2006 WTA Tour

2006 WTA Tour

Justine Henin-Hardenne finished the year as WTA world No. 1 for the second time in her career, though Amélie Mauresmo was named the Player of the Year. Henin-Hardenne won six tournaments during the season, including a major at the French Open, as well as the WTA Tour Championships; she also finished runner-up at the three other majors, the Australian Open, the Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open. Mauresmo won four tournaments during the season, including two majors at the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships.
Details
Duration	30 December 2005 – 6 November 2006
Edition	36th
Tournaments	61
Categories	Grand Slam (4) WTA Championships WTA Tier I (10) WTA Tier II (15) WTA Tier III (17) WTA Tier IV (14)
Achievements (singles)
Most tournament titles	Justine Henin (6)
Most tournament finals	Justine Henin (9)
Prize money leader	Justine Henin (US$4,204,810)
Points leader	Justine Henin (3,998)
Awards
Player of the year	Amélie Mauresmo
Doubles team of the year	Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur
Most improved player of the year	Jelena Janković
Newcomer of the year	Agnieszka Radwańska
Comeback player of the year	Martina Hingis
← 2005 2007 →

The 2006 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 36th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 2, 2006, and concluded on November 12, 2006, after 61 events.

Justine Henin-Hardenne came out as the winner in a historic three-way battle for the No. 1 ranking at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships, beating out Sharapova and Mauresmo. The Belgian successfully defended her French Open title for her fifth Grand Slam title, and became the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1993 to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams and the WTA Tour Championships. Maria Sharapova won her second Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open, to add to her Wimbledon trophy from 2004. Amélie Mauresmo won her maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open after a controversial retirement from Henin-Hardenne in the final. However, she later backed it up by winning a rematch with Henin-Hardenne in the Wimbledon final. She was the number one player in the world from March until the final event of the season.

Martina Hingis also made a successful return to the Tour, beginning her comeback at the Gold Coast event in January. She finished the season at No. 6 in the world and won the Tier I title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

Summary

Shortly before the beginning of the season former No. 1 Martina Hingis announced that she would return full-time to the tour for the start of the 2006 season, having already made an unsuccessful comeback attempt at an event in 2005.

Amélie Mauresmo won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, and followed it with her second at Wimbledon.

Amélie Mauresmo won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open after years of questions about her nerves and mental strength. However, her victory was marred by Henin-Hardenne's controversial retirement in the final due to stomach cramps. Defending champion Serena Williams lost in the third round to Daniela Hantuchová, with some commenting on the "extra weight" that she was carrying. ^[1] The loss was the beginning of a season of injury struggles for the American, which saw her at one point drop out of the top 100. In the doubles tournament, Yan Zi and Zheng Jie produced a historic win for Chinese tennis by becoming the first players to win a Grand Slam of any kind for the nation. ^[2] Martina Hingis won her first mixed doubles title with Mahesh Bhupathi.

Following the Australian Open Kim Clijsters ascended to the No. 1 position after Lindsay Davenport lost her finalist points. She held it until March when she lost her Indian Wells champion points, allowing Mauresmo to return to the position. The Frenchwoman held it until the final event of the season. Mauresmo had continued her strong start to the season with titles in Paris and Antwerp. Elena Dementieva won her biggest career title to that point in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Henin-Hardenne and Nadia Petrova won the Middle Eastern events in Dubai and Doha.

Maria Sharapova picked up her first title of the season in Indian Wells, beating Dementieva in the final. Svetlana Kuznetsova then won in Miami, her first Tier I title and second biggest overall, after a difficult 2005 season where she failed to back up her breakthrough in 2004 and dropped out the top 10.

The clay court season saw Hingis win in Rome for the biggest title of her comeback, but overall the period was dominated by Nadia Petrova, who went on an impressive 15-match winning streak, leading to titles in Amelia Island, Charleston and Berlin, beating Henin-Hardenne in the final of the latter. Her streak led to her being considered the favourite for the French Open title, ^[3] but she suffered an injury and thus bowed out in the first round. Henin-Hardenne eventually defended her title and won her fifth Grand Slam by beating Kuznetsova in the final. Czech teenager Nicole Vaidišová made headlines by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal with victories over Amélie Mauresmo and Venus Williams. The doubles event was won by Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur, while Katarina Srebotnik took home the mixed doubles trophy with Nenad Zimonjić.

