JANUARY: The first Major jump starts the season for most players and Serena Williams was hoping to put the 2015 season behind her with a big win to start the year.  Although she made it all the way to the Australian Open final, she lost to Angelique Kerber.

MARCH: The sport lost one of its beloved figures –  Arthur Worth “Bud” Collins Jr. died on the 4^th.

The sport was rocked by scandal when Maria Sharapova announced on the 7^th that she had tested positive for a banned substance on January 26^th at the Australian Open.

Former Indian Wells CEO, Raymond Moore, made some unsavory comments about women tennis players on the 21^st and was forced to resign one day later.

MAY: Our favorite male player, Rafael Nadal withdrew from the French Open on the 27^th with a left wrist injury that kept him off the tour until the Rio Olympics in early August.

 

JUNE:  On the 8^th, Maria Sharapova is suspended for two years for testing positive for Meldonium (a PED).  She appealed the decision a week later at the highest court in sports, The Court of Arbitration for Sport.

JULY:  the 9^th was a historical day for Serena Williams, who finally tied Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Major titles when she won Wimbledon.  On the 26^th, Roger Federer announced that his 2016 season was over.  He needed to further rehab his back and his recently operated left knee.

AUGUST:  Monica Puig shocked the world when she defeated Angelique Kerber in the final to win the women’s singles tennis championship and Olympic gold.  Juan Martin Del Potro did not win gold, but his silver in men’s singles was almost as impressive.  Andy Murray defended his singles tennis championship, winning gold again.

SEPTEMBER:  Angelique Kerber won her second Major title at the US Open on the 10^th.  On the 12^th she ended Serena’s 186 week reign as the number 1 player on the WTA Tour.

OCTOBER:  Maria Sharapova’s suspension is revised from two years to fifteen months.  Rafael Nadal ends his 2016 season due to continued pain in left wrist.  Serena Williams once again is forced to miss the year ending WTA Finals in Singapore, this time due to persistent right shoulder issues.

Dominika Cibulkova comes all the way back from the brink of elimination to defeat Angelique Kerber and win the biggest title of her career, the WTA Finals.

NOVEMBER:  Andy Murray gets to the number one ranking for the first time in his career (11.07.2016).  He then seals the year-end number one ranking by defeating Novak Djokovic in the ATP Tour Finals.

Argentina wins their first ever Davis Cup title with the impressive play of Juan Martin Del Potro and Federico Delbonis (they defeated Croatia).

 

 

SOURCE OF IMAGES: Creative Commons