WTA Names Carla Suarez Navarro its “Comeback Player of the Year”

Carla Suarez Navarro’s triumphant return to the tennis court is earning her a special award…

The 33-year-old Spanish tennis player has been named the Comeback Player of the Year by the WTA, the governing body of the women’s game.

Carla Suarez Navarro 

Suaraez Navarro announced in September, 2020 that she was being treated for early stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

She underwent months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy before returning at the French Open in June.

Suárez Navarro retired after Spain’s elimination from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Her final matches in singles and doubles took place during Spain’s previous tie against Slovakia.

World No. 1 Ash Barty was named WTA Player of the Year for the second time, while US Open champion Emma Raducanu took the Newcomer of the Year title.

Barbora Krejcikova took the WTA prize for the Most Improved Player of the Year following a stellar season in which she won the French Open singles crown.

She also excelled in doubles with playing partner Katerina Siniakova, with the pair earning the Doubles Team of the Year award, which they also won in 2018.

Leylah Fernandez to Compete at This Year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Leylah Fernandez is gearin’ up for a special cup

The 19-year-old half-Ecuadorian Canadian tennis sensation and U.S. Open finalist is among the players named to the 12 teams at next month’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Leylah Fernandez

Fernandez will play for Canada in the competition.

But she isn’t the only Latina set to play in the Cup.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza will play for Spain along with Carla Suarez Navarro.

Meanwhile, Caroline Garcia is set to play for defending champion France, alongside her teammates Alize Cornet and Fiona Ferro, who were all part of the  group that won the event in 2019. The 2020 edition was called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Matches will be played in Prague on Nov. 1-6.

The host Czech Republic will be led by 2021 French Open singles and doubles champion Barbora Krejcikova.

She is joined by Marketa Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up and the 2020 Tokyo Games singles silver medalist, and Katerina Siniakova, who was Krejcikova’s doubles partner for three Grand Slam doubles titles and a gold medal at the Summer Games.

Sloane Stephens is joined by Jessica PegulaDanielle Collins, CoCo Vandeweghe and Caroline Dolehide on the U.S. roster.

Carla Suarez Navarro Breaks Losing Streak Against Venus Williams at Rogers Cup

It’s a welcome snap for Carla Suarez Navarro… 

The 30-year-old Spanish tennis player, ranked No. 26 in the world, defeated Venus Williams in second round play at the Rogers Cup.

Carla Suarez Navarro

With the win, Suarez Navarro has snapped a five-match losing streak against the 56th-ranked Williams.

In all, Suarez Navarro is now 4-7 against Williams.

She’ll next faces Anett Kontaveit in the third round.

Carla Suarez Navarro Defeats Maria Sharapova to Advance to the US Open Quarterfinals

It’s a birthday to remember for Carla Suarez Navarro

The Spanish tennis player ended former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova‘s perfect record in night matches at the US Open, reaching the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory Monday on her 30th birthday.

Carla Suarez Navarro

Suarez Navarro, the No. 30 seed at Flushing Meadows, face 2017 runner-up Madison Keys in her bid to reach the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career.

Sharapova, seeded 22nd, had been 22-0 under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 2006 champion has lost in the fourth round of her past three appearances.

“Just a little too up-and-down,” is the way Sharapova described her performance Monday.

Sharapova collected the trophy in New York at age 19 in 2006 and owns a total of five Grand Slam titles, but the Russian was far shakier during this match than Suarez Navarro, who never has made it past the quarterfinals at a major.

The Spaniard will be at that stage for the second time at the US Open, five years after her other run to that round.

“A really complete performance,” is the way she described her play.

Suarez Navarro let the 22nd-seeded Sharapova create her own problems.

Sharapova had all sorts of trouble serving, repeatedly catching wayward ball tosses and committing eight double faults. She was broken in six of her 10 service games.

During lengthy exchanges from the baseline, Sharapova often blinked first, although a couple of times the righty managed to switch her racket to her left hand for a desperation shot to extend a point.

