The WTA have announced the winners of the year-end awards for 2019 with tournament and player-awards list released. The winners were voted on by the player body.
For the seventh consecutive time, Petra Kvitova won the Sportsmanship award, totalling her awards to an impressive eight wins. On and off the court, Kvitova has shown impeccable sportsmanlike conduct and is a model for her fellow players to follow.
On receiving the award, Kvitova said:
“Being recognized by my colleagues for sportsmanship and fair play is an honour as I always pride myself on treating my opponents with respect. I hope to inspire the future generations to love the sport of tennis as much as I do.”
The Player Service award was given to Gabriela Dabrowski for the first time. Dabrowski served as a part of the WTA Players’ Council.
The Coach of the Year Award was given to Craig Tyzzer, who coached Ashleigh Barty to her first Grand Slam title and her career-best rank of world no.1. It’s an award which is afforded to a coach for on and off-court exploits which includes top-notch victories and ‘for serving as an ambassador of the sport and bringing coaching to the forefront of the game.’
Tyzzer is also a gold member of the WTA Coach Programme.
The Tournament of the Year award was divided into four categories in order to distinguish between the different competitive levels. The player body voted for the winners to recognise their hard work through the year.
In the WTA Premier Mandatory category, the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells took the award for the sixth consecutive year, a remarkable feat for the tournament. Tommy Haas, the tournament director, was grateful for the honour and said:
“We are humbled by this recognition and look forward to welcoming players and fans alike back to Tennis Paradise for another outstanding event in 2020.”
In the WTA Premier 5 group, the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships was voted winner, their second consecutive win. In the WTA Premier category, the Stuttgart Open and St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy tied. Finally, in the WTA International category, there was yet another tie between Auckland and Acapulco.
The WTA Player awards, which are voted upon by the media will be announced soon.
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