The 2014 WTA Moods Awards

2014 was definitely one of the most interesting years on the WTA tour. The once unshaven dominance of Serena Williams was strongly contested not by closest rival, Victoria Azarenka, but by the rising stars Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard. In addition to these young guns, established players like Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Andrea Petkovic, Venus Williams, or Alize Cornet made a much-awaited return to top form. Frenchwoman Cornet achieved what once seemed like an impossible performance, stunning Serena three consecutive times to derail the American's quest for an historic 18th Slam. After struggling in the first half of the season, Williams caught wings during the North American season when she successfully defended her US Open crown, before claiming the WTA Championships trophy and ensuring another No.1 season-ending finish. 

Simona Halep won over the world during her heartbreaking defeat to Maria Sharapova in the French Open final—the Russian proving once again she is the queen of clay. After two semifinals, Genie Bouchard took it one step further by reaching the Wimbledon final, becoming the first Canadian to achieve the feat. Other youngsters who have made their mark in 2014 were Belinda Bencic—who made the quarterfinals at the US Open—Caroline Garcia and Madison Keys—who both won their maiden title—as well as Spanish Garbine Muguruza, who stunned Serena at Roland Garros en route to the last eight.

Making a powerful revival this season was former world No.1, Ana Ivanovic—who collected four titles to strengthen her presence inside the top 5—Flavia Pennetta—who claimed the biggest title of her career at Indian Wells—and Andrea Petkovic, who won three titles and made the semifinals at Roland Garros. 

In the shock of the season, recently crowned Australian Open champion Na Li announced her retirement from the game due to medical reasons. But while other hang up the racquet, other were mounted a fabulous comeback. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, the former teen prodigy, stirred waters with her fourth round appearance at Flushing Meadows, before making tennis history with her title in Quebec. 

Although Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci maintained their doubles supremacy, Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta joined forces late in the season to form the most enthusiastic duo on the tour.

Tennis Moods looks back at all these incredible stories and rewards these amazing champions. Congrats to all the 2014 WTA Moods Awards winners!

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

Winner: Serena Williams

Runner-up: Simona Halep

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

Winner: Eugenie Bouchard

Runner-up: Ana Ivanovic

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

Winner: Mirjana Lucic-Baroni

Runner-up: Caroline Wozniacki

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

Winner: Angelique Kerber

Runner-up: Agnieszka Radwanska

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

Winner: Eugenie Bouchard

Runner-up: Garbine Muguruza

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

Winner: Belinda Bencic

Runner-up: Caroline Garcia

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

Winner: Caroline Wozniacki

Runner-up: Na Li

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

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Runner-up: Maria Kirilenko

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

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Runner-up: Ana Ivanovic

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

Winner: Martina Hingis & Flavia Pennetta

Runner-up: Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic

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: Venus Williams

Runner-up: Eugenie Bouchard

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

Winner: Serena Williams (US Open outfit)

Runner-up: Caroline Wozniacki (US Open outfit)

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

Winner: Na Li

Runner-up: Dinara Safina

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

Winner: Simona Halep reaching the Roland Garros final

Runner-up: Simona Halep reaching the WTA Championships

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

Winner: Na Li winning the Australian Open

Runner-up: Dominika Cibulkova reaching the Australian Open final

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

Winner: Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros

Runner-up: Serena Williams at the WTA Championships

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

Winner: Simona Halep & Maria Sharapova

Runner-up: Ana Ivanovic & Maria Sharapova

SEE ALSO: The 2011 WTA Moods Awards, The 2012 WTA Moods Awards, and The 2013 WTA Moods Awards

#GenieArmy Takes over Paris

Following her breakthrough run in Australia, tennis darling, Eugenie Bouchard, continues to prove herself as a top contender by reaching her second consecutive Grand Slam semifinal.

