Join John Bolan in his 2013 year-end ranking prediction and win a Top 10 WTA player autograph

January 8, 2013

Last year our great contributor John Bolan merged his courage and talent for tennis predictions and shared with us as early as in January how he thought the season-ending WTA Top 10 would look like. And that wasn’t all. He asked you to join him in predictions and James, the reader who turned out to be the best predictor, was awarded an autograph of a WTA star.

John Bolan receiving autograph of Victoria Azarenka

As we all enjoyed the little project, we decided to repeat it this year. John has made his 2013 predictions (I have to say that he sent me the finished article way before New Year’s Eve and before the WTA action started, but I was a bit slow in putting it up together!), and you are more than welcome to comment on John’s picks, to share your own Top 10 selection in the comments below this article and then we get to wait for the season to finish to see how we all fared. The best predictor will win an autograph of a Top 10 WTA player, so there’s even an incentive to take some time and employ your foretelling skills! 😉 Now I’m giving the word to John!

It isn’t easy to predict the Top 10 players for 2013 this early, but these are my choices for the end of 2013:

1. Maria Sharapova
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Agnieszka Radwanska
4. Serena Williams
5. Li Na
6. Caroline Wozniacki
7. Samantha Stosur
8. Petra Kvitova
9. Sara Errani
10. Angelique Kerber

I have tried my best to keep personal preferences out of my thoughts while choosing these players. Instead, I checked out the most recent head-to-head matches, the number of tournaments played the past two years and injury reports. Injuries always have a big effect on the outcome of the Top 10. Vera Zvonareva and Andrea Petkovic are not included because they remain out of action and will not play in Australia this year.

The fact is Maria Sharapova was better than Victoria Azarenka at the end of the 2012 season. Those two were the top ranked players in 2012 and should remain at the top of the rankings in 2013, only in reverse order. Agnieszka Radwanska just can’t beat Azarenka, but she defeats everyone else. She loves to play and will enter most tournaments again in 2013.

Where do we put Serena? Her history shows she plays the least number of tournaments of all Top 10 players. The injury factor has already come into play. She waited until December to have medical procedures performed on both big toes. This wasn’t planned as she was forced to cancel an exhibition match. I’m putting her in fourth place, my lucky number, because the Top 3 will play in many more tournaments and play very consistent tennis.

Li Na moves up this to #5 year with the help of her new coach, Carlos Rodriguez. Caroline Wozniacki also improves to #6 as she adjusts to her new life with the world’s #1 golfer. Samantha Stosur and Petra Kvitova will remain in the Top 10 despite their nerves and sometimes inconsistency. Sara Errani and Angelique Kerber will prove 2012 was no fluke and they really belong in the Top 10.

Once again, most of you will disagree with my picks. Go ahead and use the comment section to make your own picks. If yours are the closest to the actual 2013 final rankings, you will receive an autographed picture of a Top 10 player. Best of luck!

Only comments received by January 14th will be taken into account.

39 COMMENTS

dxanato January 8, 2013 At 6:04 pm

Picks 6, 7 and 8 are not having a good start at all this 2013. Kvitova has not made pass first round. Wozniacki only got second round of Sydney before she out. Stosur is having all type issues now.

I will agree with the top 5 name will be the top 5 just which place they will I don’t know. Errani and Kerber will be little higher.
Marija January 8, 2013 At 8:55 pm

Dxanato, why don’t you share with us your Top 10? 🙂 You can even win the prize! 🙂
sabey January 8, 2013 At 9:10 pm

Isn’t John Bolan the writer who did the attack piece on the Williams sisters and said that they were overhyped? When 15 grand slam titles means you are overhyped I’d say these predictions dont mean that much.
Marine January 8, 2013 At 9:33 pm

Here’s my list:

1.Serena Williams
2.Agniezska Radwanska
3.Maria Sharapova
4.Victoria Azarenka
5.Sara Errani
6.Caroline Wozniacki
7.Li Na
8.Marion Bartoli
9.Dominika Cibulkova
10.Ana Ivanovic (wishful thinking :-P)
Bróna January 8, 2013 At 11:16 pm

