[vc_empty_space height="5px"]
By Giri Nathan
[vc_empty_space height="15px"]As the season winds down, it is possible to see who really owned it, and the easiest measure of that is qualification for year-end finals. Two women qualified early last month for the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, which begin on Halloween. One was Iga Swiatek, winner of pretty much everything there was to win, an apparent all-timer who’d extended her dominance from clay to hard courts. The other was Ons Jabeur, a trickster-technician entering her physical prime, a flagbearer for Arab and African tennis, who won in Madrid and made two major finals this year. Both names are synonymous with the 2022 season. The third player to qualify for the finals, announced this week, cuts a less conspicuous profile. That would be Jessica Pegula, world No. 6 and top-ranked American, who spent this breakout year within striking distance of tennis’ biggest titles.