SERENA: WINS WTA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Serena Williams

It was a massive year for Serena Williams, with an historic 18th Grand Slam title, the biggest payout in tennis history and Year-End World No.1 presented by Dubai Duty Free among her many accomplishments. And now another one – she’s WTA Player Of The Year.

“I’m really grateful and humbled to receive this award,” Williams said of Friday’s news. “It’s been an amazing year. I’m truly blessed to be playing at this level this far into my career. I feel incredibly supported by my team, my family, the tennis community and the fans. I’m just so happy – thank you!”

Halfway through the year it looked like Williams’ World No.1 status might be in trouble – she had fallen early at the first three majors of the year and she was down at No.6 on the Road To Singapore leaderboard, the year-long journey to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

But once the tour switched back to hardcourts it’s like she flipped a switch. Williams won 26 of 29 matches the rest of the season, picking up four more WTA titles at Stanford, Cincinnati, the US Open and the WTA Finals, that US Open run tying her with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for second-most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era with 18 (Steffi Graf leads the list with 22 Grand Slams).

Serena Williams, WTA Player Of The Year. credit WTA

And by winning the Emirates Airline US Open Series before that US Open run, her $3 million prize money payout was boosted to $4 million – the biggest payout in tennis history, men’s or women’s.

Perhaps the most impressive number for Williams in 2014 was she went 12-1 against Top 10 opponents, showing she brings her very best against the very best time and time again. And the only blemish in that record came against WTA Rising Star Simona Halep in the round robin portion of the WTA Finals, which didn’t stop her from winning the title anyway – and beating Halep back in the final.

Williams has now won WTA Player Of The Year award six times: 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Only Graf (eight) and Navratilova (seven) have won it more times – in fact Graf, Navratilova and Williams are the only three players in the 38-year history of the award to win it more than twice.

That wraps up the WTA Awards week, with the full list of winners being…

WTA Newcomer Of The Year – Belinda Bencic

WTA Most Improved Player Of The Year – Eugenie Bouchard

WTA Comeback Player Of The Year – Mirjana Lucic-Baroni

WTA Doubles Team Of The Year – Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci

WTA Player Of The Year – Serena Williams

ELITE EIGHT SET FOR SINGAPORE

Eugenie Bouchard, Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic have qualified for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

By virtue of Thursday’s results in Beijing, the elite eight field at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is set – Eugenie Bouchard , Agnieszka Radwanska , Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic have locked in the last four spots at the WTA’s crown jewel event.

Two players – Angelique Kerber and Ekaterina Makarova – had a shot at making the field, but they needed to go deep at the China Open , and they both lost their third round matches on Thursday.

And with that, Bouchard, Radwanska, Wozniacki and Ivanovic join Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova at the WTA Finals, to be held in Singapore for the first time.

Eugenie Bouchard, photo credit Canada.com

“I’m excited to compete in my first WTA Finals,” Bouchard said. “The fans in Singapore were so enthusiastic when I visited in January for the launch of the Road To Singapore. I have worked hard all year on and off the court to qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore. I am looking forward to returning later this month and hope to see some new members of the Genie Army at the Finals.”

Ivanovic, who earlier in the day scored her 55th match win of the season – more than she’s ever had in a season before, and more than anyone this year – said this has been a year-long goal for her.

“It’s been my big goal since the beginning of the year,” she said. “Everyone really earns a spot there, and I feel like I’ve been playing so well the whole year. I was working hard towards this.

“The WTA Finals is a very special tournament because it’s only eight players. And we’re all excited that it’s in Singapore this year – everything looks so beautiful. We’re all very motivated.”

Maria Sharapova photo credit upi.com

Bouchard, Radwanska, Wozniacki and Ivanovic will join Serena Williams , Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova in the field for the WTA Finals, set to take place from October 20 to 26.