A closer look at the WTA Finals 2018 field

The battleground is set in Singapore as eight women have risen through the pack and will duke it out for the WTA Finals trophy.

What's almost more notable than the field this year is who didn't make it as they'll be losing valuable points. The missing faces include an injured Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Garcia, Venus Williams and Jelena Ostapenko.

The 2018 field includes players who have all had very different seasons so next week will be as unpredictable as their playing styles. Many are familiar faces, but there a couple players making their Singapore debuts. Here's a look at each contender:

1

Ranking: No. 2

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: Winner in 2017

Best Moment of 2018: After years on tour and two previous Grand Slam finals, Wozniacki finally snagged her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. She defeated Halep, who would move on to immediately win her own first-time major title at the French Open.

Worst Moment of 2018: Unfortunately, the 28-year-old couldn't capitalize on her newfound success, falling in the second round at Wimbledon to an unseeded Ekaterina Makarova.

2

Ranking: No. 3

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: Finalist in 2016

Best Moment of 2018: After a lackluster 2017 season, Kerber came back and showed everyone that she still has what it takes to win Grand Slams. She defeated Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final, her third career major title, in straight sets.

Worst Moment of 2018: There weren't many bad moments for Kerber in 2018, making it to the quarterfinals in almost every major tournament she played in, but no one is perfect. Playing against Madison Keys in Cincinnati, the 30-year-old fell in the second round.

3

Ranking: No. 4

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: N/A (debut)

Best Moment of 2018: The woman who needs no introduction, Osaka is the breakout star this year after defeating Serena Williams in a controversial US Open final. The Japanese player beat the American in a fairly one-sided battle that earned Osaka her first major title and put her on the path to becoming a household name.

Worst Moment of 2018: The season hasn't been perfect for Osaka. After winning her first career title in Indian Wells, she went through a dip in form during the clay and grass season, including a first-round loss to Zhang Shaui in Madrid.

4

Ranking: No. 7

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: Winner in 2011

Best Moment of 2018: Kvitova has won a lot of tournaments this season (four to be exact), but the biggest one by far was the Madrid Open where she defeated Kiki Bertens in a tight, three-set battle.

Worst Moment of 2018: Despite her eventual title victories, Kvitova didn't start the season off great, losing in the first round of the Australian Open to an unseeded Andrea Petkovic.

5

Ranking: No. 8

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: N/A (debut)

Best Moment of 2018: Stephens made a name for herself after winning the US Open in 2017. She was poised to win her second Grand Slam title, reaching the final at Roland Garros. Despite losing, it was a great performance by the American, one that showed she's not a flash in the pan.

Worst Moment of 2018: Despite reaching the finas of the French Open, Stephens didn't carry that momentum over into the next Grand Slam, falling in the first round of Wimbledon for the second year in a row.

6

Ranking: No. 6

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: 1-2 in round-robin action in 2017

Best Moment of 2018: After winning Rome in 2017, Svitolina was poised to make a strong return in 2018 to the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, and return she did. She Simona Halep in a one-sided final, 6-0, 6-4, to defend her title.

Worst Moment of 2018: Svitolina has yet to be a strong Grand Slam contender, never getting past the quarterfinals in any of the Grand Slams, but first-round exits are rare for her. That's why it was such a shock when the 24-year-old was sent packing by an unseeded Tatjana Maria in the first round of Wimbledon.

7

Ranking: No. 5

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: Semifinals in 2017

Best Moment of 2018: For her first title of the year, Pliskova took down both Ostapenko and CoCo Vandeweghe, the latter being a straight-sets victory in the final, to secure the trophy.

Worst Moment of 2018: Coming off of a semifinal run at the French Open last year, it was tough to see Pliskova lose in the third round in 2018, falling meekly to Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 6-1.

8

Ranking: No. 10

Best Appearance in Year-End Championships: N/A (debut)

Best Moment of 2018: The 26-year-old is enjoying a breakthrough, highlighted by her title win in Cincinnati. She defeated many of her fellow Singapore contenders including Svitolina, Wozniacki, Kvitova, and eventually Halep in the final. She's making her Singapore debut, shortly after her Top-10 debut.

Worst Moment of 2018: It's hard to find something negative in the Dutchwoman's season. However, a third-round loss at the US Open right after winning the biggest title of hera career did sting.