15. Elina Svitolina
You can go back a few years ago, she is very strong and extra confident, but not at the Grand Slams. She finally reached the semis twice, and she was mentally better, improving on the earlier contest when she would freeze. Yes, she won a number of big matches outside of that, and she looked like a fine player, but on court, she can mentally check out. She can be very good, but in 2022, if she wants to crack into the top 3 again, she will have to re-think her game.
14. Elena Rybakina
The 22-year-old is impressive when she is thinking hard, moving quickly and, at times, being patient. She had a very decent year. While she was more thoughtful, she did lost to many of the top 15 players. That means that she had to continue what she is improving such as her serve, as well as her forehand. Like all the players, she has played thousands of matches since when she was very young. However, even though you can strike the ball, that does not mean you know where to hit it. Next year, if she really wants to upset the top-notch players, then she has to lift her game.
13. Naomi Osaka
This was an odd year by the four-time Grand Slam champion. When she is focused and totally deep, she can beat anyone. She is so mighty on both sides, her first serve and she frequently goes for the lines. But, she stopped playing in the fall because she was depressed, and currently, few people know when she will come back. I would think that she is currently using a psychologist, which can help address her life and how she can be happy again. She is such a great player. So when she returns, it will be fascinating to watch her on court, and see that she is really committed.
12. Sofia Kenin
At times, and the American was aggressive and she was on top of the ball. She could smack all of her shots, very flat at times. Back in 2020, the 23-year-old was trying to get to the No. 1 spot quickly. But this year, she did not play well, likely because of her injury. In fact, she stopped in July, after Wimbledon, and she is trying to recover and back at 100 percent. Almost two years ago, she won the Australian Open. Now her goal is to play within herself. If she does, though, the former No. 4 will be aiming for the lines.
11. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
The Russian has been here for a very long time, and this year, she finally rose. Before that, she was decent, but not unreal. She decided that if she is going to go up the charts, then she has to be more confident and smarter. She reached the 2021 Roland Garros final, beating Aryna Sabalenka and Vika Azarenka before losing against the very good young player Barbora Krejcikova. The 30-year-old Pavlyuchenkova is now nimble and very healthy. If she can bolster her serve and attack more, she can win a huge tournaments, which she has not done it yet.