The third Grand Slam of the year at Wimbledon saw all top four seeds reach the semifinals for only the fifth time in 25 years. ^[4] Mauresmo and Henin advanced to the final, a rematch of their Australian Open final earlier in the season, with Mauresmo triumphant once more, becoming the first Frenchwoman in 81 years to win Wimbledon. ^[5] Defending champion Venus Williams fell to Jelena Janković, making this year the first since 1999 neither Williams sister featured in the Wimbledon women's singles final. Williams did however make the mixed doubles final, losing to Vera Zvonareva who won her second Grand Slam in mixed doubles, partnering Bob Bryan. Yan Zi and Zheng Jie also won their second Grand Slam titles in the women's doubles event.

Maria Sharapova won her second Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, and four other events throughout the year.

Serena Williams, Mary Pierce, Lindsay Davenport and Nadia Petrova all returned from injuries during the summer hardcourt season. Clijsters won her fourth Stanford title, before losing to Sharapova in the final of San Diego—the Russian's first ever victory over Clijsters. ^[6] Dementieva won the title in Los Angeles, beating Janković in the final. Janković's compatriot Ana Ivanovic went one further the next week in Montréal, and by winning the event over Hingis she became the U.S. Open Series champion for that year. ^[7] Sharapova eventually picked up the grand prize, taking the U.S. Open title over Henin-Hardenne in the final. Janković backed up her strong result in Los Angeles with her first Grand Slam semifinal. In the doubles tournament Nathalie Dechy and Vera Zvonareva won the title in only their fourth tournament as a team. ^[8] Tennis legend Martina Navratilova won the mixed doubles title and then announced her retirement from professional tennis. ^[9]

Sharapova continued her strong results following her U.S. Open title in the fall season, winning events in Zurich and Linz. Nadia Petrova won her fifth title of the season in Stuttgart, but lost to the Russian teenager Anna Chakvetadze in the Moscow final. Kuznetsova also enjoyed a successful fall, winning titles in Bali and Beijing, beating Mauresmo in the final of the latter. ^[10] Kim Clijsters returned at the end of the season, having missed her title defence at the U.S. Open, ^[11] and won the smaller event in Hasselt.

The season climaxed at the WTA Tour Championships with Mauresmo, Sharapova, Henin-Hardenne, Kuznetsova, Petrova, Clijsters, Dementieva and Hingis all qualifying for the event. The tournament saw a three-way battle for the No. 1 position between Mauresmo, Sharapova and Henin-Hardenne, ^[12] which was eventually decided when Henin-Hardenne beat Sharapova in the semifinal. ^[13] The Belgian went on to defeat Mauresmo in the final. In the doubles event French Open champions Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur triumphed, consolidating their position as the year-end No. 1 in women's doubles.

Schedule

The table below shows the 2006 WTA Tour schedule. ^[14]