Here’s mine:
1. Maria Sharapova
2. Petra Kvitova
3. Victoria Azarenka
4. Serena Williams
5. Agniezska Radwanska
6. Li Na
7. Angelique Kerber
8. Ana Ivanovic
9. Caroline Wozniacki
10. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Ibtisam Ahmed January 8, 2013 At 11:48 pm

And mine 🙂
1. Maria Sharapova
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Agnieska Radwanska
4. Petra Kvitova
5. Serena Williams
6. Na Li
7. Caroline Wozniacki
8. Angelique Kerber
9. Sara Errani
10.Marion Bartoli
Michael January 9, 2013 At 2:09 am

1. Maria Sharapova
2. Serena Williams
3. Victoria Azarenka
4. Agnieska Radwanska
5. Na Li
6. Angelique Kerber
7. Caroline Wozniacki
8. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
9. Petra Kvitova
10. Marion Bartoli
Tulp January 9, 2013 At 4:14 am

1. Mona Barthel
2. Petra Martić
3. Ana Ivanović
4. Agnieska Radwańska
5. Zheng Jie
6. Hsieh Sue-Wei
7. Petra Cetkovská
8. Caroline Garcia
9. Tamira Paszek
10. Julia Görges
…
Since this (incomplete) list is an obvious product of wishful thinking, and, moreover, a mixture of different (but, strangely enough, interrelated!) “criteria”, do feel free to rearrange it at will – but do not, by any means, substitute any name by any other of your own, equally subjective (albeit “scientific”), choice.
Cheers, ye Prophets, Seers and Sages, the Foolscaps of the Ages [to misquote the late M. Bolan].
P.S. How sad that now I have no chance of grabbing a silly little scribble of some of these silly little wonderful girls, by the way…
Kim January 9, 2013 At 6:03 am

1. Serena Williams
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Angelique Kerber
5. Agnieszka Radwanska
6. Petra Kvitova
7. Caroline Wozniacki
8. Samantha Stosur
9. Ana Ivanovic
10. Venus Willams
Chad January 9, 2013 At 6:52 am

Here are my predictions

1) AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA
2) VICTORIA AZARENKA
3) SERENA WILLIAMS
4) MARIA SHARAPOVA
5) PETRA KVITOVA
6) CAROLINE WOZNIACKI
7) SARA ERRANI
8) ANGELIQUE KERBER
9) NA LI
10) NADIA PETROVA
Ines January 9, 2013 At 9:54 am

I love Tulp’s list especially the preditction for no. 1. 😉

Here’s my list:
1 Maria Sharapova
2 Agnieszka Radwanska
3 Victoria Azarenke
4 Serena Williams
5 Na Li
6 Angelique Kerber
7 Sara Errani
8 Sam Stosur
9 Maria Kirilenko
10 Mona Barthel
Marija January 9, 2013 At 11:59 am

Tulp, I doubt you’ll win the autograph, but you sure are an entertaining genius 🙂
Yourfan January 9, 2013 At 2:02 pm

So there will be a prize for a winner? Haha! This is so much fun! Then my prediction will be:

1. Maria Sharapova
2. Agnieszka Radwanska
3. Li Na
4. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. Serena Williams
6. Angelique Kerber
7. Ana Ivanovic
8. Sara Errani
9. Marion Bartoli
10. Dominika Cibulkova
Anna Cooper Patterson January 9, 2013 At 2:45 pm

1. Serena William
2.Maria Sharapova
3. Victoria Azarenka
4. Agineszka Radwanski
5. Angelique Kerber
6. Na Li
7.Sam Stosur
8.Caroline Wozniacki
9.Petra Kivitova
10. Sara Errani
Anna Cooper Patterson January 9, 2013 At 2:58 pm

1. Serena William
2.Maria Sharapova
3. Victoria Azarenka
4. Agineszka Radwanski
5. Angelique Kerber
6. Na Li
7.Sam Stosur
8.Caroline Wozniacki
9.Petra Kivitova
10. Sara Errani

