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Are today's WTA teenagers breaking through?

69K views 462 replies 157 participants last post by  TapeError 
#1 · (Edited)
Here's a thread about the teenagers of today. I was wondering what all of your thoughts are on them?

Here are the ones inside the Top 250:

1995
Anett Kontaveit
Barbora Krejcikova
Fangzhou Liu
Elise Mertens

1996
Katerina Siniakova
Donna Vekic
Elizaveta Kulichkova
Louisa Chirico
Oceane Dodin
Beatriz Haddad Maia
Sara Sorribes Tormo
Mayo Hibi
Ipek Soylu
Jana Fett
Barbara Haas

1997
Belinda Bencic
Ana Konjuh
Jelena Ostapenko
Daria Kastakina
Naomi Osaka
Katerina Stewart
Anhelina Kalinina
Paula Badosa-Gibert
Anastasiya Komardina
Natalia Vikhlyantseva
Ivana Jorovic

1999
Catherine Bellis

Who are the potential world beaters or who are the also-rans and journeywomen?

Thoughts? :)

Those marked in Orange are in the Top 20.
Those marked in Red are in the Top 100.
Those marked in Green have been inside Top 100.
Those marked in Black are between #101-250.
 
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#55 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Wonder if more players of a similar age will follow Vekic's route of playing weak challengers in obscure places, to gain experience and confidence, and then try and take it onto tour level. Vekic is now almost 100 places above the more-fancied Barty in the rankings and she's the first 16 year old in a long time to reach a WTA Tour QF.
 
#57 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Mladenovic becomes the fifth player from 1993 to reach the Top 100 in singles. Managed to back up her 3rd Round appearance at the US Open with a SF appearance at Quebec City has a qualifer. After winning next to no matches all year, she has gained over 50 places in her rank with two great tournaments, just goes to show what a few wins at tour level can bring. Will be interesting to see if she can continue moving forward for the rest of the year.

It was a pretty good week for this generation. Vekic became the youngest player since 2006 to reach a tour final at Tashkent, and has now passed every player from not only the '95, but '94 generation besides Robson.

Davis reached her first tour QF, Beck won her first tour level match and Bouchard won a tour match for the fourth successive tournament, all at Quebec City.

The only blight was Muguruza Blanco falling back out of the Top 100. Has had a quiet summer since she reached that milestone.
 
#59 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Lauren Davis becomes the sixth player from 1993 to reach Top 100. Unlike Mladenovic as well, she reaches it at 18 rather than 19. Won 50K Las Vegas last week and has had reasonable performances on tour this year, including thrashing Barthel at the 1st Round of the French Open. She has gained over 200 spots in the ranks as well, ended last year outside the Top 300!

Not much to report from the others from last week, Svitolina won a 50K challenger in Georgia, and Zanevska from 1993, winner of five challengers in 2012 and 1994 players Gasparyan, who has won four challengers this year and van Uytvanck, the only player from 1994 besides Robson and Bouchard to have reached a QF of a tour event this year have all reached Top 250.
 
#61 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

U can call them generation suck as u much as u want but they are the last teens to get into top 10 (aga, vika, caro), reach number 1(caro, vika), win slam (petra, vika), reach slam final (caro, aga) and reach multiple slam finals (vika). These girls from this generation is even crapier, sucker...
 
#62 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

U can call them generation suck as u much as u want but they are the last teens to get into top 10 (aga, vika, caro), reach number 1(caro, vika), win slam (petra, vika), reach slam final (caro, aga) and reach multiple slam finals (vika). These girls from this generation is even crapier, sucker...
They weren't teenagers when they did any of those things, except Wozniacki when she broke the top 10.
 
#86 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Annika Beck becomes the second player from 1994 to reach the Top 100. She is now the youngest player inside it as well. Has won five titles this year, including last week at the $75,000 tournament in Ismaning. Also won the French Open juniors and raised her ranking by nearly 150 spots since the start of the year.

If Robson has been the #1 of the players from '94, Beck has certainly been second. It will be interesting to see if she can feature in WTA tournaments next year.

