Are you a good tennis predictor? Join John Bolan in his 2015 WTA year-end rankings forecast and win a WTA player autograph

48
Wilson Blade 9

Over years some topics have spontaneously turned into special fan favorite series here on Women’s Tennis Blog and John Bolan’s pre-season year-end Top 10 ranking predictions have definitely acquired that status. This year we’re actually celebrating fifth straight year (half a decade!) of our friend’s WTA forecasts. As always, John is inviting all of you to join him in the comments and if at the end of 2015 your Top 10 standings turn out to be the most accurate, John will award you with an autograph of one of your favorite WTA players. Comments received by January 1st, 2015 will be eligible for the prize.

Ana IvanovicFor many years, I have made the Top 10 end-of-year predictions, but 2015 has been the most difficult. The 2014 rankings had six players just a win or two away from being a member of the Top 10. The top player was not decided until the WTA Finals in Singapore. Four players in the Top 10 had less than 200 points separating them. A perennial Top 10 player was injured for the majority of the year and must be considered in 2015’s standings.

My first step, the logical part, was to choose the players to be considered Top 10 material for 2015. I chose the 2014 16 highest-ranked players plus the injured, Victoria Azarenka, and the best rising young player, Garbine Muguruza. I considered these 18 players as finalists.

Of course, we all have personal favorites. Your heart, not just your brain, joins in the decision. In the end, my brain won out this year as two of my favorite Top 10 players in 2014 missed the final cut for 2015. My apologies go to Eugenie Bouchard and my friend, Dominika Cibulkova. I eliminated four veterans – Angelique Kerber, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani and Lucie Safarova – because of their play in matches I witnessed. Garbine Muguruza will be in the Top 10 soon enough, but not in 2015. For me, the hardest choice was Ekaterina Makarova, whom I know and like. She had a great year, and if she had just won one match at the Tournament of Champions in Sofia, she would have been in the Top 10 in 2014.

Andrea PetkovicHere are my Top 10 year-end rankings for 2015:

  1. Serena Williams
  2. Maria Sharapova
  3. Simona Halep
  4. Agnieszka Radwanska
  5. Caroline Wozniacki
  6. Victoria Azarenka
  7. Petra Kvitova
  8. Andrea Petkovic
  9. Ana Ivanovic
  10. Jelena Jankovic

In 2015, the number one spot is up for grabs. Any of the Top 3 could be number one a year from now. Serena’s age and injuries have leveled the playing field. Maria and Simona are ready to take advantage. It was difficult to choose between the Top 3, so I picked them in the same order they finished in 2014.

Aga now has Martina Navratilova on her team which is a definite plus. Caroline is playing great once again. Having Serena for a best friend is a plus for her. Victoria should be well this year and back in the Top 10. Petra has just said she wants to be number one in 2015.

Andrea is the hardest working player in tennis. The two Serbians also make the Top 10 because of their work ethic. Andrea, Ana and Jelena know how hard they must work to be a Top 10 player.

There is no expectation on my part you will agree with me on these picks. This is the reason we play the game. Now let’s see your WTA Top 10 year-end ranking predictions for 2015 in the comments below! Remember, the deadline for submission is January 1st, 2015 and the best predictor will receive an autograph of one of their favorite women’s tennis players. Good luck!

48 COMMENTS

  1. 1.serena williams
    2.petra kvitova
    3.simona halep
    4.ana ivanovic
    5.caroline wozniacki
    6.maria sharapova
    7.agnieszka radwanska
    8.venus williams
    9.angelique kerber
    10.eugenie bouchard

  2. 1. Simona Halep
    2. Serena Williams
    3. Maria Sharapova
    4. Petra Kvitova
    5. Caroline Wozniacki
    6. Eugenie Bouchard
    7. Victoria Azarenka
    8. Ana Ivanovic
    9. Ekaterina Makarova
    10. Agnieszka Radwanska

  3. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Petra Kvitova
    3. Maria Sharapova
    4. Caroline Wozniacki
    5. Simona Halep
    6. Agniezka Radwanska
    7. Victoria Azarenka
    8. Ana Ivanovic
    9. Garbine Muguruza
    10. Madison Keys

  4. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Simona Halep
    3. Petra Kvitová
    4. Caroline Wozniacki
    5. Ana Ivanovic
    6. Maria Sharapova
    7. Agnieszka Radwanska
    8. Eugenie Bouchard
    9. Lucie Safarova
    10. Ekaterina Makarova

  5. Here’s my prediction:

    1. Maria Sharapova
    2. Caroline Wozniacki
    3. Victoria Azarenka
    4. Serena Williams
    5. Agniezka Radwanska
    6. Petra Kvitova
    7. Simona Halep
    8. Ana Ivanovic
    9. Jelena Jankovic
    10. Vera Zvonareva

  6. 1. Maria Sharapova
    2. Serena Williams
    3. Petra Kvitova
    4. Caroline Wozniacki
    5. Agneiszka Radwanska
    6. Simona Halep
    7. Garbine Muguruza
    8. Ana Ivanovic
    9. Andrea Petkovic
    10. Eugenie Bouchard

  7. 1: Serena williams
    2: Maria Sharapova
    3: Agnieszka Radwanska
    4: Caroline wozniacki
    5: Petra Kvitova
    6: Simona Halep
    7: Ana Ivanovic
    8: Angelique Kerber (MANY questions!)
    9: Andrea Petkovic (MANY questions!)
    10: Euguenie Bouchard (MANY questions !)

