A look back at the most inspiring tennis victories of recent times on the WTA Tour

Modified Feb 04, 2017 10:27 GMT

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 12: Flavia Pennetta (R) of Italy and Roberta Vinci (L) of Italy pose with their trophies after their Women's Singles Final match on Day Thirteen of the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Pennetta defeated Vinci 7-6, 6-2. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) — Flavia Pennetta (R) and Roberta Vinci (L) pose with their trophies at the 2015 US Open

#6 Zhang Shuai: First Round at the 2016 Australian Open

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Shuai Zhang of China plays a backhand in her quarter final match against Johanna Konta of Great Britain during day 10 of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) — Zhang Shuai during her quarterfinal match against Johanna Konta at the 2016 Australian Open

The feel good story to come out of the WTA tour in the first half of 2016 was undoubtedly that of the Tianjin-born Zhang Shuai. Contemplating retirement at the beginning of the 2016 Australian Open, owing to her lack of success at Grand Slam tournaments, the Chinese veteran notched up her first ever main draw victory at a major. Having played through the qualifying draw, she went on to beat the world no. 2 Romania’s Simona Halep.

Zhang followed her tremendous win with victories over other higher ranked opponents, including Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, and the hard-hitting Americans Varvara Lepchenko and Madison Keys, before falling short to Johanna Konta.

Considering her 0-14 record at all the previous Grand Slam events, her run to the quarterfinal was nonetheless the most rewarding experience in her long career, not to say an inspirational one as well.

About the author

Vedant is an experienced journalist at Sportskeeda, having been part of the team since 2016. Known for his insightful coverage of Tennis, Hockey, and Olympic sports at the company, he has also been contributing to the Hindustan Times for the past 3 years.

Holding a Master's degree in English, and a PG Diploma in Print Journalism, Vedant's academic background equips him well for his journalism endeavors. He has covered the Olympics qualifiers on the ground, taken exclusive interviews with multiple Indian Olympians, and clinched Sportskeeda's prestigious Writer Award for Best Olympics Commentator in 2021.

While Vedant remains neutral on the Tennis GOAT debate, he holds a deep admiration for Tsvetana Pironkova and Petra Kvitova for their unparallelled grasscourt skills and personalities, along with Juan Martin del Potro. As for tournaments, his heart is undeniably drawn to Wimbledon, and when asked why, he simply states, "There's something about the grass."

Beyond his passion for sports, he enjoys traveling and has a soft spot for good movies.

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Edited by Staff Editor