5 forgotten stars who have returned to the limelight in the Champions Tennis League
In their heyday they were stars, either ruling the roost in their respective disciplines or touted for great things because of their undeniable talent. Putting in stellar performance after stellar performance, these players were known for their strong shot-making and incredible talent, with the potential to become all-time greats.However, they failed to keep up their performance level, and with the sheer glut of tennis stars who have emerged in the last 15 years, these players were forgotten in the shadow of the Slam champions and World No. 1s.The Champions Tennis League, however, has given a whole lot of players a chance to return to the limelight and put their obvious prowess to the test once again. Here are five super-talented players who have been 'rediscovered’, so to speak, in the CTL.
#5 Alize Cornet
Although Cornet has never broken into the top 10 in the WTA rankings, she has come close, reaching No. 11 in 2009. Her 2015 season has not gone the way she would have liked, however, as the talented Frenchwoman, who ended 2014 in 20th, has dropped to No. 43 with a series of very early losses on the WTA circuit this year.
She has not progressed beyond the quarterfinals of any tournament at all in 2015, reaching only two of those and losing each one in straight sets – abysmally – 6-1, 6-1 against Venus Williams in Hong Kong, and 6-2, 6-0 against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in Poland.
Cornet is undoubtedly very talented; she’s repeatedly slain the true giant of tennis, Serena Williams, taking her third straight win over the World No. 1 last year and earning the nickname ‘Serena Slayer’. But this year has been a different story, and she is no longer in the conversation of title contenders.
Playing for the Raipur Rangers in this year’s Champions Tennis League, Cornet has rediscovered some of her best form, twice defeating the reigning US Open champion Flavia Pennetta. The Frenchwoman is still all of 25 years old, and she could well turn her career around if she continues putting in strong performances next year.