TOKYO — Elena Rybakina (KAZ) and Jessica Pegula (USA) finished the 2023 season in the top 5 of the WTA Rankings after what was a hugely successful year for Team Yonex.
Here are just some of the highlights for Team Yonex players on the WTA and ATP Tours in 2023.
Rybakina was a threat on all surfaces
From grass to hard to clay, Rybakina can win on any surface. Rybakina, who claimed her first Grand Slam title on the Wimbledon grass in 2022, showed on the WTA Tour in 2023 that she is a force on any type of court. After taking the WTA 1000 title at a hard-court tournament in Indian Wells, Rybakina was also victorious at the WTA 1000 clay-court event in Rome, which propelled her into the top 5 for the first time. Rybakina, who
Tour Highlights Part 1: Big titles and ranking highs for Team Yonex stars in 2023 became a head-to-toe Yonex ambassador in 2023, was as high as world number 3 and ended the year at number 4.
American star power
It was a great year on tour for some of Team Yonex’s American players, with Jessica Pegula, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul all producing exciting results.
Pegula played some of her best tennis of 2023 in the last week of the season, reaching the final of the WTA Finals in Cancun. Adding to her list of triumphs, Pegula claimed victory at the WTA 100 in Montreal, and the WTA 500 tournament in Seoul. while at the Grand Slams, she was a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and she ended the year as the world No.5.
In a ground-breaking year that witnessed Shelton making waves by reaching the semi-finals of the US Open and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the rising American talent clinched his inaugural title on the ATP Tour. His triumphant performance in Tokyo was not only a testament to his skill but also marked a victory that felt “really special”. Shelton's journey throughout the season was nothing short of impressive, starting the year ranked No. 96 and concluding it securely within the top 20. His outstanding achievements did not go unnoticed, as he earned a nomination for the ATP’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award.
Breaking into the top 10 in the ATP Rankings was a “super emotional” moment for Tiafoe, with the American joining that elite group after winning two ATP titles in 2023 with victories on the clay courts of Houston and the grass courts of Stuttgart.
Paul had a remarkable year, reaching the final in both Acapulco and Eastbourne, and advancing to the semifinals at the Australian Open. Furthermore, he achieved his career-best ranking, securing the No. 12 spot in the ATP Rankings.
Elena Rybakina (KAZ) | VCORE 100 [LINK] / POLYTOUR FIRE 125 [LINK] / Yonex apparel [LINK]
Jessica Pegula (USA) | EZONE 98 [LINK]
Ben Shelton (USA) | EZONE 98 [LINK] / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 [LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125 [LINK]
Frances Tiafoe (USA) |VCORE PRO 97 / POLYTOUR PRO 125 [LINK]
Tommy Paul (USA) | VCORE 98 [LINK]
