About this episode
The 2023 season started and ended with Iga Swiatek as the player to beat, but it wasn’t a repeat of her utterly dominant 2022. A new elite separated itself from the field, as Sabalenka won her first Slam and achieved the #1 ranking, Coco Gauff won the US Open, Marketa Vondrousova shocked Wimbledon, and Rybakina scored three wins over Iga. Off the court, it was an unusually busy year in terms of WTA business news and rising player discontent over scheduling, finances, and plain respect. We’ll do a chronological recap of the season and talk about the overarching trends and biggest winners, followed by your contributions for the things that made you angry in 2023, the funniest moments, and what you’ll remember about the season. 01:20 Launching our 2024 Go Fund Me 09:35 The big winners of the 2023 season 16:10 Where was the WTA Tour at the start of 2023? 19:10 Recapping the season: Sabalenka’s Australian Open and the winter season 27:50 Clay was all about the “big 3,” but Muchova almost snatched 35:10 Vondrousova, the unexpected 43:15 The hardcourt summer made Coco Gauff a superstar 57:25 Superlatives, statistics, and picking the winners of the WTA Awards 01:09:35 Our 2023 breakout players: how’d we do? 01:12:10 WTA Business: CVC investment, safeguarding, WTA Finals bids, and testing the waters on Saudi investment 01:17:10 The moments you’ll remember from the 2023 season 01:21:50 The moments that made you mad: the Madrid disaster takes the cake 01:28:00 Your funniest moments of 2023: poor Kerrilyn 01:34:10 Retirements and comebacks