Tennis Forum banner

WTA Site's 50 Most Popular Players of 2016

5K views 71 replies 31 participants last post by  UEGalore 
#1 · (Edited)
The WTA site is once again counting down the 50 players that received the most clicks on their site in 2016.

50. Andrea Petkovic (#55)
49. Monica Niculescu (#38, #19 doubles)
48. Sara Errani (#49)
47. Yulia Putintseva (#33)
46. Jelena Jankovic (#54)
45. CoCo Vandeweghe (#36, #18 doubles)
44. Sloane Stephens (#35)
43. Heather Watson (#76)
42. Irina-Camelia Begu (#29)
41. Elena Vesnina (#16, #6 doubles)
40. Timea Babos (#28, #15 doubles)
39. Zhang Shuai (#23)
38. Ekaterina Makarova (#30, #8 doubles)
37. Samantha Stosur (#21)
36. Jelena Ostapenko (#44)
35. Lucie Safarova (#62, #7 doubles)
34. Camila Giorgi (#83)
33. Sania Mirza (#1 doubles)
32. Caroline Garcia (#24, #2 doubles)
31. Kristina Mladenovic (#42, #2 doubles)
30. Naomi Osaka (#48)
29. Daria Gavrilova (#25)
28. Barbora Strycova (#20, #17 doubles)
27. Laura Siegemund (#31)
26. Carla Suárez Navarro (#12)
25. Daria Kasatkina (#26)
24. Elina Svitolina (#14)
23. Timea Bacsinszky (#15)
22. Kiki Bertens (#22)
21. Roberta Vinci (#18)
20. Martina Hingis (#4 doubles)
19. Belinda Bencic (#43)
18. Ana Ivanovic (#63)
17. Svetlana Kuznetsova (#9)
16. Petra Kvitova (#11)
15. Madison Keys (#8)
14. Caroline Wozniacki (#19)
13. Dominika Cibulkova (#5)
12. Venus Williams (#17)
11. Maria Sharapova (unranked)
10. Victoria Azarenka (#13)
9. Monica Puig (#32)
8. Karolina Pliskova (#6, #11 doubles)
7. Johanna Konta (#10)
6. Eugenie Bouchard (#46)
5. Garbiñe Muguruza (#7)
4. Agnieszka Radwanska (#3)
3. Simona Halep (#4)
2. Serena Williams (#2)
1. Angelique Kerber (#1

News | WTA Tennis English
News | WTA Tennis English
News | WTA Tennis English
News | WTA Tennis English
News | WTA Tennis English
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Petko and JJ should've been among the most popular...
 
#10 ·
I wonder who are the 6 others who managed to be Top 20.

I can only list 5...

Hingis
Puig
Genie
Ana I.
Sharapova(?)

Who's the remaining one?
Bencic? (#16 most viewed last year) BMS? (#35 last year)
 
#13 ·
TOP20 PREDICTION:
Kerber[#1], Serena[#2], Halep[#4], Radwanska[#3], Muguruza[#7], Pliskova[#6], Kvitova[#11], Wozniacki[#19], Cibulkova[#5], Ivanovic[#63], Sharapova[NR], Venus[#17], Keys[#8], Azarenka[#13], Hingis[D#1], Bouchard[#46], Konta[#10], Kuznetsova[#9], Puig[#32], Pavlyuchenkova[#27]

According to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Maria and Ana is still most popular WTA players in world together with Serena. But this is not real popularity contest, just a number of clicks on official WTA site, so I put them on the edge of TOP10 and TOP11-20 group. Ana played after RG only 4 matches till end of the season and finished 2016 out of TOP60 (she will be by my prediction only TOP10 clicked out of TOP20 in official WTA Y.E. rankings). Sharapova case is even bigger mystery because there is no news about hers on official site most of the season, despite she is such big star of WTA Tour and that meldonium thing is biggest story of the year I put her slightly out of TOP10. According to TOP21-50 ranking this list is very close to official WTA year end ranking list, so only exceptions in TOP20 clicked ranked out of WTA TOP30 (if we not counts Ana, Maria and current dominant doubles player HoF Hingis) should to be Olympic gold medalist (and WTA best ranked Latin America) Monica Puig [#32] and Tours most popular under-23 girl Gene Bouchard [#46]. Another player with notable better position on this popularity-click list than on official WTA ranking should to be Wozniacki [#19] IMO.
 
#39 · (Edited)
TOP20 PREDICTION:
Kerber[#1], Serena[#2], Halep[#4], Radwanska[#3], Muguruza[#7], Pliskova[#6], Kvitova[#11], Wozniacki[#19], Cibulkova[#5], Ivanovic[#63], Sharapova[NR], Venus[#17], Keys[#8], Azarenka[#13], Hingis[D#1], Bouchard[#46], Konta[#10], Kuznetsova[#9], Puig[#32], Pavlyuchenkova[#27]
All 4 players which I put on 7-10 places finished into 11-20 group, and they (Petra, Caro, Domi, Ana) will be replaced with Azarenka, Konta, Bouchard and Puig.

Also, I switched Pavlyuchenkova with Bencic as member of TOP20.

Ivanovic, Sharapova and Hingis are the only players out of TOP50 in singles which finished into TOP30 (actually TOP20) on this click-popularity list. Worst ranked into TOP10 will be Bouchard(#46) by far, which seems that she is already close to establish herself in near future as forth WTA star in XXI century (after Kournikova, Sharapova and Ivanovic) which starpower and global popularity not depending on hers current rankings and on-court results.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Escapist
#14 ·
most popular ??
it could be "I don't know who this player is and I'll have a look"
 
  • Like
Reactions: gusgusfl
#15 ·
No, because then my fave would be doing much better. :sobbing:

I click on JoLa all the time. Just to masochistically relive the horrors of her irrelevancy.

