By Blair Henley
WTA Winners and Losers 2010
Winners
Vera Zvonareva
Current Rank: 2
Record: 49-18
2010 Titles: Pattaya City
Though the 26-year-old Russian has finished in the Top Ten for the past two years, not many would have guessed that she would finish her 2010 season at No. 2 in the world. Throughout her career Zvonareva has been notorious for her on-court psychological meltdowns, but with a new coach and a renewed outlook, she was able to reach the finals of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Now that she knows what she’s capable of, perhaps we’ll see a more confident Zvonareva in future Grand Slam finals.
Fun Fact: Though Kim Clijsters dominated Zvonareva in this year’s U.S. Open final, the Russian beat Clijsters each of the three other times they played this year.
Kim Clijsters
Current Rank: 3
Record: 40-7
2010 Titles: Brisbane, Miami, Cincinnati, U.S. Open, Tour Championships
No surprise here. Clijsters seems to come up big when it counts – similar, in some ways, to Serena Williams. Clijsters may not be starting her own clothing and handbag lines (and selling them on HSN) in her downtime, but like Williams, she’s found a way to balance her tennis career and her personal life. Time with her two-year-old daughter no doubt provides a respite from the daily grind of the tennis circuit.
Fun Fact: When Kim reached the No. 1 ranking in 2003, she was the first to do it without winning a Grand Slam singles title. She is one in only six people who have held the No. 1 doubles and singles ranking simultaneously.
Sam Stosur
Current Rank: 6
Record: 46-20
2010 Titles: Charleston
It’s rare for a player on the women’s tour to make a surge up the rankings during the latter half of her career. Up until last year, 26-year-old Stosur was known more for her superb doubles play than her singles dominance (she’s a former doubles No. 1). Now she’s one of the most formidable players on tour, and though she lost in the final at Roland Garros to Francesca Schiavone, she has wins over Serena Williams, Jelena Jankovic, Justine Henin and Caroline Wozniacki. Look for her to make a big Grand Slam impact in 2011. In the meantime, she should really spend some more time at the gym…kidding, kidding.
Fun Fact: Stosur’s future was in doubt after a serious bout of Lyme Disease in 2007. Clearly she rebounded well!
Francesca Schiavone
Current Rank: 7
Record: 40-22
2010 Titles: Barcelona, French Open
This clay-kissing, tweener-hitting, funny quote-giving Italian has been a breath of fresh air on the women’s tour this year. At almost 30 years old, Schiavone became the second oldest first time Grand Slam champion when she won the French Open in May, and she made another unlikely run to the quarters at the U.S. Open. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I hope she sticks around for another ten years.
Just for fun, here are some of her most quotable quotes:
“I attract them because I’m beautiful. No, you have to ask to them why they come to watch me, but I’m really happy. And today when I see the stadium not full but with many people, I was really, really happy.” — On why people are attracted to her game.
“Cartoons [smiles]. Like Shrek, Tarzan, Disney a lot.” — When asked about her favorite movies.
“You are young. You will win this one day.” — 29-year-old Schiavone to 26-year-old Stosur after beating her in the French Open final.
Caroline Wozniacki
Current Rank: 1
Record: 63-16
2010 Titles: Ponte Vedra, Copenhagen, Montreal, New Haven, Tokyo, Beijing
This year Caroline Wozniacki became the 20th player to reach the elusive No. 1 ranking. It’s been well documented that she has yet to win a Grand Slam, but remember, the same was true of Kim Clijsters when she first reached No. 1 in 2003. Wozniacki has the attitude and confidence needed to do damage in years to come, and at 20 years old, she has a long career ahead of her.
Fun Fact: Wozniacki has some pretty decent athletic genes – her mother played on the Polish women’s national volleyball team, her father played pro football, and her brother is currently a pro footballer in Denmark.
Ana Ivanovic
Current Rank: 17
Record: 33-20
2010 Titles: Linz, Bali
There’s no doubt 2009 was a tough year for Ana Ivanovic, but 2010 started off looking even worse. By July, the 2008 French Open champion and former world No. 1 had slipped to No. 65 in the rankings. But, armed with her trademark positivity, Ivanovic began to regain her confidence, one win at a time. During the last few months of the season, she beat Elena Dementieva, Marion Bartoli and Victoria Azarenka in addition to winning her first title in two years at Linz. She backed that up with a tournament win at Bali that propelled her back into the Top 20.
Fun Fact: Interestingly, after having her best results in recent memory, Ivanovic recently announced her split with Steffi Graf’s former coach, Heinz Gunthardt.
Kimiko Date-Krumm
Current Rank: 46
Record: 27-20
2010 Titles: None
She may not have any 2010 titles and she may not be ranked within the Top 20, but Kimiko Date-Krumm has defied the odds. In 2008 at the age of 38 she made a return to professional tennis after a mere 12 years in retirement. She made quite a splash in May of this year when she shockingly defeated defending champion Dinara Safina 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the French Open. Speaking of three-setters, 24 of the 47 matches Date-Krumm has played this season were three set marathons, including her recent win over Sam Stosur in a third set tiebreak…not bad for a 40-year-old. Here’s to a few more good years on tour for Kimiko!
Fun Fact: Date-Krumm spent three years (’94-’96) ranked inside the top ten.
