eBusiness Weekly
The Australian Open is just a couple of weeks away, which means only one thing. The 2023 tennis season is upon us.
With the United Cup and ASB Classic ongoing, tennis fans have jumped on the opportunity to watch their favourite players compete before the first Grand Slam of the year.
Emma Raducanu, Venus Williams and Iga Świątek are among those in action, which got us thinking. What does 2023 have in store for the world’s best tennis players?
As a result, we’ve predicted seven things that could happen in women’s tennis this year. Sit back, gaze into our crystal ball, and get excited for the next 12 months.
Emma Raducanu MBE is a British professional tennis player. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 by the Women’s Tennis Association on 11 July 2022, and is the current British No. 1. Raducanu is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships.
Emma Raducanu to win two titles on WTA Tour. Raducanu had a tricky 2022, with the pressure from her breathtaking victory at the 2021 US Open heaped on her shoulders.
Injury and fitness issues hindered the 20-year-old’s progress, but she has spent the majority of her pre-season in the gym with physical conditioning specialist Jez Green to fix this.
As a result, we’re predicting Raducanu to make a steady rise up the world rankings, winning two WTA titles on her way. They might only be WTA 250 titles, but that won’t matter to the British star.
Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka to become star’s of Netflix’s ‘Break Point’ documentary
Netflix is set to release its tennis documentary, ‘Break Point’, later this month. Cameras followed round a handful of players as they competed on the WTA Tour last season, including Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka.
The pair became good friends after competing in the Miami Open doubles tournament together, and have described themselves as “Tour soulmates”.
Fans were also recently offered a glimpse into their friendship during a World Tennis League match.
Of course, we haven’t seen ‘Break Point’ yet, but we’re reckoning Badosa’s and Sabalenka’s personalities will shine through and attract a whole new legion of fans.
Iga Świątek to win two Grand Slams
This is a prediction many people will make, and some may even expect Świątek to win even more than two Grand Slams.
We’re putting her down to continue her brilliant form from 2022 and win the Australian Open, before establishing her dominance at Roland-Garros with a third French Open title.
She’ll come close at the US Open and Wimbledon, but we’re predicting two other players to triumph at those tournaments.
Ons Jabeur to win Wimbledon
It will be third time lucky for Ons Jabeur in a Grand Slam final.
After losing at the last stage of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022, she’ll learn from her experiences and go one step further in 2023.
We’re backing Jabeur to triumph at Wimbledon, where she is a firm favourite with the tennis loving crowd.
Coco Gauff to win US Open
We’re going for Coco Gauff as this year’s US Open winner.
At 18-years-old, the American star already has more Grand Slam experience than most players on the WTA Tour, reaching the French Open final last year.
It seemed Gauff stepped up a level in 2022, and we think she’ll improve even more in 2023.
This will culminate in her first Grand Slam title in front of a home crowd at Flushing Meadows.
Venus Williams to retire
Williams started her 29th year on the WTA Tour with a victory, triumphing over Katie Volynets at the ASB Classic.
We’re still predicting the 42-year-old to retire from tennis this year, however. We think that she’ll step away from the court forever after competing at the US Open, like her sister Serena did in 2022.
Zheng Qinwen to break into world top 10
A lot of fans are tipping Zheng Qinwen to have a monumental 2023, and her first match of the year showed what the fuss is all about.
The 20-year-old overcame world number 17 Anett Kontaveit at the ASB Classic, earning her seventh career top 20 victory. She currently sits 28th in the world rankings herself, but we’re predicting Zheng to rise all the way to the top 10 this year.
She’ll likely have to win a couple of WTA titles to do so, going one step further than she did at the 2022 Pan Pacific Open. But we’re backing her to manage it — Givemesport.com
