The 2013 WTA Moods Awards

2013 has been a fabulous year for the WTA tour. Not only did the WTA celebrate its 40th anniversary, but the leading ladies of the tour have put forth some breath-taking performances. Serena Williams once again dominated the proceedings, making an emphatic return to No.1 before going on to win Roland Garros, the US Open, and the WTA Tour Championships. Her fiercest rival, Vika Azarenka, also showed glimpses of geniuses, successfully defending her Australian Open crown. More important, she set records straight with Serena, beating the American to win in Doha and Cincinnati. Sadly, she lost the Flushing Meadows final, one of the most emotional and electrifying matches I ever saw. 

Wimbledon provided one of the most beautiful stories of the year, with quirky Marion Bartoli achieving her life goal by crowning herself champion. The star of the tournament was German Sabine Lisicki though, who beat Serena Williams and Aga Radwanska en route to her first Grand Slam final. 

2013 also saw the emergence of two new stars in Sloane Stephens and the million-dollar Romanian, Simona Halep. Stephens fared better in majors, but Simona turned things around in the second half of the season, winning six titles, among them the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. 

Tennis Moods favourites Flavia Pennetta and Andrea Petkovic fought their way back to the top, while Bartoli and former world No. 5, Russian Anna Chakvedatze, sadly said good-bye to the sport sooner than expected. The queen of hearts, Martina Hingis, stirred waters in August announcing she'll be making a comeback in doubles alongside Slovak Daniela Hantuchova. Poor results quickly made her reconsider her plans and the Swiss Miss is still undecided whether she'll continue playing in 2014.

The young guns have stepped up their game this year with Canadian sweetheart Eugenie Bouchard, Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic, German Annika Beck, Croat Donna Vekic, as well as Americans Madison Keys, Victoria Duval, and Taylor Townsend showing their enormous potential. 

Tennis Moods looks back at all these incredible stories and rewards these amazing champions. Congrats to all the 2013 WTA Moods Awards winners!

The 'World's Greatest' Award (for the best player of the year)

Winner: Serena Williams

Runner-up: Victoria Azarenka

The 'She Found Love' Award (for the most improved player of the year)

Winner: Simona Halep

Runner-up: Sloane Stephens

The 'Homecoming' Award (for the most spectacular comeback)

Winner: Flavia Pennetta

Runner-up: Andrea Petkovic

The 'She Works Hard for the Money' Award (for the most hard-working player)

Winner: Agnieszka Radwanska

Runner-up: Sara Errani

The 'Here I Am' Award (for the newcomer of the year)

Winner: Sloane Stephens

Runner-up: Shuai Zhang

The 'We Are Young' Award (for the most promising youngster on the tour)

Winner: Eugenie Bouchard

Runner-up: Kristina Mladenovic

The 'Talk That Talk' Award (for the wittiest player on the tour)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Runner-up: Martina Hingis

The 'Broken Hearted Girl' Award (for the most disappointing player of the year)

Winner: Julia Goerges

Runner-up: Heather Watson

The 'Queen of Hearts' Award (for the Tennis Moods' favourite)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Runner-up: Marion Bartoli

The 'When We Collide' Award (for the most spectacular doubles team)

Winner: Daniela Hantuchova & Martina Hingis

Runner-up: Ashleigh Barty & Casey Dellacqua

The 'I Feel Pretty' Award (for the the most beautiful player)

Winner: Eugenie Bouchard

Runner-up: Maria Kirilenko

The 'Fashion of Her Love' Award (for the best dressed player throughout the year)

Winner: Serena Williams

Runner-up: Sloane Stephens

The 'Paparazzi' Award (for the most memorable outfit of the season)

Winner: Venus Williams (US Open outfit)

Runner-up: Serena Williams (US Open outfit)

The 'I Will Always Love You' Award (for the player who retired this year and will be missed the most)

Winner: Marion Bartoli

Runner-up: Anna Chakvetadze

The 'Imagine' Award (for the most emotional story of the year)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka winning Australian Open

Runner-up: Marion Bartoli winning Wimbledon

The 'I Dreamed a Dream' Award (for the accomplishment of a dream)

