By Ros Satar
- Britwatch takes a look at the WTA singles performances by the Brits in 2022
LONDON, UK – we take a look at the British women, as the season closes out with good progress being made by some of the lower ranked players.
(1) Emma Raducanu
Start of season ranking: 19
End of season ranking: 75
It has been a tough first full year on the circuit for US Open 2021 champion Emma Raducanu. After her whirlwind maiden Grand Slam win, expectation was high, and despite a carousel of coaches, the results were tough to come by.
Having worked with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson (who was at the helm for her famous US Open victory, she moved onto Torben Beltz, who helped steer Angelique Kerber to multiple Grand Slam successes. That partnership concluded after five months, before working with Dmitry Tursunov, but continual injury problems saw her close out her season early, and also saw this latest partnership conclude.
She is scheduled to appear in the annual Mubadala World Tennis Championship in December where she will appear in an exhibition match against Ons Jabeur.
Season highlights:
- Stuttgart: Quarter-final
- Washington: Quarter-final
- Seoul: Semi-finals
(2) Harriet Dart
Start of season ranking: 120
End of season ranking: 97
Harriet Dart earned her nomination as one of the WTA newcomer’s of the year after her run to the fourth round of Indian Wells saw her break the Top 100 for the first time. A stand-out performance on the grass saw her reach the quarter-finals in Nottingham and Eastbourne, and ended the season strongly with her first Top 10 win over Daria Kasatkina at the US Open.
Season highlights:
- Nottingham: Quarter-final
- Eastbourne: Quarter-final
(3) Jodie Burrage
Start of season ranking: 216
End of season ranking: 132
It was another solid rise up the rankings for a Brit, as Jodie Burrage cracked the World Top 150 in 2022, and earned herself a Top 5 scalp by beating World No. 4 Paula Badosa in Eastbourne. She earned a career high this year of 126.
Her performances at the ITF level have been instrumental this year to her rankings rise, reaching three quarter-finals, five semi-finals and two finals
Season highlights:
- Traralgon ITF: Quarter-final
- Birmingham ITF: Quarter-final
- Glasgow ITF: Semi-final
- Joue-Les-Tours ITF: Quarter-final
- Nottingham 6 ITF: Semi-final
- Surbiton ITF: Semi-final
- Ilkley ITF: Final
- Lexington ITF: Final
- Glasgow 2 ITF: Semi-final
- Poitiers ITF: Quarter-final
(4) Katie Boulter
Start of season ranking: 149
End of season ranking: 135
It has been a long road back from injury for Katie Boulter, having suffered a spinal stress fracture representing Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2019. Her highlights this year include reaching the third round of Wimbledon, and scoring a Top 10 win over Karolina Pliskova in Eastbourne, and then again at Wimbledon.
There were more injuries, with Boulter having to withdraw from the WTA tournament in Lyon, having come in with confidence after winning the Grenoble ITF title the week before.
Season highlights:
- Grenoble ITF: Title
- Birmingham: Quarter-final
- Glasgow 2 ITF: Quarter-final
- Shrewsbury ITF: Quarter-final
(5) Heather Watson
Start of season ranking: 72
End of season ranking: 137
British stalwart Heather Watson has had a tough year, dropping out of the Top 100 this year. having finished 2021 and started 2022 with a run of seven first round exits, she finally broke that duck by reaching the second round of the Australian Open for the third year in a row.
Reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon and claiming an ITF title this year were highlights together with an inspiring win for Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup, against Spain, as the hosts made the semi-finals against all odds.
Season highlights:
- Glasgow 2 ITF: Title
- Wimbledon: Reached the round of 16 for the first time
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(6) Katie Swan
Start of season ranking: 245
End of season ranking: 147
Another player with a break-out year, Katie Swan actually reached a career high of 118 earlier this year, with some good progress at the ITF levels, and a WTA semi-final, but sadly had to withdraw injured after the first set.
Season highlights:
- Santo Domingo 5 ITF: Title
- Santo Domingo 6 ITF: Quarter-final
- Chennai: Semi-final
- Trnava 4 ITF: Title
(7) Sonay Kartal
Start of season ranking: 864
End of season ranking: 199
On paper – it is Sonay Kartal‘s monumental rise up the rankings that stands out as another breakthrough performance, cracking the Top 200 this year.
She made her WTA, Billie Jean King Cup and Grand slam debut this year.
Season highlights:
- Birmingham ITF: Title
- Glasgow ITF: Title
- Antalya 10 IT: Quarter-final
- Nottingham 8 ITF: Title
- Nottingham 9 ITF: Title
- Ilkley ITF: Semi-final
- Trnarva 4 IT: Quarter-final
(8) Lily Miyazaki
Start of season ranking: 223
End of season ranking: 214
Lily Miyazaki reached a career high of 199, having cracked the Top 200 earlier in the year, having switched from representing Japan to Great Britain in March 2022. This year, she made her WTA Tour main draw singles debut, and her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon after receiving a main-draw wildcard.
Season highlights:
- Monastir 20 IT: Quarter-final
- Pretoria ITF: Semi-final
- Cherbourg-en-Cotentin ITF: Quarter-final
- Glasgow 2 ITF: Title
- Shrewsbury ITF: Quarter-final
(9) Eden Silva
Start of season ranking: 462
End of season ranking: 307
It is another pleasing rise for a British player – as Eden Silva made some ground in the rankings this year.
Season highlights:
- Bath ITF: Quarter-final
- Nottingham 7 ITF: Title
- Nottingham 8 ITF: Quarter-final
- Nottingham 9 ITF: Semi-final
- Vitoria-Gasteiz ITF: Quarter-final
- Loule ITF: Quarter-final
- Loughborough 2 ITF: Quarter-final
- St. Etienne ITF: Quarter-final
(10) Naiktha Bains
Start of season ranking: 327
End of season ranking: 326
It has been a far cry from Naiktha Bains‘ career high after cracking the Top 200 in 2020, after early exits for the first half of the year. But she finished the year stronger at the lower tiers.
Season highlights:
- Foxhills ITF: Quarter-final
- Aldershot ITF: Quarter-final
- Darwin ITF: Semi-final
- Darwin 2 ITF: Quarter-final
- Cairns 2 ITF: Final
- Traralgon 2 ITF: Final
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