She’s known as an energizer bunny on-court with her signature phrase ‘Pome!’ (meaning ‘come on’ in Slovak). Yet, no one quite expected Dominika Cibulkova to blaze her way into the finals of the WTA Singles – much less beat the ruthlessly efficient top seed Angelique Kerber – after a shaky start having lost to both Kerber and eighth seed Madison Keys in the earlier round-robin stages of the competition. Her fortunes turned only after she beat Simona Halep and subsequently Svetlana Kuznetsova to secure a place in the finals.
In a role-reversal, Cibulkova won the match against Kerber in 76 minutes with straight sets: 6-3, 6-4. And she definitely made the finals count, packing in an aggressive game that saw her outlasting Kerber in long rallies. The final point – a dramatic shot that tumbled on the tip of the net – sealed her victory. It topped off a glorious year for her: having won three tournaments (Katowice, Eastbourne and Linz), qualifying for her debut at the WTA Finals and even getting hitched in July despite her heavy schedule.
Cibulkova was recognized as WTA’s 2016 ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ (having moved up the rankings from number 38 at the end of 2015 to top eight) and it has never been more apt – this is truly one hell of a comeback.