Winner: Marion Bartoli winning Wimbledon

Runner-up: Kristen Flipkens reaching Wimbledon semifinal

The 'Hero' Award (for the braveheart performance of the year)

Winner: Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon

Runner-up: Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open

The 'Clash of Titans' Award (for the most exhilarating duel of the year)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka & Serena Williams

Runner-up: Victoria Azarenka & Maria Sharapova

SEE ALSO: The 2011 WTA Moods Awards and The 2012 WTA Moods Awards

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Time to Say Goodbye: Marion Does It Her Way

Marion Bartoli has always played by her own rules. Never intimidated by the critics who slammer her as unorthodox, bizarre, or quirky, she always stood by what she believed in, never compromising, never giving in. Her work ethics, her on-court behaviour, her aggressive two-handed strokes on both sides, everything about this Frenchwoman was designed to work for her and her only. Having teamed up with her father, doctor Walter Bartoli, at an early age, Bartoli has developed a unique game that I personally have always appreciated. 

It's not easy to put in so much passion, so much discipline and hard work, and to give so much of yourself match after match, week in, week out. With her never-say-die attitude, the Frenchwoman has always fought. Injuries, opponents, the French Federation, media, everyone. However, after winning Wimbledon just a few weeks ago, she felt emptied. There was nothing left to give. No resources to fuel the fight. Playing through so many injuries took its toll and an aching Marion decided she cannot continue anymore. After losing her second round match in Cincinnati to Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, Marion shocked the world by announcing her immediate retirement from tennis. 

It may come as a surprise to many, but it's important to understand just how much effort was required to win Wimbledon. Struggling with injuries since the beginning of the year, Marion saw a chance opening up when the hot favourite crushed out in the early stages. It took all her determination and fight to be able to hold the Venus Rosewater Dish at the end of the fortnight. It was the achievement of her biggest dream, an accomplishment that completed her career. She fulfilled her goal and she can now walk away peacefully and at ease, able to proudly look back at her glorious career. 

Judging by how competitive Marion is, I was actually expecting her to carry on and, why not, to try to win more majors. She knew better though. She knew that would never be. While some questioned her decision, I am pretty convinced she gave it a lot of thought. I am sad to see her retire, but one has to appreciate all she has done for women's tennis and to wish her all the best. For me, Marion represents the best example of a warrior. A fierce and smart warrior that will do anything, work as hard as it takes, to achieve her goals. When people tell you you cannot do something, Marion would go and prove them wrong. Time and time again. Although she was not the most gifted tennis player and some made fun of her peculiarity, Marion had the last laugh by winning Wimbledon and becoming a Grand Slam champion. Congrats Marion, go live your life and always stay true to yourself. At the end of the day, that's what matters the most. Thank you for all the great memories! You will be missed!

Exit interview:

On why...

"My body just can't do it anymore. I've already been through a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year. I've been on the tour for so long, and I really pushed through and left it all during that Wimbledon. I really felt I gave all the energy I have left in my body. I made my dream a reality and it will stay with me forever, but now my body just can't cope with everything. I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play. I've been doing this for so long, and body-wise I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she knew going into the match that it would be her last...

"Well, you kind of never know before the match that it's going to be your last match, but I felt that way after the match. I felt I just couldn't do this anymore. After one set, my whole body was just in pain.

"It's been a tough decision to make. I didn't make this decision easily. I mean, I've been a tennis player for a long time, and I had the chance to make my biggest dream a reality. I felt I really, really pushed through the ultimate limits to make it happen, to be honest. But now I just can't do it anymore."

On whether she had been thinking about it for a while...

"You know, it's hard to explain, but when you dream about something for so long and you've been on tour for many, many, many years and you've been through ups and downs and highs and lows and already a lot of injuries since the beginning of the year, my body was really starting to fall apart, and I was able to keep it together, go through a lot of pain throughout Wimbledon, and still make it happen. That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me. It's fine. I have the right to do something else as well. I've been playing for a long, long time, and it's time for me now. It is."

On whether she discussed it with her dad...

"I called him, yes. But my dad knows me enough to know it a bit when he saw me leaving home for the States. He kind of felt I was tired and I was exhausted, and he was not surprised by the decision.

