Another WTA Tour season is close to conclusion. While Serena Williams won two more major titles to keep a strong U.S. presence in the top 10, there isn’t much evidence to suggest that women’s tennis in this country is going to flourish in a post-Williams era.
There were only five U.S. women in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour top 100 when this season began and there are seven today, but when you examine the details it’s not that encouraging.
Young Melanie Oudin has not made progress and, while Vania King is into this week’s WTA Championships with doubles titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, it’s singles we’re interested in primarily.
Player by player, here’s the rundown:
* Serena Williams: Began the season at No. 1, is now No. 2 after cutting her foot, then pulling a muscle during her training to get back on court, missed the U.S. Open, played only six tournaments in 2010 and was done early for the year. Had a 25-4 record and you could argue she’s the best player in women’s tennis, when she’s able to play. Repeat: When she’s able to play. Won two titles, at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Out in the quarters at the French.
* Venus Williams: Began the season at No. 6, now No. 5. Won two titles — at Dubai against a good but not brilliant draw, and against second and third-level competition at Acapulco. Hasn’t won an important event since the tour championships in 2008. Also hurt and finished for the season early. Was 38-7. Quarters at the Aussie Open, 4th round at the French, quarters at Wimbledon and semis at the U.S. Open. She’s in a slow but discernible slide from the elite in the game.
* Bethanie Mattek-Sands: Began the season at No. 152, is now No. 60 for a +92 improvement. Solid comeback year from hip surgery. Was 38-18 in all matches, which include qualifying and ITF tournaments. Real WTA record, though, is only 16-14. No titles. At the Slams: 2nd round at the Aussie Open and U.S. Open, 1st round at the French and Wimbledon. High marks for courage and competitiveness, but she’s not going to reach top 20. She’s a great personality, but she is not the future of American tennis.
* Oudin: Began the year at No. 53, is now No. 68, a -15 drop. No titles and a 20-23 record. When she reached the quarters at the 2009 U.S. Open, the tennis dilettantes had her skyrocketing to the top 10. She’s very quick, very athletic and very committed, but without a bigger serve, and especially a second serve, she’s just another player out there. At the Slams: 1st round at Australia and the French, 2nd round at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
* Vania King: No singles titles, but what a year in doubles. Unseeded, she and Yaroslava Shvedova, the fake Kazahkstani who was born in Russia, lives in Russia and takes money from Kazakhstan to play for that country, won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. They then got into the four-team WTA Championships when the injured Williams sisters withdrew. King has won $695,129 this year and stands to make a lot more in Doha this week, so good for her. But her singles play isn’t impressing anyone. She began the season at No. 73 and is now No. 84, a -11 drop. Record for the year is 21-23, but only 14-17 in real WTA events. At the Slams: 2nd round at the Aussie Open and U.S. Open, 1st round at the French and Wimbledon. Could her doubles success help her singles game? That’s a coin flip. She’s extremely doubtful to reach top 20.
* Varvara Lepchenko: The naturalized U.S. citizen (born in Uzbekistan) began the season at No. 114 and is now No. 88 (+26 spots). No titles and a lot of minor league play (34-11) has given her a heavy dose of playing time. But she’s only 4-10 in real WTA matches. In the Slams: 1st round at the Aussie Open, 2nd at the French and Wimbledon, didn’t play New York.
* Jill Craybas: Bless her heart, she’s still playing at 36 years old. Began the season at No. 77 and is now No. 100 (-23 spots). No titles and a 12-23 real WTA record, plus a lot of qualifying matches. The U.S. Open (1st round again) was her 44th Slam and 41st Slam in a row. When she retires, she deserves the thanks of the USTA for her support of U.S. tennis over the years.
Three young prospects, but they are still only prospects at this point.
* Coco Vandeweghe: Turns 19 on Dec. 6 and has risen 240 spots since Jan. 1, from No. 354 to No. 114. Showed at Tokyo she can compete at the WTA level, reaching the quarters before losing to Victoria Azarenka. Two ITF titles this year. Was 6-6 in WTA matches, 18-12 overall. Big Southern California kid with a family background of notable athletes. Hits a big ball, but she’s not going to break any 20-meter dash records on court.
* Christina McHale: 18 years old and moved up 103 spots this year from No. 218 to No. 115. Reached the semis at lower-level WTA event in Quebec City, where she lost to Tamira Paszek. She was 8-10 in WTA matches, 24-10 overall. OK, we’ve got a watch on her. No one is celebrating her yet.
* Alison Riske: Blossoming a little later than Vandeweghe and McHale at age 20. Up 104 spots this year from No. 222 to No. 118. Won three ITF titles and that’s important because winning at any level is a confidence builder. Played 55 matches this year, which is very good, winning 36. But only 4-4 at the WTA main draw level. Into Wimbledon and lost first round.
And what about the U.S. juniors?
* Sloane Stephens of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: At 17, she continues to make progress, reaching the semis of the U.S. Open juniors after going out in the quarters at the French and Wimbledon. Fair size physically, but very strong. Getting excellent coaching from Nick Saviano.
* Lauren Davis of Cleveland: She’s also 17 and has won a couple of entry-level pro events, so there’s talent there. Unfortunately, drew the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Open juniors, losing to eventual winner Daria Gavrilova of Russia, who also beat Stephens.
One final note. It’s very unfortunate that the No. 1 doubles player on the WTA Tour, Liezel Huber of the U.S., is unable to play the WTA Championships this week. If she and Cara Black hadn’t had a falling out and split after the Australian Open, they’d both be in Doha working for big money. Huber went through a succession of partners after she and Black cut their ties, but, though Huber is No. 1 in the individual doubles rankings, she and Nadia Petrova, her best partner, finished 11th in the race to the Championships.
Conclusion? The U.S. still has the Williams sisters in the top 10, but with every injury one wonders how much longer they will play. And if they retire, there is nothing on the horizon at this point that would indicate the U.S. has another top-20 in the making.