2015 WTA Preview

Niall Clarke’s 2015 WTA Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

WTA is notoriously hard to predict. With so many twists and turns, it’s almost impossible to get predictions completely right. However I am going to have a go, so here are my 2015 WTA predictions.

Year end top 10

10: Angelique Kerber

The German has been in and around the top ten for the past few years and I expect 2015 will be no different. Kerber will be fighting with many others for that last spot at the season ending championships, but a lack of big results will be her downfall. Another top 10 finish could very well happen though, and I believe that it will. Kerber will finish tenth for the second straight year.

9: Victoria Azarenka

Vika had her struggles last season. Injuries meant she missed the chance to defend her Australian Open crown, and thus she slipped down the rankings. Upon her return, the former world number 1 struggled to get back to form and finished 31 in the rankings. With a good off season I can see Azarenka re-entering the top 10 in 2015, but she’ll just fall short of the tour championships.

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8: Agnieszka Radwanska

Aga has been one of the most solid performers on the WTA tour in recent years. The Pole has finished in the top 10 for the past four years. It’s beginning to look like now or never for Radwanska, as she seeks the so far elusive Grand Slam title. Unfortunately, I don’t see her making that step up in 2015. Another solid year will see her finish just inside the top 8.

7: Ana Ivanovic

Ivanovic is another former world number one who had somewhat of a resurgence in 2014. However, I don’t see the Serb being quite as successful in 2015. The 2008 Roland Garros champion will be solid, but unspectacular in 2015, which sees her finish inside the top 8 for the second straight season.

6: Garbine Muguruza

Muguruza is one of the WTA’s fastest rising stars, and I think 2015 will be her breakthrough. Garbine had a solid 2014, and finished just inside the top 20. The Spaniard has the potential to be a grand slam champion, but will have to be more consistent to do so. Garbine’s time won’t come in 2015, but she’ll produce some big results that see her make the tour finals.

5: Petra Kvitova

The Wimbledon champion will be one of the favourites on the grass courts and could very well retain the Wimbledon title. Kvitova will be dangerous in every event she enters, but inconsistent results will see her finish fifth in the world rankings. The Czech will pick up the majority of her points on the faster courts where her power really comes into play.

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4: Caroline Wozniacki

In 2014 we saw more of the Wozniacki that got to number one in the world rankings. I see Caro having a consistent season, where she will go relatively deep in most events. However, I don’t believe she will have one big stand out result to take her higher in the rankings, so the Dane will have to settle for a fourth place finish.

3: Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova will have a similar season to 2014 that will guide the Russian to third in the world rankings. Sharapova will continue to grab titles on clay, which seems to be her best surface at this time. The 27 year old will be looking to add to her 5 grand slam titles, and she could very well do that. Her best chance will be at Roland Garros again, where she is a two time champion.

2: Simona Halep

The Romanian had her best season in 2014, and will build on that in 2015. Halep will be fighting for the major titles throughout the year and might even go all the way in a Grand Slam. I believe that the loss at the French Open final in 2014 will benefit her, and will help the current world number 3 in future Grand Slam finals. Halep won’t have the success of Serena in 2015, but will be ahead of the rest of the pack.

1: Serena Williams

Serena Williams will once again finish the year as the number one ranked player in women’s tennis. It may not be as simple for the American as it has been in previous years, but Serena will be one step ahead of the competition yet again. With her natural power and booming serve, Williams will overcome any difficulties that she may face with her movement to win most of the events she competes in. This may be the final year of Serena’s reign, but I do believe she will be Queen of the tour yet again.

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Grand Slam winners

Australian Open: Simona Halep
Runner up: Caroline Wozniacki

The Australian Open is very difficult to predict. This has been the slam that has alluded Serena since her return to the top, and I feel that it will continue to allude her in 2015. Simona Halep will feel confident after a good 2014, and I believe she could win her maiden grand slam in Melbourne. Wozniacki has a good run to the final but is ultimately stopped by the Romanian in 3 sets.

French Open: Maria Sharapova
Runner up: Garbine Muguruza

Maria Sharapova may not be favourite to defend her crown given her record against Serena Williams. I feel the world number one will have another shock exit before they get to meet, leaving the door open for Sharapova to claim her third title at Roland Garros. Garbine Muguruza will have a breakthrough grand slam performance, but will ultimately fall under pressure.

Wimbledon: Serena Williams
Runner up: Sabine Lisicki

Whilst we are on the subject of losing your maiden slam final; Sabine Lisicki will once again have a great run in her favourite tournament. Unfortunately for the German, she will be opposite Serena Williams, who will extract revenge on Lisicki. Lisicki defeated Serena at this tournament in 2013. Williams will stream roll her way to the title without dropping a set, and look ominous whilst doing so.

US Open: Serena Williams
Runner up: Simona Halep

The two best players of the year will meet in the final Grand Slam match of 2015. Williams will be riding a wave of great form after her Wimbledon triumpth, and that will see her over the line in a classic US Open final. Halep puts up a good fight, but Serena pulls through in 3 sets to claim her 4^th straight title at Flushing Meadows and 20^th Grand Slam overall.