"He said, 'I kind of felt it somehow. I can see it in your eyes and see your body and I know all the work you've done to make it happen. I'm so proud of you. I will support you in anything you're doing.'"

On where the pain is exactly...

"My Achilles is hurting me a lot, so I can't really walk normally after a match like that, especially on the hardcourts when the surface is so hard. And my shoulder and my hips and my lower back. The body of a tennis player, you've been using it for so many years, and, yeah, my body is just done."

On how she went from a really good first set to this decision...

"As a tennis player you have to be at 100%. And I'm this kind of person, when I'm doing something, I'm doing it 100%. If I have to be on the practice court preparing for the next tournament tomorrow, I won't be at 100%, because my mind is not there, my heart is not there, and I just can't lie like that.

"I'm too honest and too true to my values to be there, but kind of not really 100%. I think that would be unfair for all my team, and I don't choose to do that. I don't have those values. That's not the way I've been raised. That's not the way I am. So I prefer to stay true to myself rather than just cheating."

On what she's most proud of from her career...

"I think being the same person, being honest, being loyal to my friends, to my teams, to the people who have been helping me along the way, the people who have been working with us throughout all the years. I always respect them, and I felt I always respected everyone. I think if people ask, 'How is Marion Bartoli?' They will always respond, 'She's a nice person.' That's what I'm most proud of."

On what she will do now...

"Oh, gosh, I don't know. I haven't thought about it so much. There are so many things to do in life rather than playing tennis, so I'm sure I'll find something. I just need a bit of time to settle down. "There is some excitement as a tennis player. There is a lot of excitement as a woman. There is a lot of excitement as a wife. There is a lot of excitement as a mother. There is a lot of excitement to come up.

"I'm excited to live my future, but I will have time to think about it in the months, years to come."

A look back at Marion's golden career

US OPEN 2001: Aged 17, Marion defeated Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the girls singles title at Flushing Meadows.

AUCKLAND 2006: Marion defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2,6-2 to capture her maiden WTA title. She would go on to two more crowns that year.

WIMBLEDON 2007: Marion stunned the tennis world by shocking hot favourite and world No.1, Justine Henin, to reach her first Grand Slam final. 

WIMBLEDON 2007: Playing the most important match of her career, Marion succumbed to experienced Venus Williams in straight sets.

STANFORD 2009: Marion got revenge on Venus Williams, defeating the American to collect her fifth career title.

INDIAN WELLS 2001: Bartoli reached one of the biggest finals of her career, but fell short to world No.1, Dane Caroline Wozniacki who prevailed in three sets.

ROLAND GARROS 2011: Marion delighted the French fans by reaching her first semifinal at the French. Her dream was eventually ended by defending champion, Italian Francesca Schiavone. 

EASTBOURNE 2011: at one of her favourite tournaments, Marion Bartoli produced a stellar grass-court performance. After quickly disposing of Samantha Stosur in the semis, the Frenchwoman overcame soon-to-be Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova, to claim the title.

HOPMAN CUP 2012: Marion partnered Richard Gasquet to reach the final of the team event in Perth. They lost to Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych from the Czech Republic.

PARIS 2012: One of the most heart-breaking defeats came in front of her home crowd, in Paris, when she lost an epic final to German Angelique Kerber.

WIMBLEDON 2013: Bartoli achieved her career dream, defeating German Sabine Lisicki to win her first Grand Slam trophy. The Frenchwoman did not drop a set the entire fortnight.

CINCINNATI 2013: Just when she seemed to be on top of world, Marion stunned the world announcing her immediate retirement from tennis.

photos (top-down): GETTY IMAGES, L'Equipe, GETTY IMAGES (x7), AP, GETTY IMAGES (x5), ?, GETTY IMAGES (x3)

Emotional Lisicki Misses out on a Great Finish

After playing an unbelievable tournament, Sabine Lisicki seemed destined to crown herself as the new Wimbledon queen. She did all the hard work already, shocking world No.1 and defending champion, Serena Williams, in the fourth round, before an epic defeat of last year's runner-up, Agnieszka Radwanska, in the semis. She needed just one more win and her dream would come true. Her opponent in the final was Marion Bartoli, a player she beat in three of their four previous meeting. It seemed an easy task, right? However, no Grand Slam final is ever easy.