While both women finished with 15 winners, Sharapova had nearly twice as many unforced errors as Suarez Navarro, 38-20.

“I didn’t take care of the chances that I had. By ‘chances,’ I mean the balls that were a little bit shorter. I hesitated to move forward,” Sharapova said. “The balls where I did attack, I made unforced errors, especially on that inside-out forehand today.”

Since her championship, Sharapova has only once made it to the quarterfinals at the US Open — in 2012, when she lost in the semifinals. Since then, the best she has done are fourth-round exits in 2014, 2017 and 2018.

After this latest loss, Sharapova was asked whether she envisions herself getting back to her best in the future.

“First of all, if I didn’t have the belief to keep doing this and to keep having the motivation and the grind of doing this every day in order to get myself in these positions, I don’t think I would be here. I think I’ve done plenty in my career, established a lot for myself personally, professionally,” she replied.

“The belief is not something that I’m eager to show everybody else,” Sharapova continued. “The belief matters most when it’s internal and when you have a passion for something. If you don’t, it’s your choice to not continue that, not for anyone else to tell you so.”

Carla Suárez Navarro Upsets Caroline Garcia to Reach US Open Fourth Round

Carla Suárez Navarro is back in familiar territory at the US Open..

The 29-year-old Spanish tennis player, seeded No. 30 at Flushing Meadows, fought through a challenging match against No. 6 seed Caroline Garcia, for a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory, and earned a spot in the fourth round of the US Open once again.

Carla Suárez Navarro

“It was really tough,” Suárez Navarro admitted to the press, after the match. “I was a break up in the first set, but I didn’t take my serve then. But every point, every game was so close.”

Suárez Navarro, a US Open quarterfinalist in 2013, has now reached the fourth round in New York for the fifth time in her career, following the nearly two-and-a-half-hour marathon win over Garcia, which was Suárez Navarro’s first win over the French-Latina in their three meetings.

In the fourth round, Suárez Navarro will face 2006 US Open champion and former World No.1 Maria Sharapova.

Carla Suarez Navarro Advances to Connecticut Open Final…

Carla Suarez Navarro is one win away from her next title…

The 29-year-old Spanish tennis player will compete for the Connecticut Open championship, despite completing just one full match this week and playing less than four sets.

Carla Suarez Navarro 

Navarro advanced Friday when Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig retired during their first set of their semifinal with an abdominal injury.

Suarez Navarro will face Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, who upset fifth-seeded Julia Goerges 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the first semifinal.

“I feel like I didn’t play and I’m in the final,” Suarez Navarro said. “But, well, I cannot do nothing.”

Suarez Navarro won her first match against Barbora Strycova in straight sets. Her second-round opponent, Johanna Konta, withdrew with an illness. She was leading 6-3 in the quarterfinals Thursday when third-seeded Petra Kvitova bowed out with a shoulder injury.

Puig was leading 4-3 after exchanging service breaks with Suarez Navarro when she left the court holding her abdomen. Puig, the reigning Olympic champion, returned five minutes later, lost the next game, then approached the net in tears and announced she could not continue.

“It was a bit of an abdominal strain that I started feeling in my second service game,” Puig said. “I just gradually got worse from there. Obviously, with the US Open so close, it’s better not to make it worse, miss a tournament. I mean, I already know the consequences of getting injured and missing a Grand Slam. That’s not ideal.”

Puig  said she is hopeful of playing in New York against Stefanie Vogele of Switzerland on Tuesday.

Suarez Navarro will be seeking her third career WTA title.

Muguruza: The Higest-Seeded Latina at This Year’s Wimbledon

If all goes her way, Garbine Muguruza will most certainly get a rematch with Serena Williams in the Wimbledon finals…

The 22-year-old Spanish-Venezuelan professional tennis player, who lost to the World No. 1 tennis player 4-6, 4-6 in last year’s final, is seeded No. 2 for this year’s tournament at the All-England Club.

