ANALYSIS: From Written-off to Spotlight - The Resurgence of WTA Stars

In an era where women's tennis wrangles with pay disparity and calls for it as a lesser product for the men's game, the stories in the WTA show why it is must watch and should be taken more seriously.

In particular the resurgent element where players who in reality were either written off or have been injured have come to the fore and shown themselves to be true reflections of the product in particular Karolina Muchova, Jasmine Paolini and Donna Vekic.

Marvellous Muchova shows life after injury - a tactical wonder rises again

Muchova perhaps is only a recent example but she is often lauded as a player who if she wasn't made of glass would be a multiple Grand Slam champion perhaps. Albeit perhaps having reached her ceiling last summer when she skulked away injured after a summer where she reached the final of Roland Garros and semi-finals of the US Open.

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It seemed the sky was the limit for the Czech ace who showed her undoubted talent and was only defeated by the eventual winners of Grand Slams in Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros and Coco Gauff in New York.

The same could be said if she reaches the semi-finals this time again where she will likely play Iga Swiatek who will be favourite now to win the title alongside Aryna Sabalenka in a slated final meeting.

But in reality, a player who battled to return after a debilitating wrist injury has to be seen as the story of the tournament. So much so that she was disparagingly in a way called a man by Chris Evert in her game style. But she gets compared to Roger Federer for a reason, her game is a true tactical masterclass and one that bamboozles opponents with variety and taking away their respective weapons.

Paolini who has been one of the best players in the world this year was left playing her best but with no answers as she fell to the Czech brilliance. Muchova will be favourite to win through against Beatriz Haddad Maia next and shows that these stories can happen especially when it is one of the WTA's most loved players.

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Jasmine Paolini leaves New York smiling after player of the year exploits

The same can be said for Paolini who bowed out to Muchova. But she is more a story of being a nearly woman at times in her career albeit one who has constantly progressed in recent years.

Every year she has risen further up the ranks and won titles on a more consistent basis. But in reality she wouldn't have seen her rise coming like it has.

Always a beaming presence even in defeat, Paolini will look back on her season with real pride. She sits in the top four of the world for the first time and if Rybakina decides to curtail her season like she could, it could be a top three by the end of the season. A true reflection of her season.

Only Sabalenka and Swiatek in reality have been better this year and it will compared to rankings usually give an accurate reflection on the current state of the sport. A lot of scope was placed on a so-called Big Three including Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina ruling the sport. But as it looks, Paolini has gatecrashed that party. It sums up a player who plays with real heart and grit and doesn't quit. Somebody on paper who shouldn't be where she is but someone who with pugnacious heart finds a way to keep herself there.

She could have been a flash in the pan after Roland Garros. But she backed it up at Wimbledon reaching the final and albeit she has not become a two time Grand Slam champion, she backed up winning Dubai and then reaching a Grand Slam mecca. Losing to Muchova is no disgrace and she will look back on her season albeit one likely still to include the WTA Finals in the cold light of day as one that made her career.

Jasmine Paolini

@JasminePaolini

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Fell short in today's match, but it’s always a privilege to play in the @USOpen. NYC has a special place in my heart. Grateful for all the support and to everyone who makes this event happen. 🙏🎾

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Vekic rises again with her own style and swagger

Donna Vekic is another. One that had perhaps reached her ceiling after winning a multitude of titles and World No.19 has shown a now lease of life. At the age of 28, the Croat has been one of the stars of the summer.

From reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon and giving it all she's got to winning an Olympic silver medal, she has been due this for some time and could yet reach the heights of 2019 when she was in the top 20. Losing to Qinwen Zheng again in a late night epic in the Last 16, she sits 17th in the WTA Race and has shown like Muchova and Paolini, there is still scope to get back to past heights or make new memories.

Also she has done it with her trademark humour including asking reporters to ask about her new hair instead of questions about the new match. An icon on and off the court.

From wearing a new silver necklace to signify her medal winning exploits to that press conference moment, she has done it with her own sense of style whilst producing results on the court.

Delia

@TennisByDelia

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Donna Vekic made it to @voguemagazine 💇🏼‍♀️ as she should vogue.com/article/inside… @DonnaVekic 👑

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Not forgetting Badosa and Navarro

But not only those names but the big name talents aside from perhaps Gauff and Rybakina tailing off have embodied the phrase the cream rises to the top. Swiatek and Sabalenka look to be on a final collision course. Whilst Jessica Pegula who has shown a resurgent grit is also through to the Quarter-Finals.

Stories such as Paula Badosa coming back from a crippling near career ending back injury is one to be marvelled at. Whilst Emma Navarro has perhaps taken the mantle from Pegula as WTA's Miss Consistency, she has shown that the route from ITF's and WTA 125k can be achieved. In only a year, she's gone from small tour to back-to-back Grand Slam Quarter-Finals.

Emma Navarro - a story of grinding small tournaments and dodging nepotism claims

This is despite having a similar issue to Pegula of being accused of having her career funded by rich parents. Despite tennis being a wholeheartedly rich sport anyway despite pay disparity. They block out this noise by producing results on the court.

All of this teamed with men's tennis seeing the top names fall like flies and unfashionable names to an extent likely to figure in the latter stages means that in comparison, women's tennis provides both the shock stories and big name victories. To say it is in its best place right now might be a lie due to other issues but in terms of overall star power and storylines, it continues to prove itself to be must watch.