The German, renowned for being an emotional player, could not really cope with the big occasion. What promised to be a day to remember, quickly turned into a nightmare, Bartoli being one point away from a total blow-out at 6-1,5-1 on Lisicki's serve. After saving three match points to hold serve, an extremely frustrated Sabine finally hit her zone. She won three consecutive games, reducing the deficit to one game. Desperate not to let her opponent get back on equal terms, the Frenchwoman hold to love to win the crown.

Tennis can be crude at times. Lisicki did everything right before this last match, but she just couldn't control her nerves. "I felt fine this morning but it's an occasion that you don't get every day," she told a news conference. "So it's something completely new for me. The walk on court is different. You walk on with the flowers. You walk on together. Everything is a little bit different. The feeling, the atmosphere is different."

Of course, all credit should go to Bartoli for producing a flawless display, but I feel like Lisicki could have won this battle if she was better prepared. Nevertheless, this is no time for regrets. The German possesses such a huge game that she just needs to be given this opportunity again. As she confessed, she will surely learn from the defeat and hopefully be ready next year. "I will learn and take away so much from it," she assured us. "I've done that in the past. Experience has always helped me so much. When I was in the quarters here the first time, when I was in the semis for the first time, and now in the final for the first time. I've always gained my experience here, which is good. I hope that next time it will help me to do that one step further."

Despite the painful loss, Lisicki tried to remain positive and look at what a sensational run she's had these past two weeks. "It's still been a great tournament," she said. "It's been an amazing two weeks. I've played my best tennis here. I had to take out the champion and runner-up from last year, so I think that's pretty big. This tournament definitely made me a better player." Sabine loves grass and she always did great at Wimbledon, so I do expect her to win this title one day. As Marion said "I'm sure you will be there one more time. I have no doubt about it."

Although she was hot favourite to become the new Wimbledon queen, Sabine Lisicki could not cope with the pressure. The German was unable to respond to the inspired display of Marion Bartoli, losing her first Grand Slam final 1-6,4-6.

During the on court interview, the emotional Lisicki declared her love for Wimbledon and vowed to come back next year and try to win the title.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

The Triumph of the Wonder Woman

Probably no one gave her a chance at the beginning of the tournament, but Marion Bartoli has always felt inspired on the grass-courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. She may have not advanced past the quarterfinals so far this year, but when she saw the draw open nicely for her, she knew she was given the chance of a lifetime. And she went for it.

If all the top names fell in the early rounds, Marion kept her focus and cruised through to the quarterfinals without dropping a set. A tough test followed, but the Frenchwoman showed incredible mental strength to dismiss teen sensation Sloane Stephens 6-4,7-5 to reach her second Wimbledon semifinal. She may not be the ultimate athlete, but Bartoli is one of the smartest women on the tour. Playing a smart mental game, she put an end to Kirsten Flipkens' dream run, stunning the Belgian 6-1,6-2 to book her place in the grand finale against big-hitting German, Sabine Lisicki. 

Although I rooted for Bartoli, I admit I was certain the German would prevail. Sabine showed such great fight the entire tournament, shocking world No.1 and defending champion, Serena Williams, and last year's runner-up, Agnieszka Radwanska, to reach her maiden Grand Slam final. However, Marion has been in this situation before and the experience helped her prepare mentally for the challenge. Although her opponent held a 3-1 head-to-head record against her, the Frenchwoman seized the opportunity and was determined not to let it go. While Lisicki could not handle the emotions, Bartoli was all pumped up and ready to achieve her dream. She played flawless tennis to go 6-1,5-1 up and although she missed three match points to allow the German to close the gap, she cold-bloodedly served out the match to clinch her maiden major title. "Honestly I still can't believe it," she beamed. "I've dreamed about this moment for so long. For me, winning Wimbledon is beyond my wildest dreams, let alone with an ace - but I've been practicing my serve for so long, I guess I saved it for the best moment! I'm so happy to be holding this trophy. This has been my dream since I was six years old."
"I honestly just can't believe it," she added. "I feel like I'm going to wake up and none of this will have happened. I was just really focused on every single point out there. I saw the finish line at 5-1 but then she started playing so well - but to finish it with an ace is just amazing. I'm so happy right now."

