17-year-old Belinda Bencic, who became the youngest player to reach the US Open quarterfinals in 17 years this summer, was awarded the WTA’s Newcomer of the Year award on Monday.
Highlight: Bencic Stuns Kerber in New York for First Top Ten Win
Voting is tallied as combination of media and fan votes.
Bencic received 56 of 58 media votes and 46 percent of the fan votes (Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas, one of three other nominees along with Japan’s Kurumi Nara and Shelby Rogers of the U.S., was next in the fan vote with 23 percent).
Bencic, who recorded back-to-back wins in New York to reach the quarterfinals at the US Open, also reached the semifinals of a premier event in Charleston, as well as her first career final in Tianjin.
The Swiss started 2014 outside the top 200 in the world and finished the season ranked at No. 32. She went 7-4 at the majors, reaching the third round at Wimbledon and the second round in her maiden Grand Slam in Australia.
“I have been watching top WTA players all my life and to have been able to be on the same court as some of the world’s greatest players is a dream come true,” said Bencic in statement.