Clay might not be her favourite surface, but Genie made headlines these past months, reaching the semifinals in Charleston before going on to claim her maiden WTA title in Nurnberg. Hoping to extend her winning streak at the French Open, the Canadian displayed her trademark explosive tennis beating a slew of fierce opponents. After dismissing Germans Julia Goerges and Angelique Kerber, the Canadian overcame clay-court specialist, Carla Suarez-Navarro, in an epic three-setter 7-6,2-6,7-5 to set up a clash with Russian Maria Sharapova in the last four.

Better prepared than in Australia, Bouchard was in for the win. She won the first set 6-4 and had chances in the second. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her opponent’s mental power, losing 4-6,7-5,6-2.

Despite the loss, the young Canadian is establishing herself as an all-rounder. Still in her early 20s, Genie represents one of the brightest prospects of the game. Wimbledon is her favourite Slam, so I wouldn’t be surprise to see her produce some more damage there. She also possesses that star quality, that mass-appeal that makes people instantly fall in love with her and her game. Already a worldwide fan-favourite, I see her become the cover figure of women’s tennis for the years to come. I foresee  the #GenieArmy will take over the world!

Although just 20 years old, Genie Bouchard showed she is way ahead of her age. The Canadian put on a fierce display to push Maria Sharapova all the way before finally succumbing 6-4,5-7,2-6. 

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Genie Wins Maiden Crown

After her dream run in Australia—where she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal—Genie Bouchard was expected to consolidate her place amongst the elite. Although she still lacks consistency, the young Canadian sensation has been pilling up great results lately. And with a ranking inside the top 20, it was just a matter of time before she would achieve that goal.

After a series of mixed performances on clay—highlighed by wins over Jelena Jankovic and Venus Williams en route to the semifinals in Charleston—Eugenie remained strong when it mattered most and managed to win her maiden WTA crown in Nürnberg. Seeded second at the start of the tournament, Bouchard did not drop a set until the final, bruising aside Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Anastasia Rodionova, Yaroslava Shvedova, and Karin Knapp. In the final, she showed great nerves, recovering from the loss of the second set to eventually serve out a marathon 6-2,4-6,6-3 win over Czech Karolina Pliskova.

"Today it was important to just keep at it," said the Canadian. "She's a great player, and she can be very dangerous at times, so I'm really glad I stayed with it and kept fighting for it during the third set.

"This is kind of like a stepping stone for me. Winning a WTA title is of course a goal I've had, and I'm so happy to accomplish it, but I still want to achieve more - more titles, bigger titles—so this is a step in the right direction, and it's part of the dream, but I want to move forward and keep going from here.

"I love Nürnberg. This city will always be special to me because it's where I won my first title."

This triumph represents a huge confidence booster ahead of the French Open scheduled to start in just a few hours. She may not be the most natural clay-court player on the tour, but Genie has the game and the mental strength to cause a few upsets in Paris. Being the charismatic person that she is, the Canadian will surely be a fan favourite at this year's Roland Garros. Go, Genie!

photo: GETTY IMAGES

Bouchard Shows 'Genie' Powers

Although she lost to Na Li, Canadian darling, Eugenie Bouchard, proved a maturity well beyond her years to make her first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open. 

Genie signaled her intentions last seasons when she reached her first final in Osaka, semifinals in Strasbourg and Quebec, as well as the third round at Wimbledon. As a result she was named the 2013 WTA Newcomer of the Year. 

In Melbourne, she cruised through the first three rounds without dropping a set, beating Chinese Hao Chen Tang, Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano, and American Lauren Davis. Things got a bit more difficult in the fourth round when she met home-hope, Casey Dellacqua. Although she's just 19, Bouchard showed her star quality, recovering from the loss of the first set to dismiss the Aussie 6-7,6-2,6-0. 

She played the biggest match of her career in the quarterfinals, when she faced resuscitated Ana Ivanovic. Even though the Serbian was sky-high on confidence following her shock win over world No.1 Serena Williams, she couldn't quite manage Genie's inspired performance. I was quite impressed on how this fierce teenager handled the situation. Ivanovic was playing very close to her best, but she somehow was outplayed by her opponent's aggressive display. The Canadian once again overcame a slow start, laboring her way to a sensational 5-7,7-5,6-2 victory.

