Predictions for the Top Tennis Awards of 2016
Drawing close to its conclusion, only a few tournaments remain in the 2016 tennis season before the year-end championships.
What better time to reflect on all that’s transpired throughout this long campaign and identify standout performers.
In the coming weeks, annual awards will be handed out to recognize the top ATP and WTA players, as well as others who distinguished themselves in several distinct categories.
Here are some predictions as to who will take home the honors in singles.
Based off their results this year, these men and women separated themselves from the pack and deserve the hardware.
WTA Newcomer of the Year: Daria Kasatkina
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If Daria Kasatkina, 19, keeps putting up the type of results she did this season, flying under the radar won’t be an option.
Nominated for the WTA Breakthrough of the Month award in January, February and March, Kasatkina rose to a career-best mark of 24th in the world earlier this summer after reaching the third round in each of the first three Grand Slam events
Currently No. 28 in the rankings, Kasatkina has a 29-19 record thanks to quarterfinal runs in premier events like Charleston, Indian Wells, Montreal and the Olympics.
Notably, Kasatkina scored her first victories over top-10 opponents, taking out Venus Williams in Auckland and Roberta Vinci in Montreal.
For the young Russian, those wins added to the level of expectation now on her shoulders, something she’s trying to adapt to.
"It’s getting more difficult because now opponents know who I am so they know how to play against me, what I’m doing," Kasatkina told Sport360 (h/t Vavel). "And now I have to maybe surprise them and obviously improve my game and be focused on every opponent and every point because it’s very important."
She's still learning, but Kasatkina's forecast for 2017 is incredibly bright.
ATP Star of Tomorrow: Taylor Fritz
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At age 18, California native Taylor Fritz represents the leading hope for a new era of American men’s tennis.
While his personality may be unassuming, his game is anything but. A big server who’s not afraid to attack the net, the 6’4” Fritz made a lot of opponents aware of his immense potential in 2016.
Ranked 1,148th at the start of last year, Fritz began this season (his first full one as a professional) at 174th. He built off his 2015 progress, qualifying for more tour-level events and gaining invaluable experience. Now, he’s climbed all the way to No. 58 in the rankings.
His breakthrough moment came at the Memphis Open this February, where in just his third ATP tournament, Fritz reached his maiden final. Though he would come up short against three-time defending champion Kei Nishikori, he acquitted himself well in his first exposure to that grand a stage.
Other highlights for Fritz included quarterfinal appearances in Acapulco and Atlanta. But where he really turned heads was on the grass in Stuttgart.
Across the net from the king of the lawns, Roger Federer, Fritz held his own and forced a deciding set in their second-round meeting. The Swiss prevailed 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, but he was forced to dig deep to survive the upset-minded teenager.
"It wasn't easy," Federer said, per ATPWorldTour.com. "I thought Fritz had some good moments there. He gained control of the baseline, he had a little bit of an upper-hand at times. He served well and I was a little bit cautious, unsure of how to move and questioning my defense.”
When Federer takes notice of your skills, that’s probably not a bad sign. And there’ll surely be more praise to follow in the coming years as his game and body mature.
WTA Comeback Player of the Year: Svetlana Kuznetsova
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Svetlana Kuznetsova is enjoying her best season in several years, breaking back into the Top 10 for the first time since 2010.
The 31-year-old Russian's resurgence has seen her compile a 34-17 record so far, with four wins over fellow top-10 ranked opponents, including one against Serena Williams.
After winning a January title in Sydney, Kuznetsova reached the final in Miami this spring and later made the quarterfinals in Rome, Montreal and Cincinnati.
While Kuznetsova didn't advance past the fourth round at any of the majors, steady results have her in the mix for a spot in the WTA Championships, an event she last qualified for in 2009.
Booking a ticket for Singapore gives her something extra to play for during the fall circuit.
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ATP Comeback Player of the Year: Juan Martin del Potro
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On the verge of retirement at the end of last year, Juan Martin del Potro instead chose the comeback trail.
With each passing tournament, the 2009 U.S. Open champion and former world No. 4 looks more and more like his dominant older self.
Hampered by multiple surgeries on his left wrist in recent years, the 28-year-old Argentine had to tweak his strategy on the backhand side, utilizing more slices to reduce the strain on his ligaments. It's an adjustment that took him some time to become comfortable with, but the other parts of his game haven't lost any of their magic.
The booming serves and the atomic forehands; those two weapons led a midseason revival for Del Potro, who beat four top-10 players this summer, including Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the Olympics and Andy Murray in the Davis Cup semifinals.
At Wimbledon, Del Potro competed in a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2014 Australian Open. In New York, he made his first major quarterfinal in over three years.
His stirring run to the silver medal at the Olympics is his most endearing moment from this year. And the journey from nearly hanging up his racket to the podium in Rio de Janeiro isn't something he takes for granted.
“More than the color of the medal, I’ll remember the whole experience,” Del Potro said, per the New York Times' Christopher Clarey. “This is only the reward, but it’s not what I’ll keep with me. That’s inside.”
Rising from No. 1,045 in the rankings in February, he currently sits at No. 64. With the way he's performed lately, a return to the Top 10 in 2017 is a realistic possibility.