It was a good week for the 93-96 generation. Puig won in Poltiers, beating three top 100 players along the way. Keys won a title in Saguenay, Zheng won in Taipei and Barty won in Traralgon. The likes of Bouchard and Putintseva also beat Top 100 players in the tournaments they played too.

And we have a new addition to the 1995 players inside the Top 250 in Witthoeft, who beat a Top 100 player last week and is the only player from '95 to beat a Top 50 player this year.
 
#87 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

SaiSai almost top 130 now :cheer:

and Yuxuan zooming up the rankings and to play the AO MD :dance:
 
#89 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Annika Beck breaks into top 100 after winning only 2 WTA MD matches the whole year, is that normal?
 
#92 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Records of teenagers inside Top 250 in the end of year official rankings of 2012:
---
#1 Sloane Stephens (1993)
Rank: #38. 2011 rank: #97 - +59
Best ranking: #36 in October 2012
W/L: 27-21
Best WTA result: SF of Strasbourg and Washington
Best slam result: 4th Round of French Open
Best win: #17 Maria Kirilenko* #25 Petra Cetkovska

#2 Laura Robson (1994)
Rank: #53. 2011: #131 - +78
Best ranking: #52 in October 2012
W/L: 34-25
Best WTA result: F of Guangzhou
Best slam result: 4th Round of US Open
Best win: #8 Na Li

#3 Timea Babos (1993)
Rank: #64. 2011: #153 - +89
Best ranking: #59 in August 2012
W/L: 30-23
Best WTA result: Won Monterrey
Best slam result: 2nd Round of Wimbledon
Best win: #36 Sara Errani

#4 Kristina Mladenovic (1993)
Rank: #76. 2011: #183 - +107
Best ranking: #76 in November 2012
W/L: 30-26
Best WTA result: SF of Quebec City
Best slam result: 3rd Round of US Open
Best win: #20 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

#5 Annika Beck (1994)
Rank: #78. 2011: #234 - +156
Best ranking: #78 in November 2012
W/L: 62-16
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of Quebec City, Luxembourg
Best slam result: 1st Round of Wimbledon
Best win: #57 Aleksandra Wozniak

#6 Lauren Davis (1993)
Rank: #94. 2011: #319 - +225
Best ranking: #88 in October 2012
W/L: 46-19
Best WTA result: QF of Quebec City
Best slam result: 2nd Round of French Open
Best win: #27 Yanina Wickmayer

#7 Garbine Muguruza (1993)
Rank: #104. 2011: #249 - +145
Best ranking: #94 in August 2012
W/L: 35-25
Best WTA result: QF of Fes
Best slam result: 1st Round of US Open
Best win: #9 Vera Zvonareva

#8 Jana Cepelova (1993)
Rank: #107. 2011: #218 - +111
Best ranking: #102 in August 2012
W/L: 38-24
Best WTA result: QF of Washington
Best slam result: 3rd Round of Wimbledon
Best win: #28 Anabel Media Garrigues

#9 Michelle Larcher de Brito (1993)
Rank: #116. 2011: #173 - +57
Best ranking: #76 in July 2009
W/L: 48-28
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of Birmingham, Stanford, Washington
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #62 Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova

#10 Donna Vekic (1996)
Rank: #118. 2011: #392 - +274
Best ranking: #108 in October 2012
W/L: 41-11
Best WTA result: F of Tashkent
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #54 Magdalena Rybarikova

#11 Yulia Putintseva (1995)
Rank: #121. 2011: #241 - +120
Best ranking: #120 in July 2012
W/L: 31-16
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of Copenhagen
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #59 Silvia Soler-Espinosa

#12 Monica Puig (1993)
Rank: #127. 2011: 228 - +101
Best ranking: #121 in October 2012
W/L: 44-23
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Monterrey, Tashkent
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #66 Magdalena Rybarikova

#13 Saisai Zheng (1994)
Rank: #133. 2011: #276 - +143
Best ranking: #133 in November 2012
W/L: 43-22
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of Stanford, Guangzhou
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #70 Ayumi Morita* #102 Julia Cohen

#14 Caroline Garcia (1993)
Rank: #138. 2011: #146 - +8
Best ranking: #132 in May 2012
W/L: 28-29
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of Seoul
Best slam result: 1st Round of French Open
Best win: #83 Stephanie Foretz-Gacon

