Tennis: Ones To Watch

This young and talented crew views 2017 as a great opportunity.

- Nina Pantic

COCO VANDEWEGHE

Vandeweghe finished the 2016 season the same way she finished the 2015 season, at No. 37 in the WTA rankings. But despite the familiar number next to her name, things feel different this time around.

“I think this last year was kind of a growing point for me as a person,” says the 25-year-old American.

Last year, Vandeweghe started slow before peaking during the grass-court season, where her gigantic serve and forehand prove most effective. She won a second career title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon, the site of her sole major quarterfinal appearance (in 2015). She also enjoyed success in doubles, winning Indian Wells with Bethanie Mattek-Sands and pairing up with Martina Hingis to reach the Cincinnati final and US Open semifinals. To top it all off, she reached two Grand Slam finals in mixed doubles with two different partners.

Not yet a worn-in veteran but certainly not a wide-eyed rookie, Vandeweghe is entering a new phase of her career where she knows exactly who she is, what she wants, and what she can bring to bear.

“I’m not going into tournaments anymore where I’m guessing if I’m going to make main draw,” explains Vandeweghe. “When I was first starting out, it was like you’ve got to be winning Slams by the time you’re 18. I didn’t even feel like a professional until I was 20 because you can’t play a full season until you’re 18. You don’t have the experience of playing week in and week out unless you do the ITF junior route, which I didn’t do.”