Probably a bit overwhelmed by the media hype, she couldn't quite play her game in the semifinal against Li. The Chinese was too strong mentally and physically to be denied and she emerged victorious 6-2,6-4. Although the Canadian's ream run ended here, she totally won my heart with her superb performance. She's uninhibited, aggressive, bold, enthusiastic about being on court, and determined to play her best tennis.

I am sure this is just the beginning of the journey for Genie. There's so much potential here, so watch out because she will confirm. GO #GenieArmy!

In a battle of the big hitters, Eugenie Bouchard overcame resuscitated Ana Ivanovic to book her place in her maiden Grand Slam semifinal.

Genie made the delight of the Aussie crowd by confessing in the on-court interview that she would go on a date with teen idol, Justin Bieber.

Playing in her first major semifinal, Eugenie was no match for Chinese Na Li, who cruised through 6-2,6-4.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

The 2014 Fashion Scoop from DOWN UNDER

Every January, the Australian Open sets the fashion trends for the upcoming season. Disappointingly enough, this year there weren't many highlights. The outfits were relatively boring, with just a handful providing some kind of excitement. The standout piece came from Venus Williams' EleVen line, the clean-cut zebra dress being both edgy and classy. In the men's camp, Roger Federer continues to set the tone, looking sharp and fresh in his signature RF attire. 

In terms of colours, light blue and pink dominated the scene. While Adidas put forth a light blue-orange combo, Nike opted for shades of pink for its main collection. Again nothing spectacular here. Stella McCartney tried to spice things up and selected a sunny, vintage-looking print. She failed miserably. Her garments looked overdesigned and dusty. Wozniacki's dress is again a hot mess—so many weird things going on there, plus the use of green in addition to the heavy yellow print and the orange.

I was pleasantly surprised by Lacoste. They're line is always fresh and has that expensive feel to it. Also, Maria Sharapova chose turquoise to make her look better than I've seen her in ages.

The Queen of Style

Venus Williams - EleVen

Although she toned down her eccentricity, Venus remains the most exciting tennis fashionista. Although the dress is simple, the zebra print makes it interesting and exciting. This was my favourite piece from this year's Aussie Open. The garment is the perfect example that the American found the great balance between making fashion statements and creating clothing appropriate for the tennis court. 

I'm Blue da ba dee da ba die

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - AdiZero

Although I do not like the blue-orange combo, AdiZero continues to be the definition of coolness on the tennis court. However, while Ivanovic and Tsonga can look good wearing a plastic bag, the same does not stand for some of the other players—and this collection can easily highlight that. The overall proposition is relatively weak (boring design, uninspired colours, same cut as in previous seasons), but the clothes do maintain the line's trademark cool vibe.

Angelique Kerber - Adidas

Boooring … this Adidas look is so dull it's not even worth the bother. Please, I know you can do better! 

Maria Sharpova - Nike 'Maria Sharapova' Group

I am not a fan of Sharapova's on-court style these days, but there are a few positives about her Australian Open garment. First, the colour—the vibrant turquoise, which looks great in contrast with her skin tone. Second, the attempt to spice things up with the crazy printed underpants. Third, the cutout in the back, which is nice. Not sure why, but I actually like how this outfit looks on her. It's probably due to the colour, which does wonders against her skin, but I think this is the best I've seen her look in quite a while. 

Jelena Jankovic - FILA

Julia Goerges - FILA

I've always been a fan of Fila. They constantly produce great clothes that are sharp and expensive-looking. I particularly like this year's colour palette with the mix of turquoise, purple, and black. Although Jankovic's dress is interesting, I prefer the separates that Goerges is wearing—the colour blocking works better there.

Genie in a Bottle

Eugenie Bouchard - Nike 'Maria Sharapova' Group

Eugenie Bouchard is the latest tennis sensation. The young Canadian is quickly emerging as one veritable fashionista. As a consequence, she was given an upgrade in style by Nike, being among the exclusive few to wear Sharapova's limited signature line. Although the clothes stand out, they're not always the most flattering. Take this garment for example. It's the same problem that Vika had at the US Open. The skirt should probably be a few inches shorter and pulled a little lower, but Genie is one of those players that would look good in basically anything. She can do no wrong.

