Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan (詹詠然) and Switzerland’s Martina Hingis have been named this year’s Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Doubles Team of the Year after they won their ninth women’s doubles title of the year earlier this month.
It was the first time a Taiwanese tennis player has earned such an honor from the WTA.
Chan and Hingis last month won the US Open Grand Slam, a first Grand Slam win for Chan, who said she had dreamed of winning the title since she was a child.
Photo: AP
Earlier this month, Chan and Hingis won their ninth women’s doubles title of the year with a victory at the China Open.
“The pair have enjoyed a trophy-laden season, capped off by claiming the US Open crown — their first Grand Slam as a duo,” the WTA said in a statement.
They have also won the BNP Paribas Open, Mutua Madrid Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Mallorca Open, Aegon International Eastbourne, the Western & Southern Open, and the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
“Double and double and double and double the fun. Chan and Hingis have been dominant all season long, and it’s shown in how many times they’ve won back to back titles,” the WTA said.
The pair have not lost a finals game this year.
After they won the Wuhan Open titles, Hingis took back the world No. 1 ranking in doubles, while Chan rose to No. 2, the highest ranking of her career.
Since their debut at the Qatar Total Open in February, they have won nine of the 15 events they have entered and reached at least the quarter-finals in six other tournaments.
Teaming up has also been lucrative for Chan, who has earned more than US$1 million in prize money this year on the WTA Tour.
Chan and Hingis are to team up again at the WTA Finals in Singapore today. They were on opposite sides of the net last year.
“It is a great honor to be the first team to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore,” Hingis said. “Yung-jan and I teamed up for the first time earlier this year and we have had great success.”
Chan said this would be her fourth time competing at the WTA Finals in Singapore, and that she was looking forward to it.
“The last two years have been with my sister, and we have played against Martina many times, so it will be a fun new experience to play with her on my side of the net,” Chan said.
The WTA named Spain’s Garbine Muguruza Player of the Year, Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko Most Improved Player of the Year, and the US’ Catherine Bellis and Sloane Stephens Newcomer of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber was awarded the Jerry Diamond Aces Award for promoting women’s tennis.
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