In 2003 as a 16 year old, Maria Sharapova spent her first full season on the WTA Tour and did very well for herself, collecting wins over several highly ranked players as well as her first singles titles. However it wasn't until 2004 when she won Wimbledon and finished in the top 5 in the year end rankings that she really burst on the scene, attracting as much attention for her looks as for her game.Many hailed her as the next Anna Kournikova, due to being a hot young Russian tennis player, although most noted that Maria won singles tournaments while Anna never did.
Now Maria's had a rough road recently with injury problems, falling out of the top 10 and not having won any tournaments this year.
But now at the US Open, we might be seeing the emergence of a successor to Maria in Caroline Wozniacki.
Wozniacki is a 19 year old player born in Denmark and living in Monaco and she's been making a splash on the WTA for about a year or so, winning her first tour wins last year. It's clear that 2009 has been her true breakout season though as she's entered the top 10, won three singles and one doubles titles (both of which doubled her career totals) and, as of yesterday, reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal beating Svetlana Kuznetsova at the U.S. Open.
She's facing fellow teenager Melanie Oudin, a 17 year old from Murietta, GA, in her next match and it should be an entertaining battle between the two young players.Wozniacki definitely has the talent to make it far on the tour, which she's already shown. In my opinion she's also got the looks and personality to make a cultural splash as well.
She already loves New York from the time she's spent there and has been talking about getting an apartment there.
Wozniacki's also spent time at Yale during the Pilot Pen and said she'd love to take classes there because she's fascinated by the American college experience.
Who knows what will happen. It's very possible she suffers a career ending injury or has some kind of implosion and we never hear from her again. But that's pretty doubtful, and having seen her play, it really would be a shame to lose one of the up and comers who, along with Oudin, Victoria Azerenka, and other young players currently lurking outside the top 10, will be sure to lead the new guard when players like the Williamses and Kim Clijsters decide to call it a career.
