Meet the VCO Top Seeds

The following are the top 10 seeds for the 2021 Volvo Car Open as of March 29. (Players and rankings subject to change.) Compiled by Boots Gifford, boots@thedanielislandnews.com

 

#1 ASHLEIGH BARTY, Australia, age 24

WTA Rank: 1

RESIDENCE: Ipswich, Australia

HEIGHT: 5’ 5” 

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Craig Tyzzer

Barty opened the 2021 season winning her ninth career title at the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne, Australia, in her first tournament since 2020 at Doha where she reached the semifinals. She made a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open and finished at No.1 for the second year in a row in 2020, despite missing all tournaments held after the resumption of play in the summer.

 

#2 SOFIA KENIN, United States, age 22

WTA Rank: 4

RESIDENCE: Pembroke Pines, Florida

HEIGHT: 5’ 7”

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Alexander Kenin 

Kenin opened the 2021 season with quarterfinal runs at Abu Dhabi and Yarra Valley Classic. She fell in the second round at Phillip Island Trophy before having to undergo an emergency appendectomy while still in Australia that kept her out until the Miami Open. She ended 2020 at a career high of No.4 and came away with the 2020 WTA Player of the Year Award.

 

#3 KIKI BERTENS, Netherlands, age 29

WTA Rank: 11

RESIDENCE: Wateringen, Netherlands

HEIGHT: 6’ 0” 

COACH: Elise Tamaëla

Bertens played her first matches of the year at 2021 Doha and Dubai, the first time playing on tour since Roland Garros in early October 2020  after undergoing Achilles surgery this past winter. Her best showing since resuming the tour in August 2020 was round 16 at Roland Garros. She reached a career high ranking of World No.4 in 2019.

 

#4 GARBIÑE MUGURUZA, Spain, age 27

WTA Rank: 13

RESIDENCE: Geneva, Switzerland

HEIGHT: 6’ 0” 

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Conchita Martinez

Muguruza won her eighth career title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships recently. She had lost her previous three consecutive finals, falling to Kvitova (2021 Doha), Barty (2021 Yarra Valley Classic) and Kenin (2020 Australian Open.) Her last title came at the 2019 Monterrey. She has posted a tour-leading 18 wins in 2021 and reached a tour-leading three finals.

 

#5 ELISE MERTENS, Belgium, age 25

WTA Rank: 17

RESIDENCE: Hamont-Achel, Belgium

HEIGHT: 5’ 10”

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Robbie Ceyssens

Mertens reached the finals at Dubai in 2021 before falling to eventual champion Muguruza and made a round 16 showing at Australian Open. She captured second career Grand Slam doubles trophy at Melbourne Park. She had originally planned to start the season at Abu Dhabi earlier in January before late withdrawal with a right shoulder injury. She led the tour in match wins in 2020, going 34-13.

 

#6 MADISON KEYS, United States, age 26

WTA Rank: 19

RESIDENCE: Orlando, Florida

HEIGHT: 5’ 10”

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Alex Kuznetsov

Keys opened the 2021 season with her 19th career Top 20 win over No.12 Bencic in round one of Doha before falling to No.25 Sakkari in the second round. She missed Australia due to testing positive for COVID-19 before travelling. She started 2020 off strong with a run to the final in Brisbane before reaching round three at the Australian Open. She is the defending 2019 Volvo Car Open champion.

 

#7 ELENA RYBAKINA, Kazakhstan, age 21

WTA Rank: 23

BIRTHPLACE: Moscow, Russia

HEIGHT: 6’ 0’’

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Stefano Vukov

Rybakina made the quarterfinals in the opening tournament of 2021 at Abu Dhabi. She opened the 2020 campaign by reaching the championship match at four of her first five tournaments, including a title run at Hobart. Her first win over a Top-5 ranked opponent came over No.3 Pliskova during a runner-up finish at 2020 Dubai.

 

#8 ANETT KONTAVEIT, Estonia, age 25

WTA Rank: 24

RESIDENCE: Tallinn, Estonia

HEIGHT: 5’ 9” 

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Nigel Sears

Kontaveit posted a third round showing at Australian Open after reaching the Grampians Trophy final (the final was not played due to scheduling.) During an interrupted 2020, she reached the sixth final of her career at Palermo and posted 21 match wins across the season. She made her Grand Slam breakthrough by reaching maiden major quarterfinals at the Australian Open.

 

#9 MARIA SAKKARI, Greece, age 25

WTA Rant: 25

RESIDENCE: Monte Carlo, Monaco

HEIGHT: 5’ 8”

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Tom Hill

Sakkari opened the 2021 season with back-to-back semifinals at Abu Dhabi and at the Grampians Trophy. She made a quarterfinal run at Doha and is the sole Greek player in Top 250. She secured her best year-end ranking of No. 22 in 2020; broke into Top 20 on Feb. 24 for first time at No. 20.

 

#10 YULIA PUTINTSEVA, Kazakhstan, age 26

WTA Rank: 28

RESIDENCE: Moscow, Russia

HEIGHT: 5’ 4”

PLAYS: Right-handed

COACH: Roman Kislianskii

Putintseva started the 2021 season with round 16 showing at Abu Dhabi. She recorded her 300th win (at all levels) with a round one triumph at the 2020 Roland Garros. Standout results of 2020 were quarterfinal runs at the U.S. Ope