Women's tennis: 4 key takeaways from the 2018 WTA season

The 2018 tennis season is done and dusted with the players cooling off during the off-season and contemplating their plan of action to achieve success in the upcoming 2019 season. With about 2 months to go before the start of the Australian Open, it is an opportune moment to reflect on what has transpired in 2018.

The year saw Caroline Wozniacki break her long-standing Grand Slam jinx by winning the coveted Australian Open trophy. In the final, she beat Simona Halep in an absolute classic. The match witnessed many twists and turns before Wozniacki finally came out on top. From contemplating retirement in 2017 to winning the Australian Open and rising to the top of the WTA rankings, Wozniacki experienced a roller-coaster of emotions.

Halep found herself on the losing side again in a Grand Slam final. What could this immensely talented Romanian possibly do to cross the final hurdle? Well, if people thought that Halep's losing streak in finals was going to continue, they were proved wrong when the Romanian, playing at the final of Roland Garros for a second successive year, finally won her maiden Grand Slam title, beating American Sloane Stephens in the final.

She also rose to the top of the WTA rankings and maintained that position throughout the season.

Playing in her first full season since the horrific knife attack, Czech Petra Kvitova returned to the WTA circuit and made an instant impact winning the St. Petersburg Open and the Qatar Open.

Angelique Kerber re-discovered her mojo as she won the Wimbledon, beating perennial favorite Serena Williams. The shock of the year was Japan's Naomi Osaka's victory over home favorite Serena Williams at the US Open final.

We take a look at 4 key takeaways from the 2018 WTA season:

Serena Williams at 37 can still win Grand Slams

Although she was made to wait in her quest to equal Margaret Court's record Grand Slam tally of 24, Serena Williams showed everyone that motherhood and age are not going to stop her in her pursuit of greatness. 'Super Mom' Serena made the final of Wimbledon and the US Open losing to Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka respectively.

Despite losing, she won many hearts and her determination to compete and win is still as strong as ever. Serena has confirmed her participation in the 2019 Australian Open and will be the firm favorite to win the title despite being ranked outside the Top-10 owing to her sporadic court appearances in 2018.

Most improved player of the year - Kiki Bertens

Kiki Bertens at the 2018 US Open

Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens' clay court prowess had never been in question - but in 2018, she transformed herself into an all-court threat.

In 2017, Bertens aggregated a win percentage of 72.6% on clay and a paltry 47.8% on grass and hardcourts.

Bertens won her first Premier title at the Charleston Open, defeating Julia Goerges in the final. At the Madrid Open, she defeated top-ranked players like Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Caroline Garcia before falling short in the final hurdle, losing to Petra Kvitova.

At the French Open, she lost a tough 3rd round match in 3 sets to Angelique Kerber. She made the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships for the first time in her career, beating Venus Williams and Karolina Pliskova en route. She won the biggest title of her career at Cincinnati beating 4 Top-10 players along the way - namely Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Kvitova and top-seed Halep.

An injury meant Halep withdrew from the WTA Finals in Singapore and Bertens made the cut for the first time. She made the semi-finals, losing to eventual winner Elina Svitolina.

Bertens was named "WTA Most Improved Player of the Year" for 2018 and is presently ranked a career-high World Number 8.

Newcomer of the Year - Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2018 WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka rose to prominence in 2017, leading her nation to the final of the Fed Cup. Her first WTA title at the Premier Level came at the 2018 Connecticut Open where she beat Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the final.

Her second title of 2018 came at the Premier 5 Level at the Wuhan Open, China. She took home a cool $471,700 for her exploits - the largest prize money of her career so far. She beat top-ranked players Carla Suarez Navarro, Elina Svitolina, Ashleigh Barty and Anett Kontaveit en-route to her victory.

Sabalenka has a very aggressive style of play, often accumulating a high number of winners and unforced errors. During the course of the year, she beat 5 top-10 players - Caroline Garcia, Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova and Elina Svitolina.

Sabalenka finished the year ranked a career-high World Number 11 and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year. Much is expected of the 20-year-old in the 2019 season.

Best player of 2018 - Simona Halep

Simona Halep with the 2018 French Open trophy

Romanian Simona Halep began the year ranked No. 1 in the WTA rankings and finished the year at the same spot despite pulling out of the 2018 WTA Finals due to injury.

Halep started the Australian Open as the favorite for the first time in her career. She beat Naomi Osaka, Karolina Pliskova and Angelique Kerber en-route to the final. She was involved in 2 of the best matches of 2018.

Her match with Lauren Davis saw her win 15-13 in the 3rd set in a match that lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes - the second longest in Australian Open history. Halep saved two match points against 2016 champion Angelique Kerber in the semis and lost in a tight 3-set battle to Caroline Wozniacki in the final.

She lost her Number 1 ranking to Wozniacki after her defeat but regained it just a month later.

Bothered by a foot injury and losses in quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals in the WTA tournaments succeeding the Australian Open, Halep was low in confidence going into the French Open despite being the top-ranked player.

At the French Open, she again managed to beat former World Number 1 Angelique Kerber in a tight 3-set contest and became the first Romanian since Virginia Ruzici in 1978 to win a Grand Slam title. Despite losing the first set to Sloane Stephens in her 3rd final at Roland Garros, Halep turned it around to lift the trophy.

Halep's 3rd title of the year came at the Montreal Open where she again triumphed over Sloane Stephens in the final. Despite losing in the first round of the US Open to Kaia Kanepi and not featuring in any match after the US Open, Halep maintained her top ranking as she made the finals of more tournaments than any other player during the year and earned more prize money than anyone else as well.

Halep will be looking to go one step further at the 2019 Australian Open by winning her second Grand Slam and become the only Romanian woman to win multiple Grand Slam tournaments.