Is American Women’s Tennis Back?

After a long lull in American Tennis at the top of the WTA, with the exception of Serena Williams of course, things are looking good for American women’s tennis. Let’s look at the top American Women Players, how they’re doing, and what’s in store for the rest of the year.

6. Jessica Pegula (33)

Pegula is a late bloomer. I don’t think anybody would have imagined that in 2021 Pegula would be consistently playing quarterfinals and semifinals at prestigious WTA tournaments. But that’s exactly what she’s been doing. She’s started 2021 with a bang beating players such as Svitolina, Azarenka, and Pliskova along the way. Something has clicked and I expect more success from the 27-year-old.

5. Amanda Anisimova (32)

Anisimova has struggled with some injuries as of late. However, once she gets into the swing of things, 2021 should be another great year for the 19-year-old. The French Open is coming up, and we know she can play on clay. We all remember her remarkable run to the semis at the 2019 French Open. A healthy Anisimova will start shaking things up at the big tournaments once again.

4. Alison Riske (27)

Riske reminds me a bit of Pegula, she’s been a late bloomer on the tour, finishing 2019 ranked 18 in the world, which included a Wimbledon quarterfinals appearance, as well as a finals appearance in Wuhan. Unfortunately for Riske, the pandemic has not been kind to her. She’s been collecting early-round exits as of late. She’s another player that can benefit from more match play week in and week out. She’ll be glad to see the grass-court season commence.

3. Madison Keys (19)

Madison is the veteran of the bunch, having consistently finished in the top 20 for the last year. The pandemic was not kind to Madison though, as she suffered a neck injury during the US Open and then suffered a few early-round exits since then. Madison is too good to slump for long though. She usually revs up during the hard-court season. Look for her to be back in the winner’s circle as soon as she gets some confidence.

2. Jennifer Brady (13)

Brady has been unstoppable in the last 12 months, especially at the slams. She first shocked the field by making it to the semifinals of the 2020 US Open, and then followed up that performance by making the finals of the 2021 Australian Open. She’s the real deal. On a good day, she can straight up outhit anyone not named Naomi Osaka.

1. Sofia Kenin (4)

The future continues to be bright for Kenin. She won the Australian Open and reached the French Open final in 2020. Those are two massive accomplishments, and the reason why she sits at number four in the world. Although she crashed out early at the 2021 Australian Open, and then underwent surgery for appendicitis, Kenin is now back. She should continue to post solid results week in and week out, giving herself a chance to win big titles into 2021 and 2022. She will be the top American player for the foreseeable future.

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