Stage set for intriguing WTA Finals

This has not been a standard Serena-dominates year in women’s tennis. Instead, it’s been a season in which the great American won the AO while eight weeks pregnant, then gave birth on September 1st to AO (Alexis Olympia) Ohanian.

Almost throughout, one unexpected storyline has followed another.

Indeed, since the world’s best last converged on Singapore, five different players have held the No.1 ranking, and seven – yes, SEVEN, according to WTA stats whiz Kevin Fischer – can still finish 2017 in top spot. Whatever the impact of the no-Serena factor, and with Maria Sharapova the other key absentee in terms of profile and marketability, the upside is that the BNP Paribas WTA Finals, starting on Sunday, could be among the most even, open and interesting yet.

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The WTA’s showcase event is critical to its health, revenue-wise in particular, and the competition for spots in both fields is intense. A singles field for which both last year’s year-end No.1, Angie Kerber, and defending champion Dominika Cibulkova failed to qualify nevertheless boasts eight worthy singles contenders – the majority in decent form and almost all with a genuine chance of hoisting the trophy.

The last in, recent French revelation Caroline Garcia, has claimed the silverware at her past two events: a big one in Wuhan and an even bigger one in Beijing. Garcia’s place in the pecking order if she continues to play at the level she has elsewhere in Asia in recent weeks is a few spots higher than the Frenchwoman’s eighth seeding would suggest.

Atypically, only two winners of the year’s four Grand Slam title-holders are in the field: Wimbledon queen Garbine Muguruza and from-nowhere French Open breakout star Jelena Ostapenko. Serena is not due back from maternity leave until seeking an AO reprise in January, while US Open winner Sloane Stephens failed to make the cut.

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Stephens was coming from a long way back, admittedly, injury having relegated her to 957th in the rankings as recently as early August. But the American’s mood, and results, in recent weeks would suggest that perhaps the WTA’s decision not to activate its major-winner’s Singapore wildcard option on her behalf was a sound one.

Which leaves Simona Halep in pole position entering the A-listers’ finale (with Zhuhai to come for those ranked 10-20, now that Jo Konta is a confirmed non-starter), despite the Romanian having only reached the pinnacle via a semi-final success at the China Open a fortnight ago. But short stays have been all the rage in recent months, from Karolina Pliskova, to Muguruza to… well, maybe Halep. Or maybe not.

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On top of a total prizemoney pool of US$7 million across singles and the eight-team doubles draw, there are also vast rankings riches on the line, as Halep clings to a skinny lead of just 40 points, ahead of Muguruza, then Pliskova, the improved Elena Svitolina, resurgent Venus Williams, consistent Caroline Wozniacki and Ostapenko. A player who goes undefeated through the round-robin phase to win the title would earn the maximum 1500 points, meaning that, mathematically, all seven are still in the race.

The sentimental favourite, perhaps, is Williams, also the only former champion in the field. The 37-year-old has twice fallen just short at Grand Slam level in this year of the unexpected, but despite a selective tournament schedule, has qualified for her first WTA Finals since 2009. Much has happened since, including a debilitating illness, but no addition to her seven singles majors. This one would do nicely.