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.
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.
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.
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 4th straight title at Flushing Meadows and 20th 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
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 18th 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.
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 18th 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 5th 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.
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.
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.
Beyond The Court: 12 Wacky Off Court Tennis Moments of 2014 Courtney Massey, Tennis Atlantic
Well, folks, another year has passed. We’ve completed the 2014 tennis season relatively unscathed, but not without plenty of victories, short comings, racket breaks, and every antic of the incredible Fabio Fognini. Before we ring in the New Year and start making those resolutions we’ll surely forget about next week, I wanted to stop and reflect on some moments that make this sport so special. Instead of compiling a list of breath taking match play, I decided to focus on the more colorful events of the season. After all, what’s life without a little whimsy?
January-You Wish Your Woman was as Cool as Li Na.
I know this list was technically for quirky “off court” moments of the season, but I’m breaking my own category right out of the gate. Li Na announced her retirement towards the end of this season and left a multitude of heartbroken fans a crying mess. I don’t follow the women’s tour often, but I adored Li Na. How could you not? She has talent, beauty and a killer sense of humor. I couldn’t resist starting this list off with Li Na’s epic Australian Open victory speech. The Chinese native won the first Grand Slam of the year by beating Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (3) 6-0. Li Na’s lively acceptance speech showed off her personality and fun demeanor. The highlight was when she turned the focus onto her husband.
“And of course my husband. You’re real famous in China. Thanks to him to give up everything just to travel with me to be my hitting partner, to fix the drinks, to fix the rackets. So he do a lot of jobs. So thanks a lot, you’re a real nice guy!
The crowd, including Li Na’s husband, erupted in cheers, laughter, and applause. The spirited tennis star wasn’t finished yet. She still had one more important thing to tell her husband.
Now here is a woman who knows her worth! Every woman should have a little Li Na spirit within themselves. This was a great example of her personality and confidence, as well as giving an insight into the playful relationships within her life! It’s been an absolute pleasure watching Li Na and I think everyone will join me in saying, she will be very missed!
February- Big Bird & Friends
The most difficult task with creating this article was resisting the urge to pick Tomas Berdych for every month of the year. I could have easily centered this around one man, the bird man! If you want an interesting personality in the sport, you don’t have to look much further. How do I decide? Do I choose one of his jokey tweets? Do I choose one of his many off-the-wall photo shoots, like this one where he’s holding a baby with breakfast in bed and being dangerously adorable? Calm down, Courtney. He’s taken! In the end, my child-like heart won out. Out of many respectable and wacky choices, I decided to go with this moment from Rotterdam. After his victory against Ernests Gulbis to reach the finals, Tomas met a few new friends. That’s right, guys. Big Bird, Tomas Berdych,brushed feathers with Sesame Street characters Elmo, Bert and Ernie. I can only assume he’s knocking back cookies with Cookie Monster in the off season! That’s totally happening, and you can not convince me otherwise!
Judy Murray is the mother of Andy and Jamie Murray, and the number one member of the Feliciano Lopez fan-club. I’m not gonna to lie, I want to hang out with Judy. She’s not just a mom, she’s a cool mom! She also gave me by far one of the most oddball moments of the year! Judy Murray trolls Yoko Ono on twitter. This is a thing that actually happens on a regular basis, and it’s glorious! Yoko Ono is highly active on twitter and her tweets are a little.. unconventional. Most people use twitter to tell everyone what they’ve had for lunch or live tweet the Walking Dead. Yoko Ono takes a more philosophical approach. Her tweets are spiritual and mystical. Judy, however, isn’t buying it.
Here are some prime examples of this epic feud that never quite was.
Yoko Ono: I think it’s impossible to see a chair as it is
Judy’s reply: Four legs, a seat, and a back rest. What’s not to see?
Yoko Ono: Attach a card saying SPACE TRANSFORMER to a room and/or object you wish to transform.
Judy’s reply: Did it…. nothing happened. What now?
Yoko Ono: Think PEACE, Act PEACE, Spread PEACE and tell your friends to IMAGINE PEACE’.
Judy’s reply: Mmm. Give us PEACE springs to mind.
In case you’re wondering, Yoko has yet to respond to Judy. Keep on being you, Judy! Keep on being you!