#15 Eugenie Bouchard (1994)
Rank: #144. 2011: #302 - +168
Best ranking: #144 in November 2012
W/L: 46-15
Best WTA result: QF of Washington
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #56 Shahar Peer

#16 Jessica Pegula (1994)
Rank: #147. 2011: #288 - +141
Best ranking: #147 in November 2012
W/L: 35-21
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Indian Wells, Quebec City
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #76 Mandy Minella

#17 Madison Keys (1995)
Rank: #149. 2011: #315 - +166
Best ranking: #149 in November 2012
W/L: 26-16
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of Miami
Best slam result: 1st Round of Australian Open
Best win: #62 Timea Babos

#18 Elina Svitolina (1994)
Rank: #156. 2011: #269 - +113
Best ranking: #133 in October 2012
W/L: 26-15
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Baku, Moscow
Best slam result: 1st Round of US Open
Best win: #104 Jana Cepelova

#19 Aleksandra Krunic (1993)
Rank: #168. 2011: #226 - +58
Best ranking: #167 in October 2012
W/L: 28-20
Best WTA result: QF of Baku
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #88 Andrea Hlavackova

#20 Irina Khromacheva (1995)
Rank: #176. 2011: #402 - +226
Best ranking: #165 in July 2012
W/L: 33-19
Best WTA result: N/A
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #53 Irina-Camelia Begu* #93 Patricia Mayr-Achleitner

#21 Grace Min (1994)
Rank: #177. 2011: #414 - +237
Best ranking: #169 in July 2012
W/L: 40-20
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Birmingham, Stanford, Quebec City
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #65 Anastasiya Yakimova

#22 Anna-Lena Friedsam (1994)
Rank: #189. 2011: #655 - +466
Best ranking: #189 in November 2012
W/L: 56-14
Best WTA result: N/A
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #66 Andrea Hlavackova

#23 Kateryna Kozlova (1994)
Rank: #192. 2011: #343 - +151
Best ranking: #192 in November 2012
W/L: 36-14
Best WTA result: N/A
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #107 Kristyna Pliskova

#24 Ashleigh Barty (1996)
Rank: #195. 2011: 669 - +474
Best ranking: #195 in November 2012
W/L: 31-7
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Hobart
Best slam result: 1st Round of Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
Best win: #121 Karolina Pliskova

#25 Maryna Zanevska (1993)
Rank: #197. 2011: #435 - +238
Best ranking: #192 in October 2012
W/L: 56-15
Best WTA result: N/A
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #88 Alexandra Panova

#26 Anna Schmeidlova (1994)
Rank: #212. 2011: #634 - +422
Best ranking: #212 in November 2012
W/L: 48-12
Best WTA result: N/A
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #101 Julia Cohen

#27 Daria Gavrilova (1994)
Rank: #215. 2011: #383 - +178
Best ranking: #215 in November 2012
W/L: 30-21
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of s'Hertogenbosch
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #35 Yanina Wickmayer

#28 Luksika Kumkhum (1993)
Rank: #216. 2011: #320 - +104
Best ranking: #202 in October 2012
W/L: 35-15
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Guangzhou, Osaka
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #119 Tamarine Tanasugarn

#29 Alison van Uytvanck
Rank: #220. 2011: #297 - +77
Best ranking: #218 in October 2012
W/L: 28-17
Best WTA result: QF of Brussels
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #39 Ksenia Pervak

#30 Carina Witthoeft
Rank: #223. 2011: #405 - +182
Best ranking: #208 in October 2012
W/L: 29-9
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Bastad
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #42 Tsvetana Pironkova

#31 Margarita Gasparyan
Rank: #231. 2011: #648 - +417
Best ranking: #223 in October 2012
W/L: 28-8
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Moscow
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #162 Ekaterina Bychkova

#32 Nicole Gibbs
Rank: #233. 2011: #620 - +387
Best ranking: #227 in September 2012
W/L: 17-6
Best WTA result: 2nd Round of Stanford, New Haven
Best slam result: 1st Round of US Open
Best win: #78 Lourdes Dominguez Lino

#33 Valentyna Ivakhnenko
Rank: #240. 2011: #300 - +60
Best ranking: #222 in July 2012
W/L: 33-21
Best WTA result: 1st Round of Palermo
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #114 Anastasiya Yakimova

#34 Cristina Dinu
Rank: #241. 2011: #298 - +57
Best ranking: #241 in November 2012
W/L: 36-17
Best WTA result: N/A
Best slam result: N/A
Best win: #91 Nina Bratchikova
---
Some players have continued playing so I will keep an eye if anyone else reaches Top 100. For next year, once players become 20 I will stop following their progress as closely, and then we will look towards if anyone from 1997 can join the elite teenagers of today on the WTA.