This is how the top 5 will match up unless injuries will play as mix up in the coffee. The bottom 5 is really a guess, there are so many good players that the bottom 5 could easily be any one of these ladies or others that are currently on the after 10 list. I think Serena Williams really wants to prove she can come back and take that #1 spot one more time before she has to call it quits, she knows her days R numbered and its a do or die time !!! Maria Sharapova is right on Serena’s heels waiting and hoping for a slip up, Maria wants that # 1 slot, she knows she can snatch it from Victoria but there stands Serena! Put Aggie in the mix and if she could make it past Vickie just one time well who knows we just might have one awesome # 1 Champ !!!! Let the games begin
John Gardiner January 9, 2013 At 7:16 pm

1. Serena William
2. Maria Sharapova
3. Agineszka Radwanski
4 Victoria Azarenka
5. Angelique Kerber
6. Na Li
7. Sam Stosur
8. Dominika Cibulkova
9. Caroline Wozniacki
10.Sara Errani
Joe January 9, 2013 At 7:21 pm

1. Victoria Azarenka
2. Petra Kvitova
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. Na Li
6. Serena Williams
7. Samantha Stosur
8. Sloane Stephens
9. Caroline Wozniacki
10. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Julie January 9, 2013 At 7:45 pm

1. Agnieszka Radwanska
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Serena Williams
5. Na Li
6. Angelique Kerber
7. Petra Kvitova
8. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
9. Dominika Cibulkova
10. Maria Kirilenko
Josh January 9, 2013 At 10:00 pm

1.Serena Williams
2.Maria Sharapova
3.Victoria Azarenka
4.Li Na
5.Agnieszka Radwanska
6.Angelique Kerber
7.Venus Williams
8.Ana Ivanovic
9.Sloane Stephens
10.Sabine Lisicki
Daniel January 9, 2013 At 10:45 pm

1. Serena Williams
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Li Na
5. Agnieszka Radwanska
6. Angelique Kerber
7. Caroline Wozniacki
8. Samantha Stosur
9. Ana Ivanovic
10. Petra Kvitova
Tulp January 10, 2013 At 12:22 am

Ines: I love your loving my list (i.e., your love of the game). Now, and still speaking from the wishful-thinking perspective, I don’t know about the most of yours, but I do love – no, I don’t just love it, I adore – your prediction for no. 10!
Marija: I guess it’s my turn to blush now (if only I could!). On the other hand, I’d give the very flattering “title” you just bestowed on me, together with all the autographs in the world, for any of my hopeless [?] “predictions” to come true. For, you see, that’s how bad it is with me. Go figure…
P.S. An Honest New Tennis Year, everyone!
Yee Chong January 10, 2013 At 2:10 am

1. Serena Williams
2. Li Na
3. Victoria Azarenka
4. Maria Sharapova
5. Agnieszka Radwanska
6. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
7. Angelique Kerber
8. Samantha Stosur
9. Sara Errani
10. Petra Kvitova
James January 9, 2013 At 8:13 pm

Thanks again for the prize for last year 😀

1. Victoria Azarenka
2. Serena Williams
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. Petra Kvitova
6. Li Na
7. Angelique Kerber
8. Sloane Stephens
9. Caroline Wozniacki
10. Venus Williams
JohnnyB January 10, 2013 At 5:40 am

Tulp, maybe I should send you an autograph picture of my UK cousin Mark Bolan. That is if I had one and if he was really my cousin. I do have a copy of his album, Bolan Boogie. Anna, I agree with you about Serena. She has played like a woman with a new lease on life. Can she keep her streak going and play in enough tournaments to finish number 1? You may be the winner if she does. James, enjoy your picture and good luck on becoming a two time winner! Thanks for all the entries.
povashara January 10, 2013 At 6:33 am

1.Maria Sharapova
2.Serena Williams
3.Victoria Azarenka
4.Petra Kvitova
5.Agnieszka Radwanska
6.Ana Ivanovic
7.Li Na
8.Nadia Petrova
9.Samantha Stosur
10.Caroline Wozniacki
Jim January 10, 2013 At 10:31 am

Possibly one of the least well-informed lists here, with a couple of wish-powered placements, but for what it’s worth:

1. Azarenka
2. Sharapova
3. Radwańska
4. S. Williams
5. Wozniacki
6. Li
7. Kvitova
8. Cibulkova
9. Ivanovic
10. Bartoli
kiki January 10, 2013 At 2:58 pm

kiki’s list:
1.Victoria Azarenka
2.Serena Williams
3.Petra Kvitova
4.Na Li
5.Maria Sharapova
6.Laura Robson
7.Sabine Lisicki
8.Agnieszka Radwanska
9.Ana Ivanovic
10.Angelique Kerber
tenniz-fan January 10, 2013 At 7:53 pm

Ok, here’s my year-end top-10 !