April- Jerzy Janowicz Joins a Barnyard Boy Band
In April Jerzy Janowicz posted a photo onto his Facebook wall that I could only describe as a barnyard boy band. Little did I know at the time, I was pretty spot on! Brought to us by ATLAS, sponsored Polish athletes help create energetic and humorous ads to promote the company’s products. According to the Youtube description and help from Google Translator the ad was used to show off white interior paint. Jerzy was joined by windsurfer Pawel Tarnowski and race car driver Maciej Steinhof. When the guys were not practicing their respective sports, they hit the recording studio creating sick beats and spitting rhymes about their training and careers. It’s always nice to see a company finding a comical way to present their brand! I give this video two thumbs up! Of course Jerzy isn’t the first tennis player to make interesting music, and I certainly hope he will not be the last!
May- Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray Become Birthday Party Acts
Head presented us with this promo of what looks like Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic being kidnapped and taken
to an undisclosed location. Quentin Tarantino isn’t directing this, right?! The location turned out to be an established estate that held a birthday party for a spoiled brat. In true Veruca Salt fashion, the little girl stomped her feet and told her father she wanted Maria Sharapova.The father clearly on his last rope insisted that the two confused tennis stars play an ultimate match for her regardless. Also, when I say insisted I actually mean threatened with bodily harm. Don’t worry, guys. With the help of man’s best friend the two were able to escape and all that was left was the unique memory!
June- Cougars, Vampires and Dolla Dolla Bills, Yall.
I, Courtney Massey, have declared June 2014 the month of Ernests Gulbis! Oh, Ernests! Some people love him, some people hate him, but I think we can all agree he is one of the greatest entertainers we have in this great sport of ours. Similar to Tomas Berdych,I found it difficult to choose the finest of all the comical moments this man has provided. Luckily for me, my favorite moments happened within weeks of each other. And luckily for you, I have decided to include all of them. You can’t separate the perfect trio, and this is the king of trios!
The alluring month for Gulbis started when he told a UK reporter he had already gambled away his earnings from Roland Garros. The rumors swirled to news outlets and everyone was talking about the wild Latvian losing it all to gambling. Reporters have a tough time deciphering between fact and a lighthearted joke. Ernests did in fact loose some of his money at the Blackjack table, but he argues it was not the whole shebang! Also while responding to the media’s handling of his joke, he admitted his mother, Milena Gulbe-Kavace, texted him saying, “Are you nuts?”
The second entertaining Gulbis event happened during the Boodles exhibition tournament. The lush older broads of England were out to enjoy the elegant sport of tennis, and as it turns out, get a slice of that Latvian love cake!
It all started when the woman doing the on court interview announced that the Latvian was engaged to a woman in the crowd. Ernests was quick to jump in and dash the rumor before it would ignite a media firestorm. However, after the interview Ernests went over to the rambunctious females to hand over a sweat band. What would have normally been a quick interaction turned into a more intimate moment. The women grabbed Gulbis and showered him with kisses and affection. Soon the alleged fiance skipped onto the court to claim her man as through she had just won big on the Price Is Right. The situation was both hilarious and cringe worthy! Ernests, being the gentleman that he is, played along with the charade until he was able to run away. Far far away.
And finally, we go into the dark side of tennis. Only a few know about what evil lurks in the night, and for every generation a slayer is born. Ok, so maybe not. During a Wimbledon press conference the Latvian thought the interviewer was creating a metaphor, but in actuality he had misunderstood all together and it became a comedic blunder that everyone loved! The question was on how the player felt about taking the umpires out of the equation and using an electronic official system. Ernests thought he said vampire. Gulbis started to describe the player team structure and how some players have too many people around them that could, like a vampire, suck the life out of them on tour. It was a decent analogy, just not the expected one. After a few moments Ernests realized something was amiss and the blunder was out in the open for the world. The mistake was a fun one and media outlets and fans a like were quick to spread it around social media. Ernests is known for his interviews and press conferences. We never know what will come out of his mouth next, which is one of the reasons he is so exciting to watch!
July- Booster Seat
To say Croatian Ivo Karlovic is a big man would be an understatement. Karlovic towers over the masses at 6’11. Naturally, most of us do not rise to that sort of a height. I’m 5’4 so I know what I’m talking about here! Karlovic beat Dudi Sela in their Colombian Open match and were headed to the net. Sela who stands up at 5’9 felt he would need a little extra boost. Before they participated in the traditional hand shake at the net, Sela quickly grabbed a chair to equip himself with the tools to move closer to eye level with his opponent. The two shared a hug in this odd but adorable encounter!
