Serena named Comeback Player of Year

SERENA WILLIAMS
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Serena Williams, a part-time Silicon Valley resident, was named the Comeback Player of the Year, the WTA announced today.
   Williams, 37, has skyrocketed from No. 491 in March to No. 17 after having her first child in September 2017 and suffering life-threatening complications. She reached two consecutive Grand Slam finals, losing to Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon and Naomi Osaka in the U.S. Open.
   Other award winners were Simona Halep (Player of the Year), Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova (Doubles Team of the Year), Kiki Bertens (Most Improved Player of the Year) and Aryna Sabalenka (Newcomer of the Year).
   Halep, a 27-year-old Romanian, won her first Grand Slam title in the French Open, spent 40 weeks at No. 1 in the world and finished the year there.
   Krejcikova and Siniakova, both 22-year-old Czechs, became the first team in 15 years to win the French Open and Wimbledon back to back.
   Bertens, 26, became the first Dutchwoman to crack the top 10 in 22 years. She beat Halep to win Cincinnati, one of her three titles this year.
   Sabalenka, 20, of Belarus is ranked No. 15 after beginning the year at No. 78. She is coached by Dmitry Tursunov, a Moscow native and former longtime Northern California resident.