WTA Most Improved Player of the Year: Johanna Konta
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Becoming the first British woman in 33 years to make a Grand Slam semifinal, 25-year-old Johanna Konta rose 34 spots in the rankings this year and is now knocking on the door of the Top 10.
What's led to this sudden midcareer renaissance? A new sense of peace and trust in herself.
“I think really understanding why I was playing the sport and really finding my enjoyment within the sport, really separating that enjoying from results is a huge factor," she told AustralianOpen.com's Vivienne Christie. "If you win and die with your wins and losses, it’s an incredibly tough lifestyle to live.”
Fortunately for Konta, there have been way more ups than downs this season.
Ranked No. 13, she's put together a 38-19 record to this point, with five top-10 wins. One of those occurred at the Bank of the West Classic, where she defeated Venus Williams for her first career title.
In the Road to Singapore standings, she's up to 10th and could move higher depending on her results in Wuhan. Qualifying for the WTA Championships would be the perfect capstone to her breakout campaign.
ATP Most Improved Player of the Year: Lucas Pouille
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In his second full season, Lucas Pouille transformed into a burgeoning contender with star potential.
Sitting at a lowly 91st in the rankings during February, the 22-year-old has zoomed all the way to No. 16 thanks to strong results and one magnificent upset.
Seemingly growing in confidence every tournament, his signature win came at the U.S. Open, where he outlasted Nadal 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in a grinding four-hour epic.
“I think because mentally I'm stronger, physically I'm stronger, [that] gave me a lot of confidence before the match,” Pouille told ATPWorldTour.com.
Those attributes have definitely been on display for the rapidly improving Frenchman.
At Wimbledon, Pouille advanced to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, a feat he replicated in New York. Overall, he owns a 30-18 record with five total wins over top-10 players, including two over David Ferrer.
Pouille won the first title of his career last week, defeating Dominic Thiem at the Moselle Open. Supremely athletic and powerful, that won't be the last time he takes home a trophy.
WTA Player of the Year: Angelique Kerber
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Only a herculean effort could have knocked Serena Williams off her throne, and it turns out Angelique Kerber was up for the task.
Entering 2016, Kerber wasn't considered an elite player. Sure, she spent plenty of time inside the Top 10 the past few seasons, but the veteran German had only made two trips to the semifinals at majors, the last one coming in 2012.
Everything finally clicked for her at the Australian Open, where she upset a heavily favored Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the final. That moment almost didn't happen for Kerber, who had to save a match point in her first-round meeting with Misaki Doi.
But this new version of Kerber showed off a stunning display of mental fortitude in Melbourne to win her maiden Grand Slam title.
The savvy lefty has built on that career-defining win throughout this season. Finishing as runner-up to Williams at Wimbledon, she also took home the silver medal at the Olympics.
Along with semifinal berths in Miami and Montreal, those results gave the 28-year-old an opportunity to take the No. 1 ranking in Cincinnati. Though she'd come up short, falling to Karolina Pliskova in the final, Kerber made amends at the U.S. Open.
Storming past talented opponents in Petra Kvitova, Vinci and Caroline Wozniacki, Kerber advanced to her third major final of the year. That alone locked up the No. 1 ranking for her, but she still had some business left to take care of: getting payback over Pliskova.
With the championship on the line, Kerber held her nerve long enough to outlast the powerful Czech in a 6–3, 4–6, 6–4 thriller.
"When I was a kid, I was always dreaming to be No. 1 and win Grand Slams," CNN's Ravi Ubha quoted her as saying during the trophy presentation. "All the dreams came true this year, and I'm just trying to enjoy every moment on court and off court."
With a 56-15 record, eight top-10 wins and three titles, Kerber is the new force in women's tennis.
ATP Player of the Year: Novak Djokovic
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Fending off his top rival Murray, Djokovic's accomplishments in the first half of 2016 were enough to earn him this honor.
After capturing his sixth title in Melbourne, Djokovic became the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the Australian Open and French Open in the same season. That victory in Paris completed the career Grand Slam for Djokovic, something he has chased in vain the last few years.
"It's really a very special moment," the Serb said, per ESPN. "Perhaps the greatest moment of my career."
Leaving Paris with two majors and three Masters Series crowns (Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid) already under his belt, Djokovic looked to be building a year for the ages.
That momentum unraveled this summer. His post-French Open results tailing off, Djokovic has dealt with injuries to his wrist and elbow and an undisclosed off-court issue. He's seemed more tense and irritable on the court, suffering a string of bitter defeats.
Sam Querrey ended Djokovic's streak of 28 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances, topping the Serb in their third-round battle at Wimbledon.
Though Djokovic shook off that defeat to win the Rogers Cup a few weeks later, his quest for Olympics gold ended with a first-round loss to Del Potro.
Pulling out of Cincinnati to deal with wrist pain, Djokovic labored throughout the U.S. Open, calling for the trainer several times. Courtesy of walkovers and retirements, he nevertheless wound up in his third major final of the year.
Despite winning the first set, Djokovic couldn't fend off the power of Wawrinka, falling to the Swiss in four sets. It all came undone for him as Wawrinka turned up the heat and denied the world No. 1 a storybook ending.
Djokovic will miss the upcoming China Open (where he's a six-time champion) to rest his ailing elbow. He'll need to return in sharp form to prevent Murray from taking away the No. 1 ranking.
That should be all the motivation he needs to finish a turbulent but successful season.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
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