Saluting this year's first-time WTA champions

By Jonathan Scott Nov 29, 2018
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Saluting this year's first-time WTA champions

ByJonathan Scott

Published Nov 29, 2018

It's important for tennis pros to harbor short memories–take a loss and move on–but a small batch of WTA players will regard the 2018 season fondly for a special reason. That's because each secured her career-first tour-level title this year.

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Most prominent among them is Naomi Osaka, who claimed her first crown in Indian Wells, upsetting Serena Williams early and then staving off Daria Kasatkina in the championship. Per the WTA, Osaka – who of course went on to win the US Open in September–was the first of this group to win that lead-off title. Her breakthrough year has landed her attention ranging from The Ellen Show to GQ and more.

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Others in this cluster include, in chronological order, Aleksandra Krunic ('s-Hertogenbosch), Tatjana Maria (Mallorca), Wang Qiang (Nanchang), Olga Danilovic (Moscow), Mihaela Buzarnescu (San Jose), Aryna Sabalenka (New Haven) and Dayana Yastremska (Hong Kong).

Sabalenka followed up her New Haven trophy with the title at the Wuhan Open, a Premier 5 event. Based on her knockdown encounter at the US Open with Osaka, expect a lot of hard-hitting future rumbles betwixt the two–which could be a feast for fans for a decade to come.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.