  8. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Maria Sharapova
    3. Petra Kvitova
    4. Simona Halep
    5. Ana Ivanovic
    6. Caroline Wozniacki
    7. Victoria Azarenka
    8. Agnieszka Radwanska
    9. Euguenie Bouchard
    10. Angelique Kerber

  9. 1. Maria sharapova
    2. Serena williams
    3. Simona Halep
    4. Ana Ivanovic
    5. Caroline Wozniacki
    6. Agnieszka Radwańska
    7. Petra kvitova
    8. Victoria Azarenka
    9. Muguruza
    10 Bouchard

  10. #1. SERENA WILLIAMS
    #2. PETRA KVITOVA
    #3. MARIA SHARAPOVA
    #4. SIMONA HALEP
    #5. AGNIEZKA RADWANSKA
    #6. CAROLINE WOZNIACKI
    #7. ANA IVANOVIC
    #8. VICTORIA AZARENKA
    #9. EUGUENIE BOUCHARD
    #10. ANGELIQUE KERBER

  11. 1. Simona Halep
    2. Serena Williams
    3. Maria Sharapova
    4. Petra Kvitova
    5. Caroline Wozniacki
    6. Agnieszka Radwanska
    7. Ana Ivanovic
    8. Garbine Muguruza
    9. Victoria Azarenka
    10. Angelique Kerber

  12. I was so close winning the 2014 edition. I hope I win this one!

    My 2015 Top 10 picks:

    1. Serena Williams
    2. Maria Sharapova
    3. Agnieszka Radwanska
    4. Simona Halep
    5. Victoria Azarenka
    6. Caroline Wozniacki
    7. Ana Ivanovic
    8. Petra Kvitova
    9. Angelique Kerber
    10. Jelena Jankovic

  13. 1. Halep
    2. Serena,
    3. Kivitova
    4. Sharapova
    5. Wozniacki
    6. Radwanska
    7. Ivanovic
    8. Safarova
    9. Kerber
    10. Keys

  14. 1. Halep
    2. S. Williams
    3. Kivitova
    4. Wozniacki
    5. Sharapova
    6. Radwanska
    7. Azarenka
    8. Ivanovich
    9. Safarova
    10. Corent

  15. 1. Maria Sharapova
    2. Serena Williams
    3. Simona Halep
    4. Agnieska Radwanska
    5. Ana Ivanovic
    6. Petra Kvitova
    7. Caroline Wozniacki
    8. Angelique Kerber
    9. Ekaterina Makarova
    10. Eugenie Bouchard

  16. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Maria Sharapova
    3. Simona Halep
    4. Petra Kvitova
    5. Caroline Wozniacki
    6. Agnieszka Radwanska
    7. Ana Ivanovic
    8. Victoria Azarenka
    9. Eugenie Bouchard
    10. Angelique Kerber

  17. I do love this game, although i can never remember my answers come the following December. I have always tried being a bit bold, and of course that never works. So why change.
    #1 Halep (Romanian pride, GF would kill me otherwise)
    #2 Williams
    #3 Kvitova
    #4 Radwanska
    #5 Ivanovic
    #6 Jankovic
    #7 Bouchard
    #8 Makarova
    #9 Sharapova
    #10 Peng, Shuai

  18. I didn’t remember what I had predicted at the end of 2013 and when I read my comment and saw I had both Sloane and Sam in the top 10, I cracked up… Oh well. I hope to do better this year though.

    1. Serena Williams
    2. Simona Halep
    3. Petra Kvitova
    4. Caroline Wozniacki
    5. Maria Sharapova
    6. Ana Ivanovic
    7. Agnieszka Radwanska
    8. Victoria Azarenka
    9. Andrea Petkovic
    10. Garbine Muguruza

  19. P!nky, I don’t remember you were that bad actually… your predictions were average, compared to other participants. 🙂

    Tenniz-fan, that’s one of the reasons we enjoy this game, that it forces us to put black on white our picks and then we can be surprised a year later 🙂

  20. 1. Agnieszka Radwanska
    2. Ana Ivanovic
    3. Simona Halep
    4. Maria Sharapova
    5. Serena Williams
    6. Jelena Jankovic
    7. Caroline Wozniacki
    8. Andrea Petkovic
    9. Venus Williams
    10. Angelique Kerber
    WHY NOT, OK!!!!!