Garbine Muguruza

Muguruza, who bested Williams at the French Open to win the first Grand Slam title of her career, cannot face Serena, seeded No.1, until the final at Wimbledon, since they’re both in separate halves of the draw.

Seedings were based on the current world rankings but rearranged to reflect players’ grass-court achievements.

Muguruza is the highest-seeded Hispanic player on the women’s and men’s side. She’s followed by Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro at No. 13 and Caroline Garcia, who recently won her first-ever title on grass at the Mallorca Open, at No. 31.

Spain’s David Ferrer is the highest-seeded player on the men’s side at No. 13. He’s followed by Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut at No. 14, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez at No. 22 and Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas at No. 29.

Play at the third Grand Slam of the year starts Monday.

GENTLEMEN’S SINGLES
1 DJOKOVIC, Novak (SRB)
2 MURRAY, Andy (GBR)
3 FEDERER, Roger (SUI)
4 WAWRINKA, Stan (SUI)
5 NISHIKORI, Kei (JPN)
6 RAONIC, Milos (CAN)
7 GASQUET, Richard (FRA)
8 THIEM, Dominic (AUT)
9 CILIC, Marin (CRO)
10 BERDYCH, Tomas (CZE)
11 GOFFIN, David (BEL)
12 TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried (FRA)
13 FERRER, David (ESP)
14 BAUTISTA AGUT, Roberto (ESP)
15 KYRGIOS, Nick (AUS)
16 SIMON, Gilles (FRA)
17 MONFILS, Gael (FRA)
18 ISNER, John (USA)
19 TOMIC, Bernard (AUS)
20 ANDERSON, Kevin (RSA)
21 KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp (GER)
22 LOPEZ, Feliciano (ESP)
23 KARLOVIC, Ivo (CRO)
24 ZVEREV, Alexander (GER)
25 TROICKI, Viktor (SRB)
26 PAIRE, Benoit (FRA)
27 SOCK, Jack (USA)
28 QUERREY, Sam (USA)
29 CUEVAS, Pablo (URU)
30 DOLGOPOLOV, Alexandr (UKR)
31 SOUSA, Joao (POR)
32 POUILLE, Lucas (FRA)

LADIES’ SINGLES
1 WILLIAMS, Serena (USA)
2 MUGURUZA, Garbine (ESP)
3 RADWANSKA, Agnieszka (POL)
4 KERBER, Angelique (GER)
5 HALEP, Simona (ROU)
6 AZARENKA, Victoria (BLR)
7 VINCI, Roberta (ITA)
8 BENCIC, Belinda (SUI)
9 WILLIAMS, Venus (USA)
10 KEYS, Madison (USA)
11 KVITOVA, Petra (CZE)
12 BACSINSZKY, Timea (SUI)
13 SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla (ESP)
14 KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana (RUS)
15 STOSUR, Samantha (AUS)
16 PLISKOVA, Karolina (CZE)
17 KONTA, Johanna (GBR)
18 SVITOLINA, Elina (UKR)
19 STEPHENS, Sloane (USA)
20 CIBULKOVA, Dominika (SVK)
21 ERRANI, Sara (ITA)
22 PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia (RUS)
23 JANKOVIC, Jelena (SRB)
24 IVANOVIC, Ana (SRB)
25 STRYCOVA, Barbora (CZE)
26 BEGU, Irina-Camelia (ROU)
27 BERTENS, Kiki (NED)
28 VANDEWEGHE, Coco (USA)
29 SAFAROVA, Lucie (CZE)
30 KASATKINA, Daria (RUS)
31 GARCIA, Caroline (FRA)
32 MLADENOVIC, Kristina (FRA)

Muguruza Defeats Petra Kvitova to Reach Semifinals at WTA Finals

Garbine Muguruza has advanced to the semifinals at the WTA Finals in her first appearance.

The 22-year-old Spanish-Venezuelan tennis player beat former champion Petra Kvitova 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 on Friday to reach the semifinals.

