2019 Season WTA Player Awards: Nominations announced

WTA World No.1 Ashleigh Barty is among five nominations for the WTA Player of the Year, with Bianca Andreescu, Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka and Karolina Pliskova completing the shortlist for the award.

Barty moved to the top of the ranking for the first time in June following her success at Roland Garros, an inaugural major singles title for the Australian, who made the second week of all four Grand Slams for the first time in her career. Additionally, the 23-year-old posted a Tour-leading 56 victories for the season and won the 2019 WTA Finals.

She faces competition for the gong from Bianca Andreescu, who enjoyed a remarkable year in which she posted a 48-7 record and claimed the US Open title, despite having her campaign interrupted by a shoulder injury. The Canadian is currently WTA World No.5.

Naomi Osaka, the WTA World No.3, picked up the second major title of her career as she took the honors in Australia, while she also lifted silverware at the Pan Pacific Open and the China Open.

Completing the list of Grand Slam title winners on the shortlist is Simona Halep, who defeated Serena Williams in emphatic style at Wimbledon. The WTA World No.4 posted 43 wins for the year.

WTA World No.2 Karolina Pliskova may be continuing her pursuit of a first major title, but the Czech star continues to post a remarkably consistent high standard. Once again, she was the WTA’s serving queen, having delivered 488 aces over the course of 2019.

The nominations for the WTA Doubles Team of the Year were also announced, with US Open champions Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka facing competition from the duos of Barbora Strycova and Hsieh Su-Wei, Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos as well as Zhang Shuai and Samantha Stosur.

Six players are up for the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year award. The USA posts three nominees in this section, with Amanda Anisimova, Sofia Kenin and Alison Riske on the shortlist. Belinda Bencic, Zheng Saisai and Donna Vekic complete the nominees.

Bencic is also up for the WTA Comeback Player of the Year, in which Svetlana Kuznetsova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands are the other two challengers.

Finally, the WTA Newcomer of the Year sees Andreescu again nominated, with 15-year-old Coco Gauff making the cut after her exploits in the second half of the year, which saw her reach the fourth round at Wimbledon and win in Linz.

Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Dayana Yastremska are also among the hopefuls for the award.

The awards are voted for by the media and the results will be announced on December 11.