The unsung Russian had a career season in 2014. At 26, she achieved one long-held goal by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal, at the US Open. In the process, Ekaterina Makarova single-handedly revived “The Macarena,” which rattled through Arthur Ashe Stadium after each of her wins (this was likely not a goal of hers). By the end of the year, Makarova had come within a hair’s breadth of another mark, one that hadn’t been on her radar at the start of the season: She finished just short of the Top 10.
Will this semi-breakthrough be a springboard for more success, or has Makarova topped out her talent? It’s likely the former. With her lefty spin and sense of court craft—“She reads the game well,” more than one top player has said of Makarova—there should be more success in store. She has always had the game to beat top players, including Serena Williams; now she knows she can do it consistently over the course of a Slam and a season. The place to start: winning smaller events. Makarova has just two titles to her name.