Garbine Muguruza

Muguruza finished the round-robin stage 3-0 and needed to win only one set against Kvitova to earn a semifinal berth.

The other three players in the group all finished 1-2, but Kvitova advanced because of more sets won.

After losing to Muguruza, Kvitova needed the already-eliminated Lucie Safarova to beat Angelique Kerber without dropping a set, and her compatriot came through by winning 6-4, 6-3.

Kvitova will play Maria Sharapova, who won the other group, with Muguruza facing Agnieszka Radwanska in the other semifinal.

In a match that featured 15 breaks of serve, Muguruza converted her fourth match point with a backhand crosscourt volley to win in 2 hours, 33 minutes.

The Spaniard is also into the doubles semifinals with countrywoman Carla Suarez Navarro, and said the heavy workload is taking a toll.

“For sure I’m tired today,” Muguruza said. “It’s going to a challenge for me to see how much my body can handle, because now I don’t have a day off. It’s great to be in my position I think now, to be playing singles and doubles semifinals.”

Suarez Navarro Defeats Simona Halep to Reach Italian Open Final

Carla Suarez Navarro is one win away from an Italian affair to remember…

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis player beat Romania’s Simona Halep 2-6 6-3 7-5 at the Italian Open to reach her ninth career final.

Carla Suarez Navarro

“It was such a tough match from a physical standpoint,” Suarez Navarro told SuperTennis TV. “The biggest improvement I’ve made this year is in my mind.”

Suarez Navarro, who leads the tour this year in wins with 31, won the opening two games but once Halep settled down she started to dominate the rallies with her precise ground strokes.

Halep reeled off six straight games to take the opening set.

An easy miss off of a bounced overhead in the third game of the following set seemed to rattle Halep’s confidence as she became more tentative, especially on her forehand.

Suarez Navarro took advantage to take the lead as Halep’s frustration became clearly visible after she cracked her racket in distress in the sixth game.

With more time to hit, the Spaniard forced a decider repeatedly running Halep around the court with her breath-taking one-handed backhand.

Neither player could hold serve in the first eight games of the decider before Halep led to lead 5-4.

Suarez Navarro then got her service game together and after breaking again to lead 6-5, finally got over the line with her third match point.

“Her style is to hit the ball very high. It disturbs me, and I couldn’t hit anymore in the third set,” Halep said.

She’ll next face two-time Rome champion Maria Sharapova, who reached the final by overpowering qualifier Daria Gavrilova 7-5, 6-3 in an all-Russian matchup.

Suárez Navarro Makes History While Reaching the Internazionali BNL d’Italia Semifinals

It could turn out to be a special year for Carla Suárez Navarro

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis player continued her impressive start to the season by defeating No.4 seed Petra Kvitova, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Carla Suárez Navarro

By outplaying Kvitova, Suárez Navarro became the first player to reach 30 wins in 2015.

“I think that I played really solid. But sometimes I was aggressive, which is important against Petra because she hits the ball so well,” Suárez Navarro said. “I was focused on my game and fighting for each point.”

The measured approach paid immediate dividends, as Kvitova coughed up a succession of early errors to surrender her serve in the opening game. Suárez Navarro held onto the advantage to take the first set before taking complete control with a run of four straight games to start the second.

Kvitova staged a late rally, reducing her arrears to 4-2. But there was to be no denying the Spaniard, who saved the best for last, wrapping up her victory with a deft stop volley and a trademark backhand pass down the line.

Suárez Navarro’s recent run has catapulted her into the Top 10, a success story she attributes to a change in mentality, rather than any technical tinkering.

“I’m playing much more aggressive now. I am also feeling much more confident and just enjoying every match I play,” she added.

In the semifinals she will face No.2 seed Simona Halep, a player she has not beaten in nearly two years.

“It will be tough because she’s playing amazingly,” Suárez Navarro said. “Always when we play we have long rallies, long matches. But you never know. I need to be 100% and it will be tough, for sure.”