by Deuce (I 'stole' ponchi's opening questions from the '2022 ATP year in review' thread - because they were good... I just changed the names.)

The year is over, for all practical purposes.
So...
Only one thing is clear. Swiatek is the world #1. She has the points. But that is not the whole story.
1 - Who had THE BEST year?
2 - Who is the best player?
3 - Who is the most improved player?
4 - Who regressed? And who regressed THE MOST?
5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023?
6 - Are the news kids for real?

It was a year in which we saw Barty leave, and Osaka continue to struggle...
We saw Raducanu not come close to her fairy tale level of the 2021 U.S. Open win, falling into the 70s or 80s in the rankings... Leylah fell into the 40s... Rybakina had a big Wimbledon win, but couldn't count those massive points toward her ranking...

Garcia, Pegula, and Haddad Maia all had nice hot streaks, and even after the hot streak ended, Garcia found a good enough level to win the year end championships...

Bencic remained relatively stable, while Keys, Samsonova, Kudermetova, and Alexandrova all improved their ranking noticeably...
Gauff entered the top 10, as did Kasatkina, while Badosa, Kontaveit, and Krejcikova all fell out of the top 10...

Qinwen and Bouzkova entered the top 30 for the first time (where I think they'll remain for a while, and even enter the top 20 soon)...
Jabeur climbed to #2, but didn't perform well in some big matches...
Halep's future is questionable due to injuries and the drug thing...

Discuss...

by ponchi101 Best year and best player go to Iga. A very good year and she is clearly atop the rankings. Not the kind of monumental years that Martina, Steffi and Serena produced, but this was fine.
Ons is my most improved. Yes, she did not win a slam but two finals is a great achievement. Garcia comes close.
The stagnated group is large. These players are set in their positions (to me): Sakkari, Bencic, Madison, Badosa. Fine players, will win here and there, do not have the consistency to reach slam fame.
Regressed? Halep (simply because of age), Leylah, Kvitova (age), Kontaveit (love), Mugu (age/love).
Lined up for 23. Iga. But I can't see anybody crashing her party right now.
And the question about the new kids does not apply to the WTA. They ALL are new kids.

by meganfernandez

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:38 pm Ons is my most improved. Yes, she did not win a slam but two finals is a great achievement. Garcia comes close.

Can I steal your thought on Ons? I'm writing about her for Tennis.com in its year-in-review coverage. I like the idea that she might be the most-improved player on tour. It's easier for a player like Garcia to show a lot of improvement when they start from so far back. But what about Iga, considering where she started 2022? No one saw that dominance coming.

I have to say what her biggest missed opportunity was in 2022, and it's definitely the Wimbledon final when she won the first set convincingly.

For her most memorable moment, I think I'll go with playing doubles with Serena in Eastbourne.

by ponchi101 Iga already had a slam under her belt, and she was already a semi-finalist at a previous slam.
In a sense, she is indeed the most improved. She shifted a gear and left everybody behind. But, I don't like to pile all awards on a single person. Ons has come from a much more different environment in which reaching her heights must have been more difficult.
And of course you can steal the thought. And counter it too

by ti-amie 1 - Who had THE BEST year? There can be only one. Iga

2 - Who is the best player? I'm going with Iga because you have to beat her. She's not giving it to you.

3 - Who is the most improved player? I have to go with Caroline Garcia. Despite whatever happened with her coach she proved all the nay-sayers wrong and finished the strongest of everyone. I don't think anyone would've picked her to be in the top 5 last year this time.

4 - Who regressed? And who regressed THE MOST? Wow. Sakkari is my answer to the first part of the question. She can still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with the best of 'em.
As for the second part of the question I'm going with Sabalenka. For me her failures are more spectacular than Sakkari's because I always thought her game was better than Maria's. Honorable mention to Badosa because GURL!

5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023? Qinwen.
HOWEVER if Cori fixes her technical difficulties she could be the big breakout of 2023. She's ALMOST there.

6 - Are the news kids for real?
How can you tell the new kids from the old kids?

by meganfernandez 1 - Who had THE BEST year? Iga - 8 titles, two of them slams, lost single-digit matches, a dominant #1. No contest.