  21. Mine:

    1. Serena Williams
    2. Simona Halep
    3. Petra Kvitova
    4. Ana Ivanovic
    5. Victoria Azarenka
    6. Caroline Wozniacki
    7. Maria Sharapova
    8. Agnieszka Radwanska
    9. Andrea Petkovic
    10. Garbine Muguruza

  22. Even though I love Maria Sharapova, there is no bias in my ranking prediction. I simply believe, while looking at all of what happened in the 2014 WTA season this year, that Serena will lose her #1 ranking in 2015.

    1. Maria Sharapova: She knows that she needs to step up her game. She will be looking for blood as she has publicly stated her 2015 goal isn’t #1, but more grand slams. But, that could catapult her to #1, especially if her clay court season continues to shine. This will also be the year Maria finally beats Serena. Perhaps even multiple times
    2. Simona Halep
    3. Serena Williams: Age will become a factor. Yes she succeeded in winning the US Open in 2014, but I think that was her last hurrah. She’ll still rank well, but I think this year will either be her last, or the beginning of her demise
    4. Caroline Wozniacki: She’s still young, and she made a huge comeback this year. I predict a possible grand slam for caro in 2015
    5. Petra Kvitova
    6. Agnieszka Radwanka
    7. Ana Ivanovic
    8. Andrea Petkovic
    9. Ekaterina Makarova
    10. Venus Williams: Her 2014 was actually a great season, both her matches against Kvitova and Errani, at Wimbledon and US Open respectively, could have gone either way. She cracked back into top 20, so who knows. maybe she could re-emerge! (VERY bold prediction since I dislike Bouchard)

  23. 1: Serena Williams
    2: Maria Sharapova
    3: Simona Halep
    4: Petra Kvitova
    5: Caroline Wozniacki
    6: Victoria Azarenka
    7: Agnieszka Radwanska
    8: Ana Ivanovic
    9: Eugenie Bouchard
    10: Angelique Kerber
    10:

  24. 1) Serena Williams 2) Caroline Wozniacki 3) Agnieszka Radwanska 4) Maria Sharapova 5) Ana Ivanovic 6) Simona Halep 7) Victoria Azarenka 8) Petra Kvitova 9) Ekaterina Makarova 10) Venus Williams I see Serena winning 2-3 grand slams this year. The Australian Open has eluded her as of recently, so hopefully she goes in determined and remains injury-free. I see Caroline Wozniacki capitalizing on a hiccup from Serena and winning her first grand slam. Elsewhere, I hope to see Vika back in top-form, because when she is, she can beat pretty much anybody (except Serena).

  25. Thanks for running this game again, always fun to look back at predictions at the end of the year! Here we go again…

    1. Serena Williams
    2. Caroline Wozniacki
    3. Maria Sharapova
    4. Simona Halep
    5. Petra Kvitova
    6. Victoria Azarenka
    7. Ana Ivanovic
    8. Agnieszka Radwanska
    9. Garbine Muguruza
    10. Lucie Safarova

  26. It’s always fun to make a prediction and see it not come true at the end of the year. 😉
    1. Simona Halep
    2. Caroline Wozniacki
    3. Petra Kvitova
    4. Serena Williams
    5. Maria Sharapova
    6. Ana Ivanovic
    7. Eugenie Bouchard
    8. Agnieszka Radwanska
    9. Garbine Muguruza
    10. Andrea Petkovic

  27. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Petra Kvitova
    3. Maria Sharapova
    4. Caroline Wozniacki
    5. Simona Halep
    6. Aga Radwanska
    7. Ana Ivanovic
    8. Andrea Petkovic
    9. Madison Keys
    10. Sam Stosur

  28. 1. Serena Williams she wont repeat 2013 but 2014 level is more than enough to stay at the top.
    2. Petra Kvitova she says that she wants to be n.1 a good start of the year can give her huge points but not enough to pass Serena.
    3. Ana Ivanovic since she realized that she passed her mid twenties she started improving her game then her results she can get a big title in 2015.
    4. Caroline Wozniacki nobody can run as much as her but she needs something more to win a slam.
    5. Maria Sharapova I don’t think that she can win a slam this year.
    6. Simona Halep I expect a shaky start but she has the quality to survive it.
    7. Agnieszka Radwanska Martina can’t teach her to be powerful .
    8. Victoria Azarenka Just because I like her and that she has nothing to defend.
    9. Angelique Kerber She lost her 4 finals in 2014 I don’t think that she will repeat that.
    10. Eugenie Bouchard A lower ranking will be a nightmare for her and she will fight to prevent falling farther.