1.Victoria Azarenka
2.Serena Williams
3.Li Na
4.Maria Sharapova
5.Agnieszka Radwanska
6.Caroline Wozniacki
7.Sam Stosur
8.Petra Kvitova
9.Venus Williams
10.Angelique Kerber

I really wish that Wozniacki would have a great year, since she is my favorite WTA player. But I still don’t think that she will return to top-3, not yet. But it would be great if she would go deep in Grand Slams, unless like 2012.

P.S. It was REALLY hard to pick the order of my year-end top three!
deodave January 10, 2013 At 10:17 pm

james (last year’s winner): whose autographed pic did you get? 🙂

here’s my top 10:
1. Maria Sharapova
2. Viktoria Azarenka
3. Serena Williams
4. Agnieszka Rasdwanska
5. Angelique Kerber
6. Li Na
7. Caroline Wozniacki
8. Samantha Stosur
9. Marion Bartoli
10. Petra Kvitova

i’m a huge Maria fan but would love to win a Serena autograph.
Marija January 10, 2013 At 10:28 pm

Tulp, “if only you could” hahaha 🙂

Deodave, as I remember, James’ three choices were Kvitova, Kerber and Stosur, and he received Stosur.
Patricia January 10, 2013 At 5:30 pm

1.Victoria Azarenka
2.Serena Williams
3.Maria Sharapova
4.Petra Kvitova
5.Angelique Kerber
6.Agnieszka Radwanska
7.Li Na
8.Dominika Cibulkova
9.Marion Bartoli
10.Samantha Stosur

… And Laura Robson will enter the Top-20!!!
deodave January 11, 2013 At 12:46 am

thanks marija!

i get a feeling this year’s Year end top 10 is easier to predict than last year’s
Daryl January 11, 2013 At 5:53 pm

1. Serena Williams
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Aga Radwanska
5. Angelique Kerber
6. Petra Kvitova
7. Na Li
8. Caroline Wozniacki
9. Sam Stosur
10.Sara Errani
P!nky January 11, 2013 At 6:46 pm

All right folks My picks are gonna be out there again
1. Radwanska
2. Li
3. Williams
4. Sharapova
5. Azarenka
6. Kvitova
7. Kerber
8. Kirilenko
9. Errani
10. Cibulkova
Camilerich January 14, 2013 At 10:48 am

1. Maria Sharapova
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Serena Williams
4. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. Sara Errani
6. Angelique Kerber
7. Li Na
8. Caroline Wozniacki
9. Ana Ivanovic
10. Petra Kvitova

… IF i win. Please let it be an autograph by Azarenka. Huge fan of her!
Anna Cooper Patterson January 14, 2013 At 8:05 pm

2. Maria Sharapova

3. Victoria Azarenka

4. Agnieszka

#1. SERENA WILLIAMS

5. Li Na

6. Samantha Stosur

7. Petra Kvitova

8. Sara Errani

9. Angelique Kerber

10. Caroline Wozniaki
Maggie January 14, 2013 At 11:41 pm

1. Serena Williams
2. Viktoria Azarenka
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. Li Na
6. Angelique Kerber
7. Sam Stosur
8. Sara Errani
9. Petra Kvitova
10.Caroline Wozniacki
Manuel January 19, 2013 At 3:47 pm

1.- Agnieszka Radwanska
2.- Maria Sharapova
3.- Serena Williams
4.- Angelique Kerber
5.- Na Li
6.- Victoria Azarenka
7.- Caroline Wozniacki
8.- Ana Ivanovic
9.- Ekaterina Makarova
10.- Sloane Stephens
Aj April 27, 2013 At 8:29 pm

1-Serena williams
2-Victoria Azeranka
3-Li Na
4-Maria Sharaova
5-Petra Kvitova
6-Caroline Wozniaki
7-Angelique Kerber
8-Ana Ivanovic
9-Nadia Petrova
10-Maria Kirilenko