At least her dubz partner matters. La Keeks at 22!
 
#18 ·
20. Martina Hingis (SUI)
The third act of Hingis' Hall Of Fame career brought six more doubles titles - including the Australian Open - alongside Sania Mirza in 2016, and a whole raft of new fans.

19. Belinda Bencic (SUI)
Hingis' one-time protégé Bencic is proving to be another hit with tennis fans across the globe, despite an injury-hit season.

18. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
Ivanovic also ensured an ongoing fitness battle in 2016, but it does not appear to have affected her status in the hearts of the tennis-following public.

17. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
Kuznetsova's resurgence was one of the feel-good stories of the year, titles in Sydney and Moscow securing a return to the Top 10 and WTA Finals.

16. Petra Kvitova (CZE)
After a slow start, Kvitova turned on the style in Asia, providing a timely reminder of her undoubted brilliance with dominant triumphs in first Wuhan then Zhuhai.

15. Madison Keys (USA)
Keys' star continued to rise in 2016, victory on the lawns of Birmingham helping her crack the Top 10 for the first time.

14. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
The ever-popular Wozniacki continues to factor at the business end of tennis' showpiece events, as she proved by reaching the semifinals of the US Open.

13. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
There has never been any doubting Cibulkova's ability, and with her Achilles problems now a distant memory she made good on her potential by winning Katowice, Eastbourne, Linz and, most memorably, the WTA Finals.

12. Venus Williams (USA)
Even in the twilight of her wonderful career, Williams remains as popular as ever, giving her fans reason to cheer at the Rio Olympics when she teamed up with Rajeev Ram to win mixed doubles silver - her fifth medal at the Olympics.

11. Maria Sharapova (RUS)
To the delight of her army of loyal followers, Sharapova will make her much-anticipated return to action in spring 2017.

:oh:
 
#21 ·
Ana, Sveta, Caro and Venus :inlove: but should have been top 10.
 
#28 ·
20-11 are out.

20. Martina Hingis (#4 doubles)
19. Belinda Bencic (#43)
18. Ana Ivanovic (#63)
17. Svetlana Kuznetsova (#9)
16. Petra Kvitova (#11)
15. Madison Keys (#8)
14. Caroline Wozniacki (#19)
13. Dominika Cibulkova (#5)
12. Venus Williams (#17)
11. Maria Sharapova (unranked)
News | WTA Tennis English

Top 10 players not in the top 10 most clicked: Cibulkova, Keys, Kuznetsova. Presumably to be replaced by Azarenka, Bouchard, and Puig. (Bouchard still being top 10 is amazing :lol:)
 
#36 ·
Or no top 50 for Bouchard. :p Vika might be out completely as well. The WTA website is mostly to find information about new breakthrough players, see Puig. Vika is well-known and I doubt anyone goes to the WTA website bio page to find out details about her pregnancy. :grin2:
 
#29 ·


Me waiting to see where in the top 10 JoLa is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Exordes
#30 ·
Its not straight top 10 because Domi & Keys are out. So 2 non-top 10ers in the top 10
 
#37 ·
I would not bet on it. If Sharapova´s #11 ranking is legit, then I´m pretty sure Vika is out completely. Sharapova´s doping forced her into the headlines and needed background information on her career for articles written by casual journalists. Vika being pregnant does not require research of athletic achievements or anything. I think she´s most likely out.
 
#33 ·
Not this mess incoming again :hysteric:

so I was right, it's Bencic :eek:
wow I didn't expect Genie in Top 10 again... thought she's really starting to be a bit irrelevant :p
 
#34 ·
Its 7 of the top 10, (I forgot Sveta, and Domi, Keys) Vika and.. Navarro? Bouchard?

I think more realistically, 4 of the most popular are in this group
16. Petra Kvitova (#11)
15. Madison Keys (#8)
14. Caroline Wozniacki (#19)
13. Dominika Cibulkova (#5)
12. Venus Williams (#17)
11. Maria Sharapova (unranked)
 
#41 ·
If Konta makes the top 10 that's quite an achievement given her previous anonymity, and shows she's possibly quite marketable here in the UK. year.

I'll guess something like:

10. Azarenka
9. Konta
8. Bouchard
7. Pliskova
6. Puig
5. Muguruza
4. Aga
3. Serena
2. Kerber
1. Halep
 
#42 ·
If Konta makes the top 10 that's quite an achievement given her previous anonymity, and shows she's possibly quite marketable here in the UK. year.
...
2. Kerber
1. Halep
If You think a twice this growing interest for UK players it is not such big surprise because this is golden year of British tennis with first ever ATP#1 and first WTA TOP10 after several decades. Also don't forget that in countries like UK or Canada tennis fans can adopt official WTA site as domestic which is not the case in countries where English is not first language, so no big surprise that Heather Watson WTA#76 finished into TOP50 here (only Giorgi is worse ranked), and on other hand Pavlyuchenkova WTA#27 not entered TOP50 at all, or Vesnina WTA#16 and Rio gold medalist finished out of TOP40 which obviously means that Russians in small numbers use wtatennis.com for information and news about their tennis stars (Sharapova is exception because she is international superstar). So Konta into TOP10 is not such big surprise.

For me it will be big surprise if "new girl in town" Angie Kerber not finished at #1 on this list. After Graf and Becker golden era Germans are hungry of tennis big success, so even crazy Simona fans or famous Radwanska hackers which hacked in past so many polls on official WTA site cant change Kerber's victory :shrug:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Escapist
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top