka vs 🇩🇰 Tauson
1/3
I've been saying this for years.
What the Big 3 and Serena did is NOT normal, to expect anybody to match that is quite unfair to them. I get it's meant as a compliment, but it puts unnecessary expectations on.
Darren Cahill said in his press conference today at the
#MiamiOpen
that we shouldn’t be comparing this young generation of Carlos, Jannik, or Holger to the big 3 and that we should give them proper time to establish themselves.
Please give me Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, and Jannik Sinner facing each other for the next 10-15 years. They don't play a boring match against each other.
Coco Gauff gets a breakthrough in Washington.
• First WTA 500 Title
• First Title in the US
• Forehand Looking Better With Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba
• Beat Samsonova, Bencic, and Sakkari
• Did Not Drop Any Sets
Iga is an absurd 132-3 record when winning the 1st set since 2022 Doha when her win streak began, 33-0 on this surface. Overall record in that time period is an absurd 151-20.
All per Tennis Abstract
Danielle Collins tops off the best 3 weeks of her life with 2 trophies.
• Miami & Charleston Titles
• Goes From 2 WTA Titles to 4
• Career Long 13 Match Win Streak, Dropping 2 Sets
• Goes from 53rd to 15th in Rankings
• 521 Points Ahead of Keys for Olympic Spot
📸 AP
The Summer of Coco Gauff has been topped off in New York.
• 18-1 Since Washington
• First Grand Slam Title
• Career High of
#3
• Washington and Cincy Titles
• First Win vs Iga Swiatek in Cincy
• 5-1 vs Top 10, 8-1 vs Top 20
Interesting to hear Darren Cahill say on ESPN that the USO courts are playing slower than previous years, but not slow in general.
They have been very fast the last few years, so maybe a medium court is what it sounds like.
As far as Sabalenka is concerned, to go from having to underarm serve because she couldn't get an overarm serve in play in Adelaide to winning 33 matches and making the WTA Finals Final is incredible.
Phenomenal turnaround from her, was not easy.
No WTA Doubles trophy ceremony is a much bigger deal than the cake situation that took off the other day, hopefully trends in the same way.
"Wasn't given the chance to speak after the final today" is not something I have ever seen
Wasn’t given the chance to speak after the final today:( But thank you to the fans for supporting us and women’s tennis this week! Thanks
@JLPegula
for always keeping it fun on the court and hitting unreal clutch shots hahahaha Lastly, big congratulations Vika and Bia 🎉💗
Math in New York will not be complicated for World
#1
Whoever finishes better between Sabalenka and Swiatek is
#1
. If it's the same round, Sabalenka will get it.
WTA 1000 CINCY SF: Karolina Muchova wins 6⁴-7⁷, 6-3, 6-2 against Aryna Sabalenka and will debut in the Top 10
Muchova just let Sabalenka make the errors.
Coco Gauff had the breakthrough of her life on the North American Hardcourts this summer.
• 51-15 Record
• US Open Champion (1st GS Title)
• Cincy Champion (1st WTA 1000 Title)
• Titles in Washington and Auckland
• 24-4 Record Post-Wimbledon
Despite being tested more than in previous years, Iga Swiatek does it in Doha once again.
• 3rd Consecutive Doha Title
• Hasn't Dropped a Set in Doha Since 2022 1st Round
• 7th WTA 1000 Title
• 11th Big Title
• 18th WTA Title
United Cup was a perfect event for Kerber to come back at.
Was guaranteed at least 2 matches and has gotten 4 so far. If she had entered a regular tournament, may have only gotten 1.
In that match:
• Moutet gets coffee from crowd
• Moutet asked a fan to be removed and called supervisor after being told to "shut up"
• A let because Moutet got sprayed mid point
• Moutet's racket goes flying after serve
• Moutet hits netcord winner down MP
• 3 HR 59M
Jim Courier on Tennis Channel mentioned this earlier, but it's so true.
Holger Rune should not be struggling physically in every match he plays that goes over 2 hours, especially indoors. Needs to be fixed in the short offseason, which will be a challenge.
Much better quality than the US Open Final from both.
Coco played aggressive and it paid off at times, Sabalenka just too good. Sabalenka got 75% of her 1st serves in.
To clarify the timeline here on what has been a truly bizarre year for Halep on many fronts:
Halep announced she was ending her season and undergoing nose surgery back on September 15.
Halep was informed by the ITIA of her positive test well after that, on October 7.
Iga Swiatek may not have been as dominant in 2023, but it was a more consistent season start to finish.
• 68-11 Record
• 4th Grand Slam Title (3rd at RG)
• 6 Titles
• First WTA Finals Title
• 6th WTA 1000 Title in Beijing
Pickleball has made me a much better athlete than Tennis ever did. Faster reaction time and speed are needed since the ball is only coming from 10 feet away. Point for point, pickleball requires more skill than tennis.
WTA Players to win Sunshine Double:
Iga Swiatek - 2022
Victoria Azarenka - 2016
Kim Clijsters - 2005
Steffi Graf - 1994 and 1996
Elena Rybakina will not join this historic list after falling to Kvitova, but still a spectacular month to get this close.
US Open Women's Predictions:
QF:
Swiatek def Gauff
Muchova def Azarenka
Pegula def Azarenka
Sabalenka def Jabeur
SF:
Swiatek def Muchova
Sabalenka def Pegula
F:
Swiatek def Sabalenka
Definitely wouldn't be surprised if this was totally off, but Iga seems like the safe pick.
Since Barty retired, the last 4 slams have gone to:
2022 RG: Swiatek
2022 WIM: Rybakina
2022 USO: Swiatek
2023 AO: Sabalenka
Those seem to be the 3 best players in the world at the moment, if they can consistently get to the end of slams and face off that would be so good.
Well that's a new one.
Dan Evans noticed someone in his box that wasn't supposed to be there and had him move back to the seat he was supposed to be in😂
8/8 - Aryna Sabalenka is one of the two players in the Open Era to have won her first eight Women’s Singles quarter-finals in Grand Slam events, along with Chris Evert (who won her first 48 such matches). Bullseye.
#AUSOPEN
|
@AustralianOpen
@WTA
@WTA_insider
So to summarize Miami:
• Worst draw ceremony stream of all time
• Playing in a giant football stadium that doesn't have any chance of filling.
• Doesn't have a roof and has had constant rain delays the last 2 days.
WTA 250 WARSAW FINAL: Iga Swiatek gets the win 6-0, 6-1 against Siegemund and she wins her home tournament
It's her 15th career title in 19 career Finals, and her 4th title of 2023.
The loss to Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon was the wake up call Coco Gauff needed. It's been the summer of Coco since.
• New Coaching Team (Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba)
• Washington Champion
• Montreal QF, lost to eventual champion Jessica Pegula
• Cincy Champ
• US Open Final