:)
 
#95 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Lets hope so, the WTA desperately misses the teen-prodigies. I still believe out of all the players on the list, Robson is the one who can really make a stamp on the top next year. The 1994 generation seems to have quite a few prospects though so it will be interesting to see if any there will be consistent developers, like a Stephens, or will stagnate, like a Garcia.
 
#96 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

In 2013,
I expect Laura Robson to make top 30 at least. She can do even better if head follows.
Not expecting Sloane Stephens to be a world beater though. Time will tell. We've seen decent players drastically improve over years. Top 20 is likely next year as many players can make it nowadays.
Top 50 goals for Mladenovic, Beck, Davis, Vekic and possibly Puig if she keeps up her form as of late.
I think it might be early for Putintseva or Khromacheva to have a breakthrough. They have been stagnating lately and will need more time. I'd be surprised if they did not make top 30 at least at some point though.
Not expecting Babos, Muguruza, Cepelova or Larcher to improve much next year.
Bouchard, Keys, Barty, Zheng, maybe Pegula, Krunic, Svitolina to make top 100.
Friedsam and Witthoeft to follow closely next year.
Gasparyan, Gibbs, Min, Schmiedlova, maybe Zanevska and Kozlova to get close to top 100.
I don't think it's early enough (or they possibly won't ever be big) for Van Uytvanck, Ivakhnenko, Dinu or Kumkhum.
I know I'm being optimistic but that would be a breath of fresh air.
 
#97 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

I think Robson and Mladenovic will make big strides next year. Robson has obviously posted some impressive results in the past two months, and Mladenovic has the biggest game of the lot.

Babos has potential, but she's been playing like shit for months and months now. Stephens doesn't impress me all that much; Decent athlete who hits a smooth clean ball, but it's not that big and her BH is a glitchy liability.

Vekic has a super solid game for her age, and seems to do everything well, but nothing spectacular.

Seen Witthoeft on a stream or two this year and thought she hit a pretty big ball off both sides. Could take a year or two longer to make waves though.

Keys has a big game, and is starting to have good results at challenger level.

Haven't seen either Beck or Muguruza Blanco yet, the two other notable potentials from this list.
 
#98 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Probably only 1 or 2 of them will break Top 50 at end of the year in 2013.

A few more might break Top 50 mid year but will drop out later.
 
#99 ·
Re: Is the 1993-1996 generation about to breakthrough?

Robson has shown she can do it on the big stage, which counts an awful lot. She's always done fairly well in big matches but those wins against Clijsters and Li were a huge breakthrough. Her groundstrokes are some of the cleanest and well hit on tour. Her serve IMO could be a weapon as well if she gets it more consistent.

Mladenovic has been so up and down this year that I find it hard to say how much potential she has. The positives for her is despite having very disappointing results at times, she has shown potential when she's got a few wins under her belt. She's also shown you only need good results at a few tournaments to make your ranking rise fairly easily from that #150 mark.

Stephens.. I don't know. My issue with her is that she gets far too passive, and doesn't seem that strong mentally. I can't help but wonder if her being the #1 teen currently is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

Babos has a great serve, a good BH and probably the best teen in terms of net play and overall variety, but her FH needs work and her movement is not great. Her results have been fairly disappointing as well since she won Monterrey.

Not seen the likes of Vekic or Keys. Beck reminds me of Alona Bondarenko. Good FH, great mover. She's very mentally solid as well. Doesn't have a serve though and her results on tour have been unspectacular.

It will be interesting to see if anyone else comes through that hasn't been mentioned yet and make huge strides.
 
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