The peculiar Frenchwoman may not be everyone's cup of tea, but she's certainly one of my favourite players. I think what she does on the court is so special, that she sometimes is not given the respect she deserves. It is just amazing that Marion is now a Grand Slam winner. Surreal even. It was a shock when she beat the dominant Justine Henin to make the 2007 final, but she needed today's win to prove everyone what a great champion she is. No matter what happens next, no one can take this win from her. She is the new Wimbledon queen and she did it without dropping a set. Wow, what an amazing achievement. Congrats Marion, you fully deserve this!

An extremely joyful Marion celebrated her triumph with her camp: new coach, Amelie Mauresmo, father, doctor Walter Bartoli, as well as compatriot, Kristina Mladenovic.

After losing the 2007 final to Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli was determined not to let another chance slip by. The Frenchwoman controlled the match throughout, closing out Sabine Lisicki 6-1,6-4 to win her maiden Grand Slam crown.

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Flipkens Gets to Live Her Dream

Last summer when she was diagnosed with blood clots in her legs, Kirsten Flipkens seemed a spent force. Battling a life-threatening injury and with her career in complete bewilderment, the Belgian even considered hanging up the racket amidst this turbulent time. People slapped the door in her face, as they lost faith in her ability to fulfill her once huge potential. Flipkens, a prodigious junior with titles at Wimbledon and US Open in 2003, keep on believing though, knowing that she is destined for greatness. "I had lost the support of the federation and not many people still believed in me," Flipkens told wtatennis.com about the ordeal. "When everything is going well, everyone's your friend. But in hard times you learn who your friends are. But I knew I could fight back and prove them all wrong."
She overcame her health issues, started anew and returned to the spotlight to accompany her good friend, Kim Clijsters, into retirement at the US Open, where the two played doubles together. In late fall, the Belgian's comeback was gaining great momentum, as Kirsten saw a dream come true, winning her first WTA title in Quebec, beating Czech Lucie Hradecka in the final. She continued to turn milestones in 2013, reaching her maiden second week at a major, at the Australian Open, cracking the top 20 in June, and making the final of her "home" tournament in den Bosch, where she lost to Romanian Simona Halep. Nevertheless, nothing was really announcing her fairytale fortnight at Wimbledon.

Taking advantage of Azarenka's withdrawal following a nasty knee injury, the Belgian progressed through to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. She then produced a major upset, taking out the last Grand Slam winner left in the draw, the 2011 champion, Petra Kvitova. Although Kvitova started strong, the Czech eventually paid the price for her erratic display, allowing her opponent to level the match. Once on equal terms, Kirsten seized the opportunity. She hanged in tough in the decider, breaking Petra's serve before coming up with two aces to close out the biggest win of her career. Appearing in her first major semifinal, the talented Belgian seemed too overwhelmed to stand a chance against Marion Bartoli. She was completely outplayed by the determined Frenchwoman who came through 6-1,6-2 to reach her second Wimbledon final.

What a difference a year makes! If last season her No.262 ranking did not even get her into the Wimbledon qualies, 12 months later she's in the semifinals. "I think I still don't really realize what I've managed to go through today and what I've achieved today," she confessed during her press conference. "Last year, as everybody knows already, I didn't even get into the qualifying of Wimbledon. I was ranked No.262; today I'm a semifinalist in a Grand Slam. 

"It's a dream - more than a dream - coming true. There are no words. I never expected this to happen in my life. It was already a great performance that I managed to get into the fourth round in the Australian Open this year, but being in the semifinals of a Grand Slam, of the biggest tournament of the year, it has no words. I never expected I would come this far."

Although she did not win the trophy, Flipkens has won so much during these two weeks. It could very well be that this will remain the pinnacle of her career, but Kirsten has made a habit of proving everyone wrong, so she will surely seek to break new grounds.

Although she's beaten Kvitova in their last meeting, Kristen Flipkens produced another upset at Wimbledon, stunning the 2011 champion, 4-6,6-3,6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal.

Visibly bothered by a knee injury, the Belgian was crushed by the determined Marion Bartoli in their semifinal clash. The Frenchwoman won 6-1,6-2 to end Kristen's dream run at this year's Wimbledon.

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