  29. 1.Simona Halep(Semifinal Australian Open ,WINS Roland Garros,Quarters Wimbledon,Semifinal US Open)
    2.Serena Williams(Final Australian Open,round 16 RG,semis Wimbledon,Final Us Open)
    3.Caroline Wozniacki(Semis AO,Quarters RG,Semis Wimbledon,Quarters US Open)
    4.Ana Ivanovic(Semis AO,Final RG,Quarters Wimbledon,Wins US open)
    5.Petra Kvitova(Quarters AO,3rd round RG,wins wimbledon,quarters US Open)
    6.Agnieska Radwanska(maybe quarters in all GS)
    7.Maria Sharapova(to much points to defend this year)
    8.Gabriñe Muguruza(future top 5)
    9.Jelena Jankovics(hard to say)
    10.Madison Keys(future top 5)

  30. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Petra Kvitova
    3. Caroline Wozniacki
    4. Ana Ivanovic
    5. Simona Halep
    6. Maria Sharapova
    7. Agnieszka Radwanska
    8. Jelana Jankovich
    9. Victoria Azarenko
    10. Venus Williams

  31. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Sharapova
    3. Kvitova
    4. Radwanska
    5. Kerber
    6. Halep
    7. Bouchard
    8. Wozniacki
    9. Ivanovic
    10. Jankovic

  32. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Caroline Wozniacki
    3. Maria Sharapova
    4. Agnieska Radwanska
    5. Simona Halep
    6. Ana Ivanovic
    7. Petra Kvitova
    8 Angelique Kerber
    9. Victoria Azarenka
    10. Jelena Jankovic

  33. 1.Serena Williams
    2.Maria Sharapova
    3.Petra Kvitova
    4.Simona Halep
    5.Caroline Wozniacki
    6.Ana Ivanovic
    7.Agnieszka Radwanska
    8.Eugenie Bouchard
    9.Victoria Azarenka
    10.Jelena Jankovic

  34. Simona Halep
    Maria Sharapova
    Petra Kvitova
    Agnieszka Radwanska
    Garbine Muguruza
    Belinda Bencic
    Sabine Lisicki
    Andrea Petkovic
    Alize Cornet
    Karolina Pliskova

  35. I run @AlizeCornetFP on Twitter so feel free to DM me also if I win, as I dont check my e-mails as much these days and may forget if I am indeed correct

  36. This is soooo tough! But i’m going to go

    Serena Williams
    Caroline Wozniacki
    Simona Halep
    Petra Kvitova
    Aga Radwanska (she’ll do better at the slams in 2015)
    Victoria Azarenka
    Maria Sharapova
    Jelena Jankovic
    Ana Ivanovic
    Lucie Safarova

    Tough to call really 😛

  37. 1.-Maria Sharapova
    2.- Serena Williams
    3.- Petra Kvitova
    4.- Simona Halep
    5. Agnieska Rawdanska
    6.- Ana Ivanovic
    7.-Caroline Woznkiacki
    8.- Victoria Azarenka
    9.-Anguelique Kerber
    10.- Andrea Petkovic

  38. 1. Serena Williams
    2. Maria Sharapova
    3. Agnieszka Radwanska
    4. Simona Halep
    5. Petra Kvitova
    6. Caroline Wozniacki
    7. Victoria Azarenka
    8. Jelena Jankovic
    9. Ana Ivanovic
    10. Andrea Petkovic

  39. I think i missed the cut but regardless heres my prediction…

    1. Serena Williams
    2. Simona Halep
    3. Caroline Wozniacki
    4. Maria Sharapova
    5. Ana Ivanovic
    6. Eugenie Bouchard
    7. Angelique Kerber
    8. Garbine Muguruza
    9. Petra Kvitova
    10. Andrea Petkovic

  40. Is it too late?

    1. Serena Williams (She’s the best ever!)
    2. Li Na (ONLY BECAUSE I MISS HER SOOO MUCH!)
    3. Petra Kvitova (Because she is a good friend of Li’s)
    4. Caroline Wozniacki (Because she is a good friend of Serena)
    5. Garbine Muguruza (I am following her now since Li is retired)
    6. Michelle Wie (she switches from the LPGA to the WTA for more money and fame)
    7.Eugenie Bouchard (The new glamour girl of tennis)
    8. Simona Halep
    9. Maria Sharapova (Tired of her game and everyone kissing her ass! She will never beat Serena!)
    10. Tony Romo (after winning Super Bowl, switches gender and takes up tennis!)

  41. Now that the season has just a few months left. Marija how about doing a midway season post to see who is the nearest to the current top ten. Just a thought.

  42. P!nky, John is likely to contribute another article to WTB soon, but not on this topic. I think it’s enough that we have the prediction and the overview at the end of the season.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here