The women of the WTA Tour can win many cash prizes this season, but when they go to Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games, they’ll be playing for pride and country, two very different kinds of motivators.
So far this season, we’ve seen a mixed bag of results from the ladies. Although it looked like Serena Williams would be a shoe-in to win the Australian Open – and dominate the year – she ended up losing in the final of the first grand slam of the year. While Maria Sharapova is often deemed her top competition, she is going to be out indefinitely after failing a drug test. That’s a big deal because remember that she won the silver medal at the last Games in London in 2012. Beyond those two, players like Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep haven’t had particularly strong seasons, and Angelique Kerber, who won the Australian Open, has had very pedestrian results since. It will be a wide open tournament in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games. With that being said, which players are the most likely to rise to the top and finish in one of the three medal positions?
Serena Williams
There is no guarantee that Serena will do well in the Olympics. This will be an event played in a congested, crowded city, probably with less than ideal air quality. It could be the kind of event in which Serena never feels all that comfortable. Moreover, since she’s already won an Olympic gold medal, having done so in 2012 London Olympics, who knows how motivated she might be? That’s going to be a hard thing to gauge. However, she’s Serena Williams, the greatest tennis player of the century, and quite possibly the best female tennis player who has ever lived. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, it’s her. If anyone can deal with the distractions and pressures of the Olympics, she can. If anyone can enter this tournament in less than perfect form and respond, she can. She’s definitely one of four prime contenders for a medal.
Angelique Kerber
The player who beat Serena at the Australian Open and worked herself to number two in the world also deserves to be viewed as a lead contender. Kerber hustles so much on defense that she’s in a natural position to outwork other players who try to end points quickly. If Kerber is nervous in the face of Olympic pressure, she can play defense and run around the court to settle herself down. In addition to her basic attributes, she also has a good chance to do something in this tournament because she now has a lot more confidence. That’s what comes from beating Serena, and doing so in a Grand Slam final.
Victoria Azarenka
The Olympics will give Azarenka a great chance to make a statement. Azarenka has been frustrated at Grand Slam events over the past few years. She has not been able to make the finals of these events, which are the most important ones on tour. She knows that winning the Olympics, or at least getting a silver or bronze, would make this year a lot better than it has been. Few players will be more motivated at the Olympics. This is a tournament in which she can do a lot of damage.
Garbine Muguruza
This is a very particular choice. It’s not an easy one, but it has the possibility to become an accurate reflection of how the women’s tournament in Rio will pan out. Muguruza was born in Venezuela, and recently, she took some time to decide whether she would represent Venezuela or Spain as a tennis player. She chose Spain, but a part of her is clearly linked to South America. Coming to Brazil for this tournament will likely inspire her. There will be some pressure involved, but Muguruza is likely to take this event very seriously. If she does, she should get a medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.
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