2 - Who is the best player? Barty, for as long as she was here. She won her home Slam, something players from Australia, France and the UK struggle to do. We'll never know if Iga would have surpassed her, but I think Barty would have won plenty of their matches.

3 - Who is the most improved player? Gotta be Garcia, from #74 to #4 out of the blue, and capping it with the WTA Finals.

4 - Who regressed? And who regressed THE MOST? Muguruza, Badosa, and Kontaveit regressed. Osaka regressed the most, considering she won a Slam in 2021. I know the regression didn't start this year, but it got worse. She is farther off her rightful ranking than anyone else.

5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023? Bencic

6 - Are the news kids for real? Fruhvirtova and Noskova, yeah

by patrick 1 - Who had THE BEST year? Swiatek
2 - Who is the best player? Swiatek
3 - Who is the most improved player? Pegula
4 - Who regressed? And who regressed THE MOST? Kontaveit. Raducanu
5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023? Kudermetova or Samsonova
6 - Are the news kids for real? Yes

by ponchi101

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:43 pm ...

5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023? Bencic

...

I don't know, Megan. She has been a consistent top 12 player, sure. And yet, she can't take that next step. 1 SF at any slam.
I like her a lot, but there is something missing.

by ashkor87

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:56 pm

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:43 pm ...

5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023? Bencic

...

I don't know, Megan. She has been a consistent top 12 player, sure. And yet, she can't take that next step. 1 SF at any slam.
I like her a lot, but there is something missing.

Agree about Bencic..I love her but her time has come and gone ..she is not actually playing better than before- if anything, she has been slightly off..

by ashkor87

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 5:23 pm

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:38 pm Ons is my most improved. Yes, she did not win a slam but two finals is a great achievement. Garcia comes close.

Can I steal your thought on Ons? I'm writing about her for Tennis.com in its year-in-review coverage. I like the idea that she might be the most-improved player on tour. It's easier for a player like Garcia to show a lot of improvement when they start from so far back. But what about Iga, considering where she started 2022? No one saw that dominance coming.

I have to say what her biggest missed opportunity was in 2022, and it's definitely the Wimbledon final when she won the first set convincingly.

For her most memorable moment, I think I'll go with playing doubles with Serena in Eastbourne.

I would be wary of investing too much into Jabeur..she has gone off the boil totally after the USO..if anything, she would be my pick for 'most likely to flop next year', just as Badosa was this year.

With her kind of game, she should have done well at the YEC..a disappointing and puzzling end to her year..

by ashkor87

ti-amie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:22 pm 1 - Who had THE BEST year? There can be only one. Iga

2 - Who is the best player? I'm going with Iga because you have to beat her. She's not giving it to you.

3 - Who is the most improved player? I have to go with Caroline Garcia. Despite whatever happened with her coach she proved all the nay-sayers wrong and finished the strongest of everyone. I don't think anyone would've picked her to be in the top 5 last year this time.

4 - Who regressed? And who regressed THE MOST? Wow. Sakkari is my answer to the first part of the question. She can still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with the best of 'em.
As for the second part of the question I'm going with Sabalenka. For me her failures are more spectacular than Sakkari's because I always thought her game was better than Maria's. Honorable mention to Badosa because GURL!

5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023? Qinwen.
HOWEVER if Cori fixes her technical difficulties she could be the big breakout of 2023. She's ALMOST there.

6 - Are the news kids for real?
How can you tell the new kids from the old kids?

Agree about QZ

by JTContinental 1 - Who had THE BEST year? Swiatek
2 - Who is the best player? Swiatek
3 - Who is the most improved player? Jabeur
4 - Who regressed? And who regressed THE MOST? Kontaveit, Muguruza, Krejcikova, Halep--Badosa regressed the most and is currently a very average player
5 - Who is lined up for a very big 2023? Coco Gauff
6 - Are the new kids for real? Not yet

by JTContinental Garcia is my pick for next year's biggest flop

by ti-amie

JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:32 am Garcia is my pick for next year's biggest flop

The pressure is on her now to do well in Australia. If she makes the QF she may have a decent year. If she doesn't...

by Deuce While Raducanu might seem an obvious pick for 'Most Regressed', I don't think that would be accurate - simply because, despite the U.S. Open win, she never truly established herself at the elite level. Yes, this year has been disappointing - but no-one would have noticed her poor results this year if it wasn't for that one big tournament win.