Kaia Kanepi
Current Rank: 22
Record: 50-19
2010 Titles: Palermo
In 2010 Kaia Kanepi won two ITF titles as well as her first WTA Tour title. The hard-hitting Estonian reached the quarters of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and saw her ranking jump from No. 61 to No. 22 as a result. This year she’s had notable wins over Sam Stosur, Jelena Jankovic, Flavia Pennetta, Shahar Peer. Though she’s not yet a big name in women’s tennis, she has the potential to be a breakout star in 2011.
Fun Fact: Kanepi is the first Estonian woman to win a WTA singles title.
Losers
Jelena Jankovic
Current Rank: 8
Record: 38-23
2010 Titles: Indian Wells
After becoming one on a growing list of No. 1’s never to have won a Grand Slam (in 2008), I expected big things from Jelena Jankovic. I was optimistic this year after she won the prestigious BNP Paribas at Indian Wells, reached the final in Rome (by beating Serena and Venus in succession) and made it to the semis at Roland Garros. But during the second half of the season, she seemed to fizzle out completely. She totaled 29 wins up until that crushing loss to Sam Stosur at the French Open in June, but won only nine matches after that. Though she struggled with an illness at season’s end, it still seems Jelena is capable of more.
Fun Fact: Jankovic has more losses and less wins than any other player in the Top 10 (other than Serena Williams who has fewer wins due to only playing half the season).
Maria Sharapova
Current Rank: 18
Record: 33-11
2010 Titles: Memphis, Strasbourg
Finally Maria Sharapova had an (almost) injury free year. Aside from a bruised elbow in the spring, it looked like she was ready to move back into the Top 10. Instead, she’s finishing the year four ranking spots below where she ended up last season. On a positive note, she did improve the consistency of her serve without causing problems to her oft-injured shoulder. Let’s hope her recent engagement to L.A. Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic doesn’t detract from her tennis focus in 2011.
Fun Fact: Sharapova was the most searched for athlete on Yahoo! in both 2005 and 2008.
Elena Dementieva
Current Rank: 9
Record: 41-18
2010 Titles: Sydney, Paris
Poor Elena. After announcing her retirement last week at the age of 29, she may go down as one of the best female players never to win a Grand Slam title– talk about a tough legacy to bear. I imagine it’s not easy to feel like you have to validate yourself even after you’ve finished in the Top 10 every year since 2003 (save 2007 where she came in at No. 11). Perhaps we are the real losers here; I know I’ll miss her classy attitude and brilliant play. But if there’s one thing we’ve all learned, it’s that retirement is a relative term. We could easily see her back relaxed and refreshed in 2012.
Fun Fact: She may not have won a major, but Dementieva has a decent consolation prize: a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Current Rank: 27
Record: 26-17
2010 Titles: San Diego
Over the course of this year, Svetlana Kuznetsova’s ranking dropped from No. 3 to No. 27 after an inexplicable midyear slump and a season cut short by illness. She reached the fourth round of both the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, but looked uncomfortable even in matches she was winning easily. When the 25-year-old Russian pulled out of Moscow, effectively ending her season, her frustration was evident. “My health issues won’t allow me to play in my home country tournament in Moscow!” she said on her Twitter account. “I have to end this difficult season now and recover.” If Kuznetsova can use her few months away to renew her health, outlook and perhaps improve her fitness, there’s no limit to what she can do in 2011.
Fun Fact: Svetlana has cycling in her blood. Her father has coached five Olympic and world cycling champions including her mother and brother (who won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics).
Dinara Safina
Current Rank: 62
Record: 13-16
2010 Titles: None
It’s hard to believe that only one year ago, Dinara Safina was wrapping up the season as the No. 2 player in the world. Since then we’ve watched her self-destruct before our eyes. The magnitude of her meltdown was put on painful display against Kimiko Date-Krumm at Roland Garros. After three grueling sets, Safina (the defending champion) was sent packing by a 39-year-old with a nagging calf injury – it was difficult to watch. Unfortunately, a recurring back injury has limited Safina’s chances at a comeback, but I would love to see her prove all of her doubters wrong in years to come.
Fun Fact: The name Safina is actually pronounced SA-fi-nah, not sa-FEE-nah as so many tennis commentators and fans like to say.
Serena Williams
Current Rank: 4
Record: 25-4
2010 Title: Australian Open, Wimbledon
Serena Williams has an incredible knack for winning matches when the stakes are highest and for that, I applaud her. The fact that she’s spent her downtime selling her wares on the Home Shopping Network or getting certified as a nail technician may raise some eyebrows, but her life outside of tennis has undoubtedly helped her stay balanced. What I don’t quite understand is her failure to clear things up concerning the foot injury she sustained in a German bar after Wimbledon. With conspiracy theories swirling (many say she got a nose job, not a toe repair), why not put the rumors to rest? Her “it’s-none-of-your-business” attitude is off-putting…even if it really isn’t any of our business.
Fun Fact: In 2009, Venus and Serena became the first African American females to obtain ownership of an NFL team when they became part owners of the Miami Dolphins.
Melanie Oudin
Current Rank: 65
Record: 21-23
2010 Titles: None
After her fairytale run to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open last year, Melanie Oudin – then 17 – was pegged with the expectations of a nation. A sophomore slump was almost inevitable, but I worry that her struggles this year have been less a reaction to her newfound pressure and more a result of her lack of firepower. Her performance next year should indicate her long-term trajectory, but she got a nice head start last weekend by defeating No. 7 Francesca Schiavone in the Fed Cup final.
Fun Fact: Melanie is the fourth-highest ranked American tennis player behind Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.