August- Ice Ice Baby
Summer 2014 was dedicated to the Ice Bucket Challenge. The Ice Bucket Challenge was a viral campaign to promote awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by challenging friends and celebrities to dump a bucket of ice water over their heads and make a small donation. The tennis community took this challenge head on, and despite the frozen nature they were able to let it go in the name of charity. Did you see what I did there, guys? Guys? It seemed that no one was safe. The challenges were made and accepted at a swift pace. Some players accepted with grace, and some were a little more comedic like Andy Roddick who told his challenger to quote, “Suck it!” Some of the other men to accept were Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and a slew of Americans. Some of the women participants included Ana Ivanovic, Andrea Petkovic, Victoria Azarenka, and Laura Robson. I want to thank the ALS bucket challenge for it’s existence. Not only is it raising awareness and funds for a good cause, it’s also giving us some serious eye candy. Yes, I’m referring to players taking the challenge in their underwear and tiny shorts. Nice body highlights included Bernard Tomic, Feli Lopez and Grigor Dimitrov. Is it hot in here? I could probably go for an ice bucket right about now.
Pro Wrestler Drew Galloway
September- Drew Galloway Wants to Take on Chuck Norris with Andy Murray
Professional wrestler Drew Galloway was included in the list of Scotland’s Manliest Men. He happened to notice that Andy Murray was also included in the list. This prompted Drew to tweet out an unconventional challenge. What are two hunky Scottish men to do? Obviously they are going to tag up and take on Chuck Norris. That’s right. Drew wants Andy Murray to be his tag partner and battle the famous tough guy!
I’m not sure how Andy Murray would do in a fight, but Drew himself is no stranger to a battle. Drew is best known for his time as a WWE Superstar under the name Drew McIntyre. Recently he was released from the company and has been heating things up on the Indy Circuit, holding titles in such promotions like EVOLVE and Insane Championship Wrestling.
Luckily for Chuck Norris, Andy Murray never accepted the challenge.
October- Casting for the Andy Murray Bio Pic.
The following clips I’m about to present are my personal favorites of the year! For Stand Up to Cancer Andy Murray was involved in a comedic two part video to cast his life story. Nothing about this was a disappointment, and there were a lot of surprises! The videos star Andy Murray and comedic actor and director, Richard Ayoade. Casting for a film can be daunting, as we see here. Some of the stars reading for the role of Andy were stars Michael Sheen, Dara O’Briain, & Ed Sheeran. One of which, Cesc Fabregas, appeared to have shown up for the wrong audition.
Things heated up even more in part two. Andy and Richard were still struggling to find the perfect cast and the sass was running high. Jimmy Carr showed up, and for any of you who watch British Panel shows as much as I do, know full well he is a dead ringer for Roger Federer. Gordon Ramsay read for role of an umpire, which may change the rating of the film. Personally I think Noel Fielding completely nailed it and should be hired immediately! In one of the smartest career moves of all time, Britany Spears reads for the part of Andy’s girlfriend Kim Sears. Clearly she is the obvious choice! Did everyone see Crossroads? It was genius! We also see a very familiar face who just might have what it takes to pull it off. I’m still pulling for Noel Fielding though.
November- Outside the Ball Shows Us an Usual Coach
This year Outside the Ball brought us some fun music video parodies and humorous interviews with the players. Hosted by Mayleen Ramey, the Outside the Ball team brings us exciting and fresh content that I as a fan have been dying to see! One of these videos is a comedy skit staring Vince Spadea, I mean Randy, as an unusual coach. He strolls onto court to try and aide the Bryan Brothers with helpful tips. I know his advice sure helped me. I’ll be serving pizzas all day! He later helps out a confused Andrea Petkovic.
December- Players Show Off Their Christmas Spirit
I slowly realized while writing this piece that I’ve included Andy Murray more than I intended. What can I say? For someone who has a boring reputation, he is considerably not boring! Andy Murray showed off his sense of humor by donning a fantastic Christmas sweater that also shows off just how much fire is in his belly. On the women’s side, my imaginary best friend, Laura Robson decorated more than just a Christmas tree. In terms of holiday spirit I think Laura wins all of the awards!
Elsewhere Grigor Dimitrov and Maria Sharapova went Christmas tree shopping together. However, it seems Grigor didn’t get exactly what he wanted. Sorry, Grigor. She’s queen of the court! You can view their adventure here.
Well that’s it for me and the year of 2014. I know there were plenty of wacky and fun moments of this past tennis season so feel free to share some of your favorite moments with me in the comments bellow! May 2015 bring even more wackier moments! Happy New Year!
– Courtney Massey
Happy New Year from Courtney Massey and the entire Tennis Atlantic Team