I'd go so far as viewing Kontaveit in a similar light. Sure, she made it to #2 for a brief time - but that was owing to her hot streak - her VERY hot streak - at the end of 2021. And it's not like she's fallen to #50 or anything - she's still in the top 20, which I think is her rightful place - somewhere in the top 15 or 20.

And Krejcikova has no business being in the 'Most Regressed' conversation because injury (and, I believe, COVID-19) kept her out for a significant time.
We can say something similar regarding Leylah, who was out for 2 months because of injury (though within those 2 months was Wimbledon, so she didn't lose any points there). Unfortunately, Leylah didn't do much after returning from the injury (a series of 1st and 2nd round losses) - so that's disappointing, but is only a significant regression as compared to her U.S. Open Final in 2021.

So for players who have regressed... Pliskova, Mertens (I hate to put her here, because I like her - but she has regressed. Osaka, of course, continues to regress - because her head/spirit simply doesn't seem to be in it anymore. Andreescu obviously hasn't recaptured anything close to the form she showed in those good 6 months of 2019...

I think Jabeur is for real. Maybe she won't remain at #2 - or even in the top 5... but she'll stay in the top 10 for a good while, I believe.
I also think that Garcia can maintain, say, a top 15 level. And she (Garcia) would be my pick for 'Most Improved' this year, with Pegula as the next most improved.

For the player lined up to have a big 2023... I wouldn't put Gauff in that category, as she's already in the top 10, and would have to go on a crazy, long winning streak if she were to substantially improve on her current position - which I don't believe will happen.
I'd say Qinwen and Bouzkova are both ready to break out significantly in 2023, with both of them having a legitimate shot at entering the top 10. Samsonova also has a shot at the top 10 in 2023.

Are the new kids for real?... Raducanu - No. Leylah - Yes. Qinwen - Yes. Gauff - Yes.
As for the newer, younger kids (like the Czechs) - I haven't seen enough of them yet to make any sort of evaluative prediction.

I want to add that I was hoping Shelby Rogers would do better this year. She has worked to get herself into better physical condition - but that doesn't seem to have helped as significantly as one would have hoped - she's still barely clinging to the top 50.
She could be a top 25 player. I hope she'll get there next year, and that she'll stay there for a while.

by ashkor87

JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:32 am Garcia is my pick for next year's biggest flop

I venture to disagree..like Wozniacki, she may get momentum from this win, and even go on to take the AO...after that, I don't know but her serve will work well on grass anyhow..

by meganfernandez

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:39 am

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 5:23 pm

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:38 pm Ons is my most improved. Yes, she did not win a slam but two finals is a great achievement. Garcia comes close.

Can I steal your thought on Ons? I'm writing about her for Tennis.com in its year-in-review coverage. I like the idea that she might be the most-improved player on tour. It's easier for a player like Garcia to show a lot of improvement when they start from so far back. But what about Iga, considering where she started 2022? No one saw that dominance coming.

I have to say what her biggest missed opportunity was in 2022, and it's definitely the Wimbledon final when she won the first set convincingly.

For her most memorable moment, I think I'll go with playing doubles with Serena in Eastbourne.

I would be wary of investing too much into Jabeur..she has gone off the boil totally after the USO..if anything, she would be my pick for 'most likely to flop next year', just as Badosa was this year.

With her kind of game, she should have done well at the YEC..a disappointing and puzzling end to her year..

She might have been tired, mentally and/or physically. She got to Texas 10 days early to prepare. But she was also playing against the best in the world. I don't put too much stock in an individual result. She had a great year and while we never know what would happen, I'd bet on her to keep it up in 2023.

by meganfernandez

ti-amie wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:34 am

JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:32 am Garcia is my pick for next year's biggest flop

The pressure is on her now to do well in Australia. If she makes the QF she may have a decent year. If she doesn't...

