Highlights of the 2015 WTA season: Best points, handshakes, funny moments and GIFs

/ November 21, 2015

This will be my last post for a few weeks as I am very busy at work right now and it’s time for an off-season break anyway. I wanted to do a final post picking out some highlights from the WTA tour in 2015. I’ve been going through all my posts from this year and I wanted to share some of my favourite moments. Enjoyy and i’ll be back soon…

Best point and shots

The opening point of the first set tiebreak between Kerber and Muguruza at Wimbledon was an absolute stunner of a rally. If you are in the UK, you can watch it HERE. It’s such a shame there are no highlights from this match.

This was a magical point from the Kerber-Radwanska quarter-final match in Stanford.

The Cibulkova-Azarenka match from the Australian Open would most likely have featured in the countdown of my favourite matches if it hadn’t been for a dodgy internet connection when watching it back. It featured this wonderful rally in the third set with a cracking pass from Domi.

Video by Australian Open TV

From the Lisicki-Pennetta match at Indian Wells, peak-Lisicki made an appearance in this thrilling encounter.

This one makes me laugh with Halep pretty much out of camera shot at one point.

Video by WTA

The WTA may not have featured it in their shot of the year award (as it’s from a Grand Slam) but Mladenovic definitely deserves some praise for this one at the US Open.

Funny moments

Jelena and Andrea are just the best. Please never retire!

Video by Volvo Cars Open

The BBC had a feature with Petra Kvitova before her first match at Wimbledon which featured the Czech player taking on swingball… It was all kinds of awesome.

Lindsay Davenport got a special delivery at the Australian Open… her reaction was priceless!

The Connecticut Open always produce some great content on their YouTube channel and this was fun.

Airshots are always good fun as they remind us that the players are human. This one from Cibulkova in Beijing was amusing, particularly Domi’s reaction.

This trio of Niculescu GIFs cracks me up everytime.

Handshakes

I’m all about the handshakes…

The good ones

My favourite embrace of the year… so genuine.

Loveddddd this one between Safarova and Pavlyuchenkova at the French Open.

Safarova Pavs

Safarova Pavs

This one was cute. Serena always gives good handshakes!

I really liked how Azarenka initiated a good ol’ hug with Kerber after they played out one of the best matches of the year at the US Open.

And finally, I liked this one between Meusburger and Dellacqua, which was Yvonne’s final match on tour.

Video by Australian Open TV

The frosty ones

This one still makes me laugh. The stare from Babs was hilarious and Venus wasn’t having any of it.

Video by SportsMagicianJJ

Oh Babs… also great. I can’t wait to watch more of her matches next year.

Vine by Tony @tjc05 on Twitter

Eeeeeek Kiki!

Best racquet smash

When I think of racquet smashes, this is the one I remember… I love how Muguruza flings it away at the end.

Trophy ceremonies and interviews

The first week produced one of the most memorable trophy ceremonies of the year in Auckland after the final between Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. There was so much respect between both players and Venus looked as comfortable as you will ever see her on a tennis court.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzRUCK_W68g

Video by Celina Matti

ROBERTA VINCI. Without doubt the biggest shock of the year came at the US Open when Vinci upset Serena Williams in the semi-finals. I still remember screaming at the end and being in complete shock. This post-match interview with Vinci was just fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml_fsTY0Deo

Video by Han News

The first Grand Slam final was a real cracker and I loved the speeches from both Serena and Maria, especially Maria who is always classy in defeat.

Videos by Australian Open TV

Best GIFs from WTA Reactions

WTA Reactions (@WTAReactions) on Twitter has been one of the revelations of this year. You’ve already seen plenty of them in this post but here’s some more memorable GIFs.

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23 thoughts on “Highlights of the 2015 WTA season: Best points, handshakes, funny moments and GIFs”

  2. Thanks James,may I say what would we be without JJ ‘The Queen Of Drama:)

    Have a well deserve rest,I know I need one:) Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,I believe you have had some sprinklings of snow already? while here down under we had a temp of 41c degree’s Phew:)

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  5. I’m a sucker for clever shots and points so naturally, Radwanska gets a bit of my time and Carla(sometimes), but I just can’t forget Svetlana playing a short ball against Wozniacki at the net( grass season if I recall correctly) thinking she wouldn’t get it. I remember screaming ‘oh silly woman’, Caroline( the queen of moon lobs) would moonball the sh*t out of that. And what do you know, took the words right out of my mouth, right in her face, even Svetlana found the moment amusing.

    And the sheer audacity of Timea Bazs, fading light at Roland Garros against a befuddled Kvitova. I was just as miffed as the commentators wondering if she had just played a drop shot return against Petra’s serve. Dang, she did drop shot Petra’s serve! Lol, Petra already had that look of a deer caught in the headlights, and I thought well, that will just blow whatever was left of her sanity to pieces.

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  6. Some great clips here James – I really liked that rally between Aazarenka vs. Cibulkova with Domi shouting “Pome!” at the end. I don’t know if Domi will ever win a slam but if she does, it’s a safe bet that it will be the AO as she seems to perform at her best there.

    Funny interviews – here’s one with Aga Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz in the Fed Cup after they (representing Poland) had just beaten America (represented by Serena Williams and John Isner) in doubles.

    Jerzy must be a foot taller than Aga so it’s funny that he basically accuses her of bullying him at the beginning of the interview 😉 I like Aga’s laugh too.

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    • ERRATUM: I’ve just seen that Aga and Jerzy had just been playing Andy Murray and Heather Watson, not John Isner and Serena Williams (which was still in the future at the time of this interview) Apologies for the error there.

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    • Ahh that’s a good one, Graham! I’m going to try and keep a track of some of the more memorable moments during next year as I just put this together last minute. And yes, AO seems to be the best Slam for Domi although she does have plenty of points to defend next year.

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  10. Pingback: Highlights of the 2015 WTA season: Best points, handshakes, funny moments and GIFs | Let. First Serve.

  11. Thanks for a great piece of the last season ! good memories! If you will come to Rogers Cup last week of july 2016 call me – I am in Montreal! looking forward to a few weeks off before Hobart and AO! Skoal!

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  12. Hi James! 🙂 I just noticed I wasn’t following your website on WordPress, this mistake is now corrected 😉 Also I’ve just seen my blog was on your blogroll, so thank you!! 😀
    Very nice and funny article by the way 🙂

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  13. James if like me you like hugs at the net after the match, here’s a great one from the final of the Kremlin Cup between Svetlana and Nastia. From 2:20;

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