Emma Raducanu didn't manage to win the LTA's Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
Last year, the British sensation collected one award after another. Raducanu was named the LTA's Player of the Year but she also received the 2022 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award. This year, she was nominated for the LTA's Player of the Year once again, but despite ending the year as the highest-ranked British woman, she didn't win.
Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, Katie Boulter, and Katie Swan were nominated for the LTA's Player of the Year in women's singles alongside the 2021 US Open champion.
And it was the British no. 2 Dart who won the award. It comes after she helped her country to reach the first semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup since 1981 and also reached the quarterfinals in Nottingham and Eastbourne, and reached the fourth round in Indian Wells. After winning the award, Dart said:
“Last year was a huge milestone for me, breaking the top 100. Notably, representing Great Britain is always a big part of my year and being able to deliver some wins for our team meant so much. I want to thank the fans for their ongoing support, I hope to come back stronger for the remainder of 2023.”
On the other hand, Raducanu, who won 17 of 36 matches that she played last year, will want to focus on her performances in 2023 to be in contest for the award once more next year.
Currently, she's the highest-ranked British player on the WTA Tour, and thanks to her prestige and ability to get wild cards thanks to her popularity even if she doesn't qualify for the event directly, Raducanu should also finish the season as the British no. 1.
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