Kenin claims player of the year in 2020 WTA Awards

The 2020 season was a rollercoaster of uncertainty, but there were a handful of names that managed to make the most of it. On Tuesday, the WTA revealed the 2020 player and coach awards. They are voted on by members of the International media using Qualtrics.

Below are the 2020 winners:

1

WTA Player of the Year: Sofia Kenin

The American finished the year off by achieving a career-high ranking of world No. 4, and she managed to do this by reaching multiple Grand Slam finals in 2020. The 22-year-old defeated former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza in the Australian Open final to capture her maiden major title. She would then go on to win Lyon before the tours shut down in March.

Photo by: WTA

Kenin didn't stop there, she would continue by making a deep round of 16 run in New York and she would reach the championship match at Roland Garros.

2

Doubles Team of the Year: Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic

The duo took out the No. 1 seeds Barbora Strycova and Hsieh Su-wei in the Australian Open final. They would then finish the year by capturing Roland Garros, to claim their fourth major title together.

Photo by: WTA

3

Most Improved Player of the Year: Iga Swiatek

This comes as no surprise. Last year on the terre battue, the polish player took a stiff 6-1, 6-0 loss to Simona Halep in the round of 16. This year, Swiatek handed Halep a quick 6-1, 6-2 defeat in the same round. The 19-year-old would go on to win Roland Garros to clinch her first Grand Slam title.

Photo by: WTA

She accomplished the feat without losing a single set.

4

Newcomer of the Year: Nadia Podoroska

She started the year ranked No. 255 and now she sits at No. 47. A lot has changed for the 23-year-old due to her resilience and determination on the court. The Argentine made a lot of noise when she claimed Saint-Malo's ITF event before winning nine consecutive matches to reach Roland Garros' final four.

Photo by: WTA

Podoroska rallied her way through qualifying on the red clay before falling to event winner Swiatek.

5

Comeback Player of the Year: Victoria Azarenka

After giving birth to her son Leo in 2016, the Belarusian struggled to produce deep runs, but that all changed amidst the chaos of 2020. She claimed her first title in over four years at the Western and Southern Open before reaching the US Open final.

Photo by: WTA

Following an incredible few weeks in New York, she soared back into the Top 20 for the first time since 2017.

To wrap up this year's awards, Marie Bouzkova was given the Sportsmanship award by her fellow peers on the tour. Swiatek's coach, Piotr Sierzputowski, earned the Coach of the Year award. He is a Gold Member of the WTA Coach Program and is the third recipient of the award.