This is such a fun year-end activity: Opening up my WTA Top 10 Predictions for 2023 and drinking in what I got correct. Then I begin in earnest my WTA Top 10 Predictions for this time next year. Goodies, goodies!
Let’s begin with the best part: My general predictions for the WTA. Here’s what I wrote. You be the judge:
- Kaia Kanepi won’t retire. (Check.)
- Simona Halep’s ban will be upheld because the test results are unmovable. (Check.)
- Swiatek will win a minimum of 2 Slams. (Wrong. She only won Roland Garros.)
- Someone completely off the radar– a player we’re not even talking about– will emerge. (Check. Mirra Andreeva burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old in the spring, made runs at Slams and achieved a ranking of 49.)
- And several tennis pundits will say they knew she would all along. (Not really, to be fair.)
- And they are happy for her. (Check. Oh yes they are.)
- Mental health will still be a hot topic, and I believe Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu will continue to work through some of this, which is why I haven’t projected either of them in the WTA Top 10 for 2023. (Check.)
Not bad, if I do say so myself.
I didn’t fare as well with my WTA Top 10, but it wasn’t a total miss, either. Check it out:
WTA Top 10 Predictions for 2023:
- Iga Swiatek (Check. Give me points for this because Iga just won the WTA Finals to swipe the crown from Aryna Sabalenka. That makes this a good prediction.)
- Caroline Garcia (Nope. She slipped to #20.)
- Barbora Krejikova (Good call. She reemerged this year to clock in at #10.)
- Aryna Sabalenka (Yep, she’s #2, and I wrote “Aryna could leap the Grand Slam hurdle this year.” Good on me!)
- Ons Jabeur (Yes. I said #5, she’s #6.)
- Daria Kasatkina (Well no, but she had a nice year and stands at #18.)
- Coco Gauff (I knew she’d have a good year, but I really should’ve gone higher.)
- Maria Sakkari (Credit. I said #8, she’s #9.)
- Belinda Bencic (No, but she had a good year, ranked #17.)
- Linda Fruhvirtova (No. I took a flier and missed, but I still think this 18-year-old Czech shows promise.)
Players I missed: Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Karolina Muchova. Pegula and Rybakina are particularly bad misses. So I give myself 65% on predictions. Not horrible, but I need to improve. With that said, I unveil my…
WTA Top 10 Predictions for 2024
- Coco Gauff. Yep I said it. Americans will finally have a number one again after receiving the gift of her 2023 US Open victory.
- Iga Swiatek. She’s still absolutely incredible with her movement and that forehand but needs to work on her serve to maintain the rare air.
- Aryna Sabalenka. Could just as easily finish #1. She’s smoothing out the errors.
- Jessica Pegula. She has proven she just does. Not. Quit.
- Elena Rybakina. A joy to watch. If she’s healthy, she wins another Wimbledon.
- Beatriz Haddad Maia. Should win multiple titles. Her trajectory is on the up.
- Jelena Ostapenko. Yes I said it. Older and wiser but still wicked.
- Karolina Muchova. If she’s healthy. Love her net play.
- Mirra Andreeva. The march upward continues for this superstar 16-year-old.
- Ons Jabeur. The slump might linger until she can get over the Wimbledon loss in the 2023 final, but she’s still a hella good player.
Other predictions: The WTA will do a deal with Saudi Arabia because it needs the money. The tour will announce incremental new cooperative initiatives with the ATP, some of which will be a surprise. Happy news: A former Grand Slam champion will get pregnant. Ashleigh Barty will consider a return to the WTA or take a run at golf– some sort of competitive outlet. We won’t see any first-time Grand Slam Champions– everyone who wins one this year will already have a trophy in the case.
Ciao WTA fans!