This could be, or it could go the other way - no pressure since she just won a big title and proved herself. Also, she has been around the block - she knows how to handle pressure and is improving in that department.

Iga's going to be defending so many points, I wonder how she will deal with this follow-up year to her run of dominance. In her favor, she has such a massive lead that she afford to drop a lot of those points and stay in the top 3, so maybe she won't feel the pressure to defend. And she has a great team, so I like her chances to handle it well. But it's a different situation this year.

by meganfernandez

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:16 pm

JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:32 am Garcia is my pick for next year's biggest flop

I venture to disagree..like Wozniacki, she may get momentum from this win, and even go on to take the AO...after that, I don't know but her serve will work well on grass anyhow..

Interesting comparison between Garcia and Wozniacki. Caro definitely got a confidence bump from winning the WTA Finals in 2017. She actually had lost in 6 or 7 finals that year until late September and finally got one. She could have gotten discouraged, but she kept telling herself that eventually things have to go her way - positive thinking. And she did, and then rolled in to the WTA Finals with some confidence. Then at the AO, she was down and out in the second round, trailing 5-1, 40-15 in the third to Jana Fett, and came back. I'm sure her confidence was key there.

by Deuce

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:21 pm

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:39 am

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 5:23 pm

Can I steal your thought on Ons? I'm writing about her for Tennis.com in its year-in-review coverage. I like the idea that she might be the most-improved player on tour. It's easier for a player like Garcia to show a lot of improvement when they start from so far back. But what about Iga, considering where she started 2022? No one saw that dominance coming.

I have to say what her biggest missed opportunity was in 2022, and it's definitely the Wimbledon final when she won the first set convincingly.

For her most memorable moment, I think I'll go with playing doubles with Serena in Eastbourne.

I would be wary of investing too much into Jabeur..she has gone off the boil totally after the USO..if anything, she would be my pick for 'most likely to flop next year', just as Badosa was this year.

With her kind of game, she should have done well at the YEC..a disappointing and puzzling end to her year..

She might have been tired, mentally and/or physically. She got to Texas 10 days early to prepare. But she was also playing against the best in the world. I don't put too much stock in an individual result. She had a great year and while we never know what would happen, I'd bet on her to keep it up in 2023.

I love watching Jabeur's eclectic game of variety... But my concern with her is that she seems to falter in big matches. It's like she got to the point where she can reach the big stage, but once there, the nerves overcome her, and she is a mere shadow of herself in those circumstances.
It's not as if she's a youngster who is overwhelmed by the biggest stages - she's been around for long enough to have a stable and experienced foundation. And so I wonder if she'll ever be able to get over that hump and perform well in the biggest matches.

by ashkor87

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:21 pm

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:39 am

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 5:23 pm

Can I steal your thought on Ons? I'm writing about her for Tennis.com in its year-in-review coverage. I like the idea that she might be the most-improved player on tour. It's easier for a player like Garcia to show a lot of improvement when they start from so far back. But what about Iga, considering where she started 2022? No one saw that dominance coming.

I have to say what her biggest missed opportunity was in 2022, and it's definitely the Wimbledon final when she won the first set convincingly.

For her most memorable moment, I think I'll go with playing doubles with Serena in Eastbourne.

I would be wary of investing too much into Jabeur..she has gone off the boil totally after the USO..if anything, she would be my pick for 'most likely to flop next year', just as Badosa was this year.

With her kind of game, she should have done well at the YEC..a disappointing and puzzling end to her year..

She might have been tired, mentally and/or physically. She got to Texas 10 days early to prepare. But she was also playing against the best in the world. I don't put too much stock in an individual result. She had a great year and while we never know what would happen, I'd bet on her to keep it up in 2023.

Certainly hope so, would be good to have her variety at the top of the tour...

by ponchi101 I had totally forgotten about Qinwen. So yes, that could be it. She has the strokes, and she has the size and physical abilities (at least, that was my impression the ONLY time I have seen her).
Just needs one big tournament to enter the fray.