Iga Swiatek wins player of the year at 2022 WTA Awards

Best Improved Player of the Year is awarded to someone in the top 100 and has improved significantly throughout the year. The aforementioned Krejcikova won the award last year, Beatriz Haddad Maia took home the award in 2022.

Haddad Maia is the first Brazilian to win a WTA Player Award since her inception in 1977. Her singles season began in the grass season and became the first woman to win back-to-back WTA 250 events in Nottingham and Birmingham, while also reaching the semi-finals at the WTA 500 in Eastbourne. She also broke into the top 20 for the first time after reaching the finals at the WTA 1000 in Toronto in August and went on to achieve a new career ranking of No. 15.

It has always been difficult to follow the Newcomer of the Year as 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu scooped the award last year. Qinwen Zheng claimed the honor this year after climbing over 100 spots in the WTA rankings and sitting in the top 25 at the end of the season.

While yet to win a WTA title, she has made her first final at a WTA 500 in Tokyo, semifinalist at the WTA 250 Melbourne Summer Set 1, made the last eight at the WTA 1000 in Toronto, and achieved her best Grand Slam finish by reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros.

The Comeback Player of the Year is awarded to someone who has previously fallen down the rankings due to injury or personal reasons and has regained their form upon their return. That bill fits this year’s recipient with Tatjana Maria, who gave birth to her second child, Cecilia, in July 2021 and is back on the road to success in 2022.

The German won only her second WTA title as a qualifier in Bogota and her first since 2018. She cemented her comeback with a fairytale run to the semifinals at Wimbledon, where she lost to boyfriend Jabeur. Had there been ranking points in SW19, Maria would have sat in the top 30 in the world instead of just the top 70.

These were all five player awards given out this year, but there were also three player service awards chosen by other WTA players.

Ons Jabeur received the first of them, the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, for conduct befitting a professional sportswoman, as well as upholding the rules of fair play, respect for others, and goodwill on and off the pitch.

Gabriela Dabrowski won her third Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award for supporting her fellow players at all levels of the tour.

Maria Sakkari won the Jerry Diamond ACES Award for consistently promoting the sport of women’s tennis to fans, media and local communities. She joins the company of Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka, all of whom have previously received this award.

The final award went to the 2022 WTA Coach of the Year, voted for by WTA registered coaches. David Witt, Jessica Pegula’s current coach, was the recipient of this award.

This year, Witt has taken Pegula from 18th to the third best player in the world according to the WTA rankings. The American enjoyed the best season of her career, winning her first WTA1000 singles title in Guadalajara and five doubles titles, which allowed her to reach the WTA finals in both singles and doubles.