Around the Tours: Osaka wins tough upon return
JAPANESE star Naomi Osaka has made a winning return to the WTA Tour in Melbourne, getting up in a tight three-set win over Frenchwoman Alize Cornet. It was the perfect start for Osaka, perhaps not the most dominant of performances, but she blew out the cobwebs and came away with the win. Cornet is a […]
Top 5 WTA Tour nations for 2021
ONE continued powerhouse, two nations with great depth, and a couple that are held up by top-end stars, Rookie Me Central presents five WTA Tour nations that impressed with overall titles in 2021. The five included won four or more singles titles in 2021. #1 United States Total Top 100 Singles Players: 162021 Singles Titles: […]
2021 Billie Jean King Cup preview: Group C
AFTER completing our team-by-team previews ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup, Draft Central now focuses the attention on the Group-by-Group previews. Over the next four days we will run through the four groups and who is anticipated to progress, the stars, and the ones to watch in each of the groups. GROUP C TEAMS […]
2021 Billie Jean King Cup nation preview: USA
THE WTA Tour’s most prestigious team event is less than a month away, and Draft Central is counting down the days until it kicks off by previewing each team individually. Starting with the lowest ranked nation through to the highest one, we take a look at each squad, their fixtures, and what they might be […]
Badosa bolts up to career-high 13th with Indian Wells stunner
SPANISH rising star Paula Badosa has continued a remarkable 2021 WTA Tour season by taking out the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells yesterday. The 23-year-old took her season record to 41-15, and rose up to a career-high 13th in the world, having earned around $2.3 million USD this year, which is more than double […]
WTA Finals race: Who will be there at the pointy end?
JUST a month remains in the WTA Tour season until the 2021 WTA Finals takes place in Guadalajara, Mexico. The best eight players contest in a best-of-the-best event, but will this year’s event be just that? We take a look at those in the top eight spots, and who might earn a place there. Qualified […]
2021 WTA BNP Paribas preview: Andreescu returns to defend her title
FOUR past winners, including reigning champion Bianca Andreescu will line up at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. The WTA 1000 event is the last major event on the calendar prior to the WTA Finals, with only a sprinkling of 250 events and one 500 left for the season. Andreescu joins two-time […]
2021 Junior Billie Jean King Cup preview: Russia the favourites as Czechs, Germans and Argentinians also eye off crown
THE future stars of the WTA Tour will hit the courts in Antalya, Turkey next week for the 2021 Junior Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Past winners of the tournament include Poland’s Iga Swiatek and United States’ Coco Gauff, with the pair going on to have outstanding seasons at senior level since leading their nations […]
US Open shines light on WTA future stars
WHEN it comes to the WTA Tour, there is no doubt that youngsters are on their way up with plenty of developing talent showcasing their wares throughout the season so far. An all teenage grand slam final was seen for the first time since 1999 as Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez faced […]
WTA Tour wrap: Raducanu’s run continues as Sakkari guarantees first-time Slam finalists
TEENAGE star Emma Raducanu continued to dazzle at Flushing Meadows, by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, following the British talent’s straight sets win over Swiss 11th seed, Belinda Bencic. Raducanu will join fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in the semi-final, and became the first qualifier to reach the US Open semi-final since 1968, and […]
