WTA Awards announced: Ashleigh Barty, Emma Raducanu win
The winners of this year's WTA awards have been announced following voting from members of the international media. There were no surprises in particular as the players who won, were tipped to be the favorites in their respective categories.
So let's take a look at the winner of this year's WTA awards.
WTA Player of the Year: Ashleigh Barty
Barty won the WTA Player of the Year award for the second time following an impressive year that saw her finish as World No. 1 despite missing out on all tournaments following the US Open.
The Australian won the Wimbledon Championships and the Miami Open, among other titles, and was a deserving winner. Following an impressive 2021, Barty will be eager to maintain her good run of form next year.
WTA Newcomer of the Year: Emma Raducanu
There was absolutely no doubt as to who would win this award. The Brit was a revelation over the past few months and saw her ranking go up from 343 to 19.
Raducanu made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon and reached the fourth round of the competition where she was forced to retire against Ajla Tomljanovic.
The 19-year-old was at her absolute best at the US Open, where she made history by becoming the first qualifier to win a Major. Not to forget, she did so without dropping a single set.
WTA Most Improved Player: Barbora Krejcikova
No female player had a better year in singles as well as doubles than the 26-year-old Czech. Krejcikova was already an established doubles player but this year, she also excelled in singles.
Starting the year ranked 65th, she won the singles and doubles titles at Roland Garros, becoming the first player from her nation to win the former since Hana Mandlikova in 1980.
Krejcikova also reached the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships and finished the year ranked fifth.
WTA Comeback Player of the Year Award: Carla Suarez Navarro
The Spaniard had no notable achievement to speak of this year but returning to the tour after beating cancer is no mean feat. Suarez Navarro has always been one of the most respected players on the tour and there is no doubt that her absence on the court will be felt.
The 33-year-old had her swansong at the Bille Jean King Cup Finals.
WTA Doubles Team of the Year: Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova
The Czech duo richly deserved this award. Krejcikova and Siniakova won the French Open and reached the final of the Australian Open. They represented Czech Republic at the Olympics and won the gold medal, defeating the Swiss duo of Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic in the final.
Krejcikova and Siniakova finished 2021 by winning the WTA Finals.
The pair of Elise Mertens and Hsieh Su-wei came closest to them but were not enough to challenge for this award.