WTA Season 2016 : The narrative remains the same but someone different speaks this time!
The narrative of women’s tennis has, most often than not, centred around unpredictability.
Serena Williams, arguably the best player of all time, was ensconced at the helm for 186 weeks.
From winning her first ever Grand Slam in 1999 to making stunning comebacks every time she was written off, Williams seized every opportunity on her way to stamp her authority. Although Williams embodies almost every quality that a Champion athlete possibly can, she has had to make way for a host of other players to script the narrative of the Women’s game.
This year has ushered in change from the very first Grand Slam in January at the Slam Down Under. Change is often messy but is interesting when it unravels. While Maria Sharapova’s controversy represents the messy side, Angelique Kerber & Co. represent the interesting side of change in Women’s tennis.
The conspicuous absence of Serena Williams in the WTA Finals at Singapore saw the rest of the field bloom.
The showpiece event that marks the end of season for Women’s Tennis had eight players each of whom lent a distinct characteristic to the narrative. The spectrum covered resurgence, explosiveness, grit, poise, power, finesse, consistency and dominance.
Tracing the players’ journey to the Year Ending Finale is as exciting as the dynamics that played out at Singapore over the last week and their evolving games.
Svetlana Kuznetsova, at 31, showed that it’s never too late to improve and navigate uncharted territories.
The Russian, who won the US Open in 2004 and the French Open in 2009, has had quite a spotty career history. However, she started 2016 with a win at Sydney, reached the Final at Miami and earned a spot in the WTA Finals by successfully defending her title at Kremlin.
Resurgent in every sense of the word, the Muscovite not only broke into the Top 10 but also reached the Semi Final of the Year Ending Championships for the very first time in her career.