2010 WTA Preview
2009 was a year filled with anger, drama, disappointment, and resurgence for the players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Players at the top of the rankings plummeted while others came out of nowhere to shine.
2010 promises to have even more of the same. While 3 players currently ranked in the top-10 have won Grand Slam events, another 4 outside the top-10 have won them.
Serena Williams dominated the year, averaging over 500 points for each tournament entered. She gets better with each round, and was clearly the best player on the tour. Her older sister, Venus, ranked 6th, shows signs of slipping. Still a great player, however, it was only at Wimbledon that she truly dominated – until she met Serena in the final. Venus can still win some Slams, but her window may be closing.
Dinara Safina held the number 1 spot for most of the year, but her failure to win the big events allowed Serena to pass her. If she can get that monkey off her back, the sky’s the limit.
Jelena Jankovic dropped from number 1 all the way to 8 in 2009. She appeared to lose some of the edge that took her to the top. If she can regain focus, she has the skills to get back on top.
Russian Elena Dementieva started strong in 2009 but failed to go as far as the finals in any major. She made it to the semis at the Australian Open and was within a point against Serena in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Dementieva has some of the best groundstrokes in the game and her improved serve makes her dangerous at any tournament.
Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka each made strong showings in 2009 and can be expected to challenge for titles in 2010. Both have gone deep into the draw at Grand Slam events and can only be expect to improve.
US Open Champion Kim Clijsters came out of retirement to win a major in only her 3rd event. She will certainly move up the ranks in 2010. Her fellow retiree, Justine Henin will attempt to comeback and regain the number 1 ranking she abandoned 2 years ago. Both of these former champions have the skills to challenge anyone, anytime.
Another former number 1, Maria Sharapova, will continue her climb back after shoulder surgery. If she can regain her powerful serve, she will be right back in the mix.
Young American, Melanie Oudin, came out of nowhere and made it all the way to the semifinal round at the US Open. Her competitive spirit took over when her skills were not enough. If she can keep that fire burning, while improving and gaining experience, she will have a banner year.
The WTA is wide open, each week someone new could challenge for the title. 2010 is sure to be a banner year for excitement in women’s tennis.
