"As much as I adore Tatjana Maria, Daria Saville deserved this award" - Rennae Stubbs on who should've won Comeback Player of the Year award

Rennae Stubbs has shared her opinion on the 2022 WTA Awards winners. Tatjana Maria was adjudged the Comeback Player of the year, but the Australian felt that her compatriot Daria Saville was a more deserving candidate.

Maria missed most of the 2021 season as she was pregnant and competed in a few lower level tournaments after giving birth to her second child. This year, she won her second career title at the Copa Colsanitas and reached her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. This led to her winning the Comeback Player of the Year award.

However, Stubbs stated that Saville barely played in 2021 due to surgery. She started the 2022 season ranked No. 421 and made it all the way to No. 53. She became the lowest-ranked quarterfinalist in the history of the Miami Open and was the runner-up at the Granby Championships. She also won the doubles title at the Strasbourg Open alongside Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

Stubbs opined that while she's fond of Maria, Saville's steady rise was more worthy of the award.

"Love Tatiana Maria but she played for 6 months in 2021 after her 2nd child. As much as i adore her, @Daria_gav deserved this award. She was #421 to start this yr after being out all of 2021 after another surgery & ended it at #53. Remember, she didn’t play last year at all. @WTA" - Rennae Stubbs wrote.

Unfortunately, Saville's terrible luck with injuries continued this year as well. She injured herself while competing at the Pan Pacific Open in September, suffering a torn ACL. She underwent surgery for it and is expected to return around August 2023.

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Rennae Stubbs won the Doubles Team of the Year award in 2001

Rennae Stubbs at the 2022 US Open.

Rennae Stubbs enjoyed a stellar doubles career, winning 60 titles. She won six Grand Slam titles in all, four in women's doubles and two in mixed doubles. She enjoyed a career-best season in 2001.

Teaming up with Lisa Raymond, Stubbs won Wimbledon, the US Open and the WTA Finals, along with four other titles, while finishing as the runner-up on three occasions. They also reached the semifinals of the French Open. For their dominant performances throughout the year, the two won the Doubles Team of the Year award at the WTA Awards that year.

Stubbs also won the 2001 US Open mixed doubles title alongside Todd Woodbridge, defeating Raymond and Leander Paes in the final.