Top tennis players challenge for number one spot at WTA Finals
Eight tennis players will fight for US$7 million in prize money and a chance to climb the world rankings during the season-ending BNP Paribas WTA Finals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Seven of them could end the year ranked number one.
The players were drawn into the following round robin groups:
Red Group
Simona Halep (Romania)
Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)
Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark)
Caroline Garcia (France)
White Group
Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain)
Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic)
Venus Williams (USA)
Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia)
At a pre-tournament press conference held at Marina Bay Sands on Saturday (21 October), they shared thoughts on the tournament from 22 to 29 October:
“I have a tough group, as we all see… I’m happy with my group. There are more aggressive-style players in my group. I played all of them few times. I like better their style of the game.”
“It’s very tough to get there (to the number 1 rank), but on the other hand, we are all so close to everyone now on the ranking, I mean, and everybody can get there right now. So this tournament is really going to decide who is going to finish the year world number 1. I think everybody has a good chance. So we still have to play well.” – Czech Karolina Pliskova, 25, who had an eight-week stint at the world number 1 spot in July this year
“Honestly, I’m thinking obviously about my matches, but other than that, I’m just planning my vacation and already thinking myself over to the beaches and the sun and a bit of time without tennis.
“It’s nice you can kind of see the end of the tunnel now, and it’s been a great year and I just want to finish it on a high note.” – Dane Caroline Wozniacki is already looking forward to the off-season. She made the finals of six WTA tournaments this year and won her first title this season at the Toray Pan Pacific final in Japan. Wozniacki, 27, reached the number 1 spot in 2010 and held it for 67 weeks. She last qualified for the WTA Finals in 2014.
“At this time in 2011 was difficult for me to manage the pressure that went with his tweet but because I was not ready in my game and in my head, so I took a lot of experience from it. I mean, I work out every single day to make this happen, so I know it’s a long way, but I’m getting there slowly. I do my journey, and I will see how far it bring me.” – Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, 24, talking about Briton Andy Murray’s comments in 2011 that she could be a future world number 1. Garcia debuts at the WTA Finals after a strong performance during the Asian leg of the tour. She won back-to-back titles in Wuhan and Beijing, becoming the first WTA player to do so.
“I know there is a chance that I can become No. 1 by the end of this year, but this is not a goal for me at the moment. The goal was to improve my game, to play better on the Grand Slams, to play better — yeah, to feel better on court and, yeah, just improve my game each day. And then the ranking is gonna come if you’re playing well. If you’re playing consistent, then the ranking will come.” – Ukranian Elina Svitolina, 23, on whether she’s targeting to finish the year as world number 1. Svitolina won five titles – the highest for an individual player on tour this season to qualify for her first WTA Finals. She also holds the record for most wins against top 5 opponents this season.
“I think I had a great year, especially winning the French Open and getting here to the WTA Finals, winning the tournament in Seoul (the Seoul Open), so I think in general was a very good year for me.” – Jelena Ostapenko looking back on her breakout year. The young Latvian won her first pro career title, which was also her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year at the age of 20.
“I feel like, you know, every week, depending on who is playing well, you can be in the top. You know, it gives us a lot of options and variety. You know, just more, like, dramatic for the fans and for us too to see that every week everything can change.”
“It is important, I’m not going to lie, of course, but I know I have to play well. I know there are so many girls, players, that have the chance. I’m happy that I got it in the past, and now I’m not that, you know, nervous or obsessed. I think it’s more different. So I’m going to fight for that.” – Spaniard Garbine Muguruza on the importance of getting back the number 1 ranking. She clinched her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon this year after winning Roland Garros last year. The 24-year-old held the number 1 ranking for four weeks after the US Open.
“I don’t necessarily see it as a top player. I see it as an opponent that I need to win against.” – A reticent American Venus Williams on the competitors she will face this week. The 37-year-old elder stateswoman of tennis reached two finals this year at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and reached the semi-final of the US Open this year.
“I said at the beginning of the year when I heard that Serena (William) is pregnant that now every tournament is open, and we saw that we had different Grand Slam champion and many number 1s in the world.
“So, yeah, every tournament is open. Everyone can finish on No. 1 this year. Yeah, no one is going to dominate how Serena did, for sure.” – Current world number 1 Simona Halep. The 26-year-old Romanian reached the final of Roland Garros this year.
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