5 players who have made brilliant comebacks this year
The curtains are gradually coming down on the 2016 Tennis season as only a few of the top tier tournaments are remaining. This year was a very eventful year as it witnessed a number of great and historical moments including Novak Djokovic finishing a career Slam and Serena Williams equalling Steffi Graf's record for the longest run at the top of the WTA rankings before breaking Roger Federer's record for the most number of weeks at World No.1.
This year also had a new World No.1 in Women's tennis in Angelique Kerber. A number of players emerged, rose and fell throughout the season. However, there were also a number of players who made amazing and unexpected comebacks this season.
Here's a list of five players who've had brilliant comebacks this season.
#5 Elena Vesnina
The 30-year old Russian has made quite a name for herself in the doubles circuit where she has won three Grand Slams (two in Women's doubles and one in Mixed Doubles) and has made at least the semifinals of all four majors.
However, she wasn't able to have the same kind of performances in singles tournaments as her best performance in Grand Slams prior to 2016 was fourth round appearances at the Australian Open in 2006 and 2013.
Vesnina had a poor start to the year where she lost in the first round of the Brisbane International and the first qualifying round of the Australian Open. As a result, she was ranked as low as 122nd in the world.
Her first signs of resurgence in the singles arena were shown at the Qatar Open where she stunned then World No.2 Simona Halep and reached the quarter-finals where her run was halted by eventual winner Carla Suarez Navarro. She soon reached her first singles final of the year at the Volvo Car Open where she also was the first qualifier to reach the final where she lost to Sloane Stephens.
However, Vesnina's best singles moment of her career came at the Wimbledon where she reached the semi-finals before being blown away by eventual champion Serena Williams in what was the quickest semi-final in Wimbledon history, lasting only 48 minutes. As a result, her rankings rose to a career-best 19th.
Prior to the US Open, Vesnina made it to the quarter-finals of the Connecticut Open where she was soundly beaten by eventual runner-up Elina Svitolina. She reached the third round of the US Open, where she was beaten by 11th seed Carla Suarez Navarro.
Currently, Vesnina is ranked 19th in the world in singles and given the fact that at one point of the year, Vesnina was ranked outside the top 100, there's no denying that the Russian has made a remarkable resurgence in the singles circuit.