The WTA in 2021: Depth Perception

When Naomi Osaka hoisted the 2020 US Open trophy, she became the only repeat Grand Slam champion in the past two WTA seasons. Among the five other champions, only Simona Halep had previously won a Grand Slam title. In the past 15 major tournaments on the women's side, there have been twelve different champions.

Ashleigh Barty, Bianca Andreescu, Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek’s respective runs on the world’s largest stages underscored the current depth of the WTA tour and the delightful unpredictability in any given tournament draw.

Naomi Osaka has won three of the last 15 major tournaments. (Getty Images)

At Roland Garros, only six of the 32 seeded players managed to reach the fourth round—a stage where the No. 1 and No. 5 seeds then proceeded to fall.

It’s time for tennis fans accustomed to the dominance of the Williams sisters—and, on the ATP side of things, the Big Three—to embrace the fun and adventure of the unpredictable and unknown.