{"id":820,"date":"2016-12-12T10:42:31","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T15:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/?p=820"},"modified":"2016-12-12T10:47:01","modified_gmt":"2016-12-12T15:47:01","slug":"2016-player-review-top-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2016\/12\/12\/2016-player-review-top-5\/","title":{"rendered":"WTA 2016 Year in Review: Top 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

This offseason, Last Word On Tennis will be looking back at the seasons of the top 50 players on each tour. This installment includes the WTA players ranked 1-5.<\/em><\/p>\n

WTA 2016 Year in Review: Top 5<\/h2>\n

Angelique Kerber<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a banner year for Angelique Kerber as she bookended her year with Major titles while also capturing the #1 ranking from Serena Williams.<\/p>\n

High points:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kerber started her season with her first Major title at the Australian Open, saving match point in the opening round against Misaki Doi. In the quarterfinals, she rallied from 5-1 down in the second set to defeat Victoria Azarenka, her first ever win over the two-time Melbourne winner. In the final, the German stunned Serena Williams in three sets for her first Grand Slam title.<\/p>\n

Kerber claimed her second Major title at the US Open, dominating her first six opponents before contesting one of the matches of the year, a three-set classic in the defeating Karolina Pliskova, coming from 3-1 down in the final. The victory also earned her the World #1 ranking, ending Serena’s streak of 186 consecutive weeks at the top.<\/p>\n

Low points:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s hard to say someone had a low point in a season she dominated, but if there was one, it was Kerber’s first-round loss to Kiki Bertens at the French Open by a score of 6-2 3-6 6-3. The loss looks slightly better as Bertens would go on to reach the semifinals.<\/p>\n

Other highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kerber repeated as Stuttgart champion while also reaching the Wimbledon, Olympic, Cincinnati, and WTA Championships finals.<\/p>\n

Outlook for 2017:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

While her lead is substantial, the German has a ton of points to defend throughout the upcoming season. No matter her position in 12 months’ time, it’s been a storybook year for Kerber that should see her remain, at worst–barring injury or something catastrophic–in the Top 3.<\/p>\n

Serena Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the long-time #1, it was a disappointing year as injuries and unexpected losses plagued her year.<\/p>\n

High point:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Undoubtedly, the win over Kerber to claim her 22nd career Grand Slam title at Wimbledon was the best moment of the year for Williams. In the third round, she escaped from a set down to defeat Christina McHale. Otherwise, it was a routine Slam for Williams, although Kerber tested her in the final with the American coming out on top by a 6-3 7-5 score.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n