The Master

Roger Federer - Nike RF Group

I strongly believe that Roger Federer is the best dressed tennis player. Although his signature line is relatively classic in the approach, the Swiss always finds a way to look fresh and cool. In Melbourne, he wore checked shorts, part of a nicely balanced airy outfit. The greatest thing about Federer's attire is the detailing—the red touches providing a nice pop of colour.

Pink Overdose

Serena Williams - Nike

Serena came to Melbourne determined to win the crown. The overwhelming favourite, the American opted to make a load fashion statement wearing a bright pink, polka dot dress. The dress has an interesting colour blocking, the front and upper part being pink, while the back is all black. I wasn't blown away by the garment. It is a pretty safe choice—the cut is the standard V-neck, plunging neckline the American so loves—but in true Serena manner, she upped the styling by adding a pink blazer and matching pink-black nails to the ensemble. When she steps on to the court she is truly a presence, so I applaud her for that.

Victoria Azarenka - Nike

Worrisomely Vika did not just lose her mojo on court, but she's also gone astray with her fashion choices. The pink ensemble does not do her justice. This is just a pretty dull, too pinkish top and skirt that does not live up the expectations. The hip Belorussian should be wearing bold, edgy clothes. Let's relight the magic, Vika! Let's go back to Melbourne 2011. 

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci - Nike

Boooring again. Nice palette, but I feel the colour blocking is exaggerated. I was confused when I first saw this outfit.

Sloane Stephens - UnderArmour

As I said a couple of times before, I strongly believe that Sloane Stephens is the shiniest fashion prospect in tennis at the moment. Although extremely young, the American has a cohesive style. She is classy, but extra hip and fresh. She loves daring colours—like pink, fuchsia, neon yellow or orange—which perfectly complement her dark skin tone. In Melbourne, she wore a vibrant peach dress, which had a looser fit than what she's usually wearing. While I like the change, I feel this cut is not the most flattering for her. The bottom part is too wide and it opens too much, adding a few extra kilos to the hip area. She should stick to wearing fitted clothes.

Stella's Sunny Disaster

Laura Robson - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Andrea Petkovic - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Flavia Pennetta - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Oh my, oh my! What a mess did miss Stella McCartney put together here?! Not really sure where to start, but I cannot quite digest this whole collection. OK, she chose a vintage print, which could have been wow, but she kept adding until the end result became yow (made up the word to rhyme). Let's take the separates. The sunny skirt is nice. The top though is crazy. There's so many things going on. First, it's the use of the print in blocks—something I cannot quite understand—it looks like she run out of fabric and found no other solution to fix the problem. Second, the orange waistline stripe. Third, the sheer upper part and the heart-shaped breast line. Four, the busy back. However, regardless of the numerous flaws, this garment still looks fresher than Wozniacki's grandma dress. The use of the print on the lambada skirt makes the dress seem dull and dusted. Plus, the top part comes from a completely different story. The mint waistline strip and the use of the green do not match with the sunny print. Sorry, Stella dear, but this is a hot mess. A failed experiment. I am confident you can do better. Pretty please, show us something designer worthy!

Classy Lacoste

Dominika Cibulkova - Lacoste

Alize Cornet - Lacoste

Simona Halep - Lacoste

As said, I like Lacoste. The cut is clean, the fabrics are rich, the clothes seem comfortable, and the design is nice, without being exaggerated. Plus, the colour palette is warm. 

Pijamas made in Japan

Novak Djokovic - UNIQLO

Since signing with Japanese producer, Uniqlo, Novak Djokovic seems to be playing in his pajamas all the time. Might sound mean, but it's the truth. The design is always the same, thus it looks dated, while the colours are dusted, especially the ever-present rat grey. The Serbian is in desperate need of a fashion make-over.

photos: GETTY IMAGES