Petra Kvitova
- 4,630 points
- 47-17 match record (.734 winning percentage)
- 5 titles: St. Petersburg, Doha, Prague, Madrid, and Birmingham.
- Returned to the top five in August.
Recap: The first six months of 2018 were awesome for Kviitova, with five titles and 38 match wins. But all that play took a lot out of Petra, who went 9-10 during the second half of the year. That included five straight losses to close out the season, including all three of her matches at the WTA Finals. Kvitova did end the year on a high note, as a part of another winning Fed Cup team for the Czech Republic. Despite all of her success this year outside the Majors, she went just 4-4 at Grand Slam events. Surely her goal for 2019 will be to go for her third Major title.
Karolina Pliskova
- 4,465 points
- 49-23 match record (.681 winning percentage)
- 2 titles: Stuttgart and Tokyo.
- Finished the year ranked within the top 8 for the fourth straight time.
Recap: Pliskova underperformed for the majority of 2018. Heading into the Asian swing, she owned only one title, and hadn’t advanced farther than the quarterfinals at a Major. But Karolina picked up a second title in Tokyo, made the semis at the WTA Finals, and overall won 12 matches in Asia to close out the year. With her new coach, Rennae Stubbs, Pliskova appears poised for a strong 2019.
2018 Honorable Mentions
Kiki Bertens proved she’s more than just a clay court threat by winning the Premier 5 event in Cincinnati, making the semis in her WTA Finals debut, and going on a 10-match winning streak against top 10 opponents. Daria Kasatkina finished the year ranked inside the top 10 for the first time thanks to consistent results and a style of play as appealing as her personality. Aryna Sabalenka led the tour with 51 match wins, as the 20-year-old won two Premier-level events in the latter stages of 2018. Serena Williams only played seven tournaments in her return, though still managed to make two Major finals. But her season will be most remembered for her fight with Chair Umpire Carlos Ramos in the US Open final, which will continue to linger over her going into 2019.