Premier Mandatory and Premier 5 predictions

Dubai: Serena Williams
Indian Wells: Simona Halep
Miami: Serena Williams
Madrid: Maria Sharapova
Rome: Simona Halep
Canada: Serena Williams
Cincinnati Serena Williams
Wuhan: Caroline Wozniacki
Beijing: Petra Kvitova
WTA Championships: Serena Williams

Other Predictions

Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard falls out of the top 10
Former world number one; Martina Hingis, returns to singles competition
Venus Williams announces her retirement
Belinda Bencic will crack top 20
Vinci & Errani won’t finish the year as the number 1 doubles team

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Our New Journalist Niall Clarke: What to Watch For in the 2015 WTA Season
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

2014 was one of the most exciting years in recent memory for the WTA. If there is one thing that women’s tennis provides, it is great drama, and if you like drama then the upcoming season won’t disappoint.

2014 saw the impeccable Serena Williams finish the year as world number 1 for a third straight year. The American racked up 7 titles, including her 18^th Grand Slam title at the US Open en route to claiming the year end number 1.

Li Na won the Australian Open, claiming her second Grand Slam title. Unfortunately for the world of tennis, she decided to call it a career later in the year. Tennis lost one of its biggest stars in Li, who was huge in her home country of China.

Simona Halep emerged as a top player, reaching her first Grand Slam final and finishing the year as world number three. But the Romanian wasn’t the only youngster to have a major breakthrough. Eugenie Bouchard had some great runs in the major events to finish inside the top eight for the first time in her career. There were also Grand Slam wins for Maria Sharapova, and Petra Kvitova, who won Roland Garros and Wimbledon respectively. With the strength of Serena’s grip on the tour loosening, 2015 will no doubt be one of the most dramatic season in years.

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Serena, the world number one, has dominated the tour for the past three years, but at the age of 33, is her reign in jeopardy? The American claimed her 18^th Grand Slam title in New York, and will look to catch Steffi Graf’s record 22 Grand Slam titles. However, it may not be as easy for Serena as many may expect. With the emergence of younger talent, and Williams’ potential decline, her ranking is now under threat. The world number one could easily fall down the rankings, but she could also just as easily bulldoze her competition yet again. The question of ‘How long can Serena’s reign last?’ is one of the most interesting storylines of 2015.

One of the hunters of the world number one will be Maria Sharapova. The 27 year old captured her 5^th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, and will look to build on that in 2015. The world number two is one of the biggest names in women’s tennis, and that isn’t just down to her on court abilities. The brand of Maria Sharapova is growing bigger, and with the release of her candy ‘Sugarpova’ plus dating ATP star Grigor Dimitrov, the eyes of the tennis world won’t just be focused on the court when it comes to Sharapova.

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The emergence of Simona Halep was one of the biggest storylines of 2014. The 23 year old broke through and established herself as one of the world’s best, and she’ll be looking to carry that momentum into 2015. Halep reached the French Open final, but narrowly lost to Maria Sharapova in 3 sets. The Romanian will be looking to go one further in the upcoming season, and write her name onto the Grand Slam honours list. Simona showed last year that she certainly has the potential to become world number one, and no doubt that she’ll be fighting for that honour in 2015. The question is, does she have enough firepower in her arsenal to do so?

Petra Kvitova will go into 2015 as the world number 4, and defending Wimbledon champion. The Czech has one of the biggest games on tour, and is a threat to anyone on any given day, but inconsistency has stopped her from reaching her full potential. Kvitova was touted to dominate the tour when she burst onto the scene and won her first Wimbledon title in 2011, but it hasn’t quite happened as of yet. Maybe 2015 will be the year Petra steps up and full fills her potential, or it may very well be another inconsistent year for the Wimbledon champion.

2014 saw the emergence of some of the younger talents in women’s tennis. Eugenie Bouchard led the pack with some great results in the bigger events, particularly at Wimbledon where she made the final. Bouchard may just be the future face of women’s tennis, but one must wonder whether she can handle the weight of expectation that is now on her shoulders. We will see how she copes with that pressure in 2015. Another prospect touted for big things is Spaniard, Garbine Muguruza. The 21 year old had an inconsistent 2014, but showed her potential in numerous of matches, the best being her destruction of Serena Williams at Roland Garros. Garbine finally resolved the issue of country representation, when she chose Spain over Venezuela. Now Garbine can focus on a potential top 10 finish in 2015. Other youngsters such as Madison Keys, and Belinda Bencic will also be looking to make a big impact on the WTA tour in the coming months. Both will have aspirations of finishing in the top 20 for the first time, and going deep in one of the major events.

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Of course, these aren’t the only interesting players to follow in 2015. Caroline Wozniacki will be looking to continue her resurgence. The former world number one had relationship issues off the court, but her results on the court told a different story. Caro reached the US Open final last season, and will look to build on that and win her first major next season. Ana Ivanovic will be looking to build on an impressive 2014 too. The Serb is another former world number one who re-enteretd the top 8 last season. Ivanovic will be looking to win her second major in 2015. Agnieszska Radwanska will look to step out of the shadows of the top players and win her maiden grand slam title. The Pole has come close before and has been on the fringes in recent years. But despite her finesse, Aga hasn’t yet put it all together to win a slam. Will 2015 be her year?

2015 promises to be an open and dramatic season both on and off the court. The WTA always provides the drama and entertainment to keep us on the edge of our seats, and we will see that plus more in the upcoming season.

You can follow the WTA tour on Tennis Atlantic throughout the year.

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