Key

Grand Slam events

Year-end championships

Tier I events

Tier II events

Tier III events

Tier IV events

Team events

January

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
2 Jan	Hopman Cup Perth, Australia Hopman Cup Hard (i) – 8 teams (RR)	United States 2–1	Netherlands	Round robin losers (Group A)   Serbia and Montenegro  Sweden  Russia	Round robin losers (Group B)  Australia  Argentina  Germany
	MAW Hardcourts Gold Coast, Australia Tier III event Hard – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Lucie Šafářová 6–3, 6–4	Flavia Pennetta	Dinara Safina Martina Hingis	Patty Schnyder Anabel Medina Garrigues Tatiana Golovin Nuria Llagostera Vives
		Dinara Safina Meghann Shaughnessy 6–2, 6–3	Cara Black Rennae Stubbs
	ASB Classic Auckland, New Zealand Tier IV event Hard – $145,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Marion Bartoli 6–2, 6–2	Vera Zvonareva	Nadia Petrova Daniela Hantuchová	Kristina Brandi Julia Schruff Maria Kirilenko Tzipora Obziler
		Elena Likhovtseva Vera Zvonareva 6–3, 6–4	Émilie Loit Barbora Strýcová
9 Jan	Medibank International Sydney, Australia Tier II event Hard – $600,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Justine Henin-Hardenne 4–6, 7–5, 7–5	Francesca Schiavone	Nicole Vaidišová Svetlana Kuznetsova	Kim Clijsters Daniela Hantuchová Nadia Petrova Ana Ivanovic
		Corina Morariu Rennae Stubbs 6–3, 5–7, 6–2	Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez
	Richard Luton Properties International Canberra, Australia Tier IV event Hard – $145,000 – 32S/30Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Anabel Medina Garrigues 6–4, 0–6, 6–4	Cho Yoon-jeong	Shahar Pe'er Catalina Castaño	Ekaterina Bychkova Aiko Nakamura Julia Schruff Melinda Czink
		Marta Domachowska Roberta Vinci 7–6(7–5), 6–3	Claire Curran Līga Dekmeijere
	Moorilla Hobart International Hobart, Australia Tier IV event Hard – $145,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Michaëlla Krajicek 6–2, 6–1	Iveta Benešová	Jelena Kostanić Mara Santangelo	Alona Bondarenko Laura Granville Amy Frazier Jill Craybas
		Émilie Loit Nicole Pratt 6–2, 6–1	Jill Craybas Jelena Kostanić
16 Jan 23 Jan	Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Grand Slam Hard – $6,137,580 – 128S/96Q/64D/32X Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles	Amélie Mauresmo 6–1, 2–0 ret.	Justine Henin-Hardenne	Maria Sharapova Kim Clijsters	Lindsay Davenport Nadia Petrova Patty Schnyder Martina Hingis
		Yan Zi Zheng Jie 2–6,7–6(9–7), 6–3	Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur
		Mahesh Bhupathi Martina Hingis 6–3, 6–3	Daniel Nestor Elena Likhovtseva
30 Jan	Toray Pan Pacific Open Tokyo, Japan Tier I event Carpet (i) – $1,340,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Elena Dementieva 6–2, 6–0	Martina Hingis	Maria Sharapova Anastasia Myskina	Samantha Stosur Maria Kirilenko Elena Likhovtseva Nicole Vaidišová
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–1	Cara Black Rennae Stubbs

