Insider Power Rankings: Reigning Slam champs set to sizzle on summer hardcourts
Three of the four reigning Slam champions top the WTA Insider Hardcourt Power Rankings as the tour transitions into the summer hardcourt swing across North America.
The WTA Insider Hardcourt Power Rankings are based on an empirical formula that isolates a player's success rate on hardcourts. To measure a player's recent aptitude on the surface, the Insider team applied the following formula:
100% of points earned on hardcourts in 2018
100% of points earned on hardcourts in 2017
75% of points earned on hardcourts in 2016
50% of points earned on hardcourts in 2015
The resulting sum accounts for a player's "Hardcourt Index."
Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber, who leads the tour this season in both hardcourt wins (21-5) and overall match wins (39-12), edged out Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki by just over 3 points to top the leaderboard. Roland Garros champion Simona Halep sits at No.3, and 2016 US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova rounds out the Top 4.
Capping off the Top 10 are three veteran powerhouses who will be looking to make their mark this summer. Venus Williams, who made the Australian Open final, US Open semifinal, and final of the WTA finals last season, come in at No.8. Serena Williams, who played just 9 hardcourt matches last season - including 7 en route to the Australian Open title - before going on maternity leave, sits at No.9. And the tour's leader in titles, Petra Kvitova, completes the grid at No.10.
As of Monday, July 23rd, here are the top ten women on hardcourts:
1. Angelique Kerber (WTA Ranking: No.4)
HC Index: 10,204.75
Career HC Winning Percentage: .648 (254-138)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .690 (116-52)
HC Titles Since 2015: 4 (2018 Sydney, 2016 US Open, 2016 Australian Open, 2015 Stanford)
2. Caroline Wozniacki (WTA Ranking: No.2)
HC Index: 10,201.25
Career HC Winning Percentage: .722 (403-155)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .706 (115-48)
HC Titles Since 2015: 6 (2018 Australian Open, 2017 WTA Finals, 2017 Tokyo, 2016 Tokyo, 2016 Hong Kong, 2015 Kuala Lumpur)
3. Simona Halep (WTA Ranking: No.1)
HC Index: 10,166.25
Career HC Winning Percentage: .667 (182-91)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .733 (107-39)
HC Titles Since 2015: 5 (2018 Shenzhen, 2016 Montreal, 2015 Indian Wells, 2015 Dubai, 2015 Shenzhen).
4. Karolina Pliskova (WTA Ranking: No.9)
HC Index: 9,691.25
Career HC Winning Percentage: .664 (166-84)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .695 (121-53)
HC Titles Since 2015: 3 (2017 Brisbane, 2016 Cincinnati, 2016 Doha)
5. Elina Svitolina (WTA Ranking: No.5)
HC Index: 8,167.75
Career HC Winning Percentage: .658 (148-77)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .706 (113-47)
HC Titles Since 2015: 6 (2018 Dubai, 2018 Brisbane, 2017 Toronto, 2017 Dubai, 2017 Taipei City, 2016 Kuala Lumpur)
6. Garbiñe Muguruza (WTA Ranking: No.7)
HC Index: 7,630.75
Career HC Winning Percentage: .639 (129-73)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .655 (91-48)
HC Titles Since 2015: 3 (2018 Monterrey, 2017 Cincinnati, 2015 Beijing)
7. Agnieszka Radwanska (WTA Ranking: No.33)
HC Index: 7,385.25
Career HC Winning Percentage: .696 (371-162)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .677 (109-52)
HC Titles Since 2015: 6 (2016 Beijing, 2016 New Haven 2016 Shenzhen, 2015 WTA Finals, 2015 Tianjin, 2015 Tokyo)
8. Venus Williams (WTA Ranking: No.11)
HC Index: 7,025.00
Career HC Winning Percentage: .777 (459-132)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .714 (85-34)
HC Titles Since 2015: 4 (2016 Kaohsiung, 2015 Zhuhai, 2015 Wuhan, 2015 Auckland)
9. Serena Williams (WTA Ranking: No.27)
HC Index: 6,952.50
Career HC Winning Percentage: .863 (483-77)
Hard Court Winning Percentage Since 2015: .857 (60-10)
HC Titles Since 2015: 4 (2017 Australian Open, 2015 Cincinnati, 2015 Miami, 2015 Australian Open)
10. Petra Kvitova (WTA Ranking: No.8)
HC Index: 6,271.75
Career HC Winning Percentage: .676 (254-122)
HC Winning Percentage Since 2015: .685 (89-41)
HC Titles Since 2015: 6 (2018 Doha, 2018 St. Petersburg, 2016 Zhuhai, 2016 Wuhan, 2015 New Haven, 2015 Sydney)
The North American hardcourt summer kicks off next week at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, a Premier event in San Jose, California, and the Citi Open, an International event in Washington D.C. From there the tour will move to Montreal, Canada for the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati, Ohio for the Western & Southern Open, before concluding at the Connecticut Open and US Open.
Complete WTA Insider Hardcourt Power Rankings grid below:
