The freshest game on tour last year came from a slightly surprising source: An undersized, 23-year-old Romanian who began the 2013 season ranked No. 47, but finished the 2014 season all the way up at No. 3. Simona Halep is just 5-foot-6, but she makes up for her lack of leverage with smooth movement and clean ball-striking. She’s a natural in every part of the game; no one makes changing the direction of the ball look so easy.
Halep’s 2014 was a series of tests, and she passed them all. In February, with her title in Doha, she showed that she could win a quality event. In June, with her runner-up finish at the French Open, she showed that she could go deep at a major. In October, with her blowout win over Serena Williams in Singapore, she showed that she can beat anyone on a given day. Her first test of 2015 will be whether she can win a Grand Slam; but even if it doesn’t happen this year, Halep’s youth and all-around skills should take her to the top of the class in the near future.