February

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
6 Feb	Open Gaz de France Paris, France Tier II event Hard (i) – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Amélie Mauresmo 6–1,7–6(7–2)	Mary Pierce	Tatiana Golovin Patty Schnyder	Dinara Safina Nadia Petrova Elena Dementieva Émilie Loit
		Émilie Loit Květa Peschke 7–6(7–5), 6–4	Cara Black Rennae Stubbs
	Pattaya Women's Open Pattaya, Thailand Tier IV event Hard – $170,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Shahar Pe'er 6–3, 6–1	Jelena Kostanić	Sybille Bammer Nuria Llagostera Vives	Melinda Czink Lourdes Domínguez Lino Catalina Castaño Emma Laine
		Li Ting Sun Tiantian 3–6, 6–1,7–6(7–5)	Yan Zi Zheng Jie
13 Feb	Proximus Diamond Games Antwerp, Belgium Tier II event Hard (i) – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Amélie Mauresmo 3–6, 6–3, 6–3	Kim Clijsters	Elena Dementieva Nadia Petrova	Dinara Safina Eleni Daniilidou Olga Savchuk Patty Schnyder
		Dinara Safina Katarina Srebotnik 6–1, 6–1	Stéphanie Foretz Michaëlla Krajicek
	Sony Ericsson Bangalore Open Bangalore, India Tier III event Hard – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Mara Santangelo 3–6,7–6(7–5), 6–3	Jelena Kostanić	Vania King Melinda Czink	Camille Pin Yuliana Fedak Alona Bondarenko Maria Elena Camerin
		Liezel Huber Sania Mirza 6–3, 6–3	Anastasia Rodionova Elena Vesnina
20 Feb	Dubai Duty Free Women's Open Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tier II event Hard – $1,000,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Justine Henin-Hardenne 7–5, 6–2	Maria Sharapova	Svetlana Kuznetsova Lindsay Davenport	Amélie Mauresmo Francesca Schiavone Martina Hingis Maria Kirilenko
		Květa Peschke Francesca Schiavone 3–6,7–6(7–1), 6–3	Svetlana Kuznetsova Nadia Petrova
	Cellular South Cup Memphis, United States Tier III event Hard (i) – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Sofia Arvidsson 6–2, 2–6, 6–3	Marta Domachowska	Jill Craybas Amy Frazier	Lilia Osterloh Laura Granville Caroline Wozniacki Shenay Perry
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 7–6(7–2), 6–3	Victoria Azarenka Caroline Wozniacki
	Copa Colsanitas Seguros Bolívar Bogotá, Colombia Tier III event Clay – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Lourdes Domínguez Lino 7–6(7–3), 6–4	Flavia Pennetta	María Sánchez Lorenzo Ľudmila Cervanová	Bethanie Mattek Catalina Castaño Émilie Loit Gisela Dulko
		Gisela Dulko Flavia Pennetta 7–6(7–1), 6–1	Ágnes Szávay Jasmin Wöhr
27 Feb	Qatar Ladies Open Doha, Qatar Tier II event Hard – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Nadia Petrova 6–3, 7–5	Amélie Mauresmo	Martina Hingis Ai Sugiyama	Roberta Vinci Svetlana Kuznetsova Julia Schruff Li Na
		Daniela Hantuchová Ai Sugiyama 6–4, 6–4	Li Ting Sun Tiantian
	Abierto Mexicano Telcel Acapulco, Mexico Tier III event Clay – $180,000 – 32S/26Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Anna-Lena Grönefeld 6–1, 4–6, 6–2	Flavia Pennetta	Maret Ani Émilie Loit	María José Martínez Laura Pous Tió Natalia Gussoni Meghann Shaughnessy
		Anna-Lena Grönefeld Meghann Shaughnessy 6–1, 6–3	Shinobu Asagoe Émilie Loit

March

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
6 Mar 13 Mar	Pacific Life Open Indian Wells, United States Tier I event Hard – $2,100,000 – 96S/48Q/32D Singles – Doubles	Maria Sharapova 6–1, 6–2	Elena Dementieva	Justine Henin-Hardenne Martina Hingis	Gisela Dulko Ana Ivanovic Anna-Lena Grönefeld Dinara Safina
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 6–2, 7–5	Virginia Ruano Pascual Meghann Shaughnessy
20 Mar 27 Mar	NASDAQ-100 Open Key Biscayne, United States Tier I event Hard – $3,450,000 – 96S/48Q/32D Singles – Doubles	Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–4, 6–3	Maria Sharapova	Amélie Mauresmo Tatiana Golovin	Nadia Petrova Ai Sugiyama Anastasia Myskina Zheng Jie
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 6–4, 7–5	Liezel Huber Martina Navratilova

April

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
3 Apr	Bausch & Lomb Championships Amelia Island, United States Tier II event Clay – $600,000 (Green) – 56S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Nadia Petrova 6–4, 6–4	Francesca Schiavone	Lucie Šafářová Svetlana Kuznetsova	Virginia Ruano Pascual Jill Craybas Anna-Lena Grönefeld Patty Schnyder
		Shinobu Asagoe Katarina Srebotnik 6–2, 6–4	Liezel Huber Sania Mirza
10 Apr	Family Circle Cup Charleston, United States Tier I event Clay – $1,340,000 (Green) – 56S/32Q/28D Singles – Doubles	Nadia Petrova 6–3, 4–6, 6–1	Patty Schnyder	Justine Henin-Hardenne Anna-Lena Grönefeld	Dinara Safina Nathalie Dechy Svetlana Kuznetsova Catalina Castaño
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 3–6, 6–1, 6–1	Virginia Ruano Pascual Meghann Shaughnessy
17 Apr	Fed Cup: Quarterfinals Liège, Belgium, Hard (i) Ettenheim, Germany, Clay Valencia, Spain, Clay Nancy, France, Clay (i)	Quarterfinal winners   Belgium 3–2   United States 3–2   Spain 5–0   Italy 4–1	Quarterfinal losers   Russia   Germany   Austria   France

May

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
1 May	J&S Cup Warsaw, Poland Tier II event Clay – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Kim Clijsters 7–5, 6–2	Svetlana Kuznetsova	Elena Dementieva Anna Chakvetadze	Francesca Schiavone Agnieszka Radwańska Venus Williams Ana Ivanovic
		Elena Likhovtseva Anastasia Myskina 6–3, 6–4	Anabel Medina Garrigues Katarina Srebotnik
	Estoril Open Oeiras, Portugal Tier IV event Clay – $145,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Zheng Jie 6–7(5–7), 7–5 ret.	Li Na	Flavia Pennetta Émilie Loit	Eleni Daniilidou Zuzana Ondrášková Lourdes Domínguez Lino Gisela Dulko
		Li Ting Sun Tiantian 6–2, 6–2	Gisela Dulko María Sánchez Lorenzo
8 May	Qatar Telecom German Open Berlin, Germany Tier I event Clay – $1,340,000 – 56S/32Q/28D Singles – Doubles	Nadia Petrova 4–6, 6–4, 7–5	Justine Henin-Hardenne	Amélie Mauresmo Li Na	Martina Hingis Svetlana Kuznetsova Patty Schnyder Dinara Safina
		Yan Zi Zheng Jie 6–2, 6–3	Elena Dementieva Flavia Pennetta
	ECM Prague Open Prague, Czech Republic Tier IV event Clay – $145,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Shahar Pe'er 4–6, 6–2, 6–1	Samantha Stosur	Kaia Kanepi Peng Shuai	Maria Elena Camerin Alona Bondarenko Émilie Loit Magdaléna Rybáriková
		Marion Bartoli Shahar Pe'er 6–4, 6–4	Ashley Harkleroad Bethanie Mattek
15 May	Telecom Italia Masters Rome, Italy Tier I event Clay – $1,340,000 – 56S/32Q/28D Singles – Doubles	Martina Hingis 6–2, 7–5	Dinara Safina	Venus Williams Svetlana Kuznetsova	Flavia Pennetta Jelena Janković Romina Oprandi Elena Dementieva
		Daniela Hantuchová Ai Sugiyama 3–6, 6–3, 6–1	Květa Peschke Francesca Schiavone
	GP de SAR La Princess Lalla Meryem Rabat, Morocco Tier IV event Clay – $145,000 – 32S/26Q/14D Singles – Doubles	Meghann Shaughnessy 6–2, 3–6, 6–3	Martina Suchá	Yan Zi Alona Bondarenko	Melinda Czink Émilie Loit Hana Šromová Anne Kremer
		Yan Zi Zheng Jie 6–1, 6–3	Ashley Harkleroad Bethanie Mattek
22 May	İstanbul Cup Istanbul, Turkey Tier III event Clay – $200,000 – 30S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Shahar Pe'er 1–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3)	Anastasia Myskina	Michaëlla Krajicek Anna-Lena Grönefeld	Catalina Castaño Anastasiya Yakimova Mara Santangelo Karolina Šprem
		Alona Bondarenko Anastasiya Yakimova 6–2, 6–4	Sania Mirza Alicia Molik
	Internationaux de Strasbourg Strasbourg, France Tier III event Clay – $175,000 – 30S/30Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Nicole Vaidišová 7–6(9–7), 6–3	Peng Shuai	Jelena Janković Anabel Medina Garrigues	Martina Müller Elena Vesnina Li Na Zheng Jie
		Liezel Huber Martina Navratilova 6–2,7–6(7–1)	Martina Müller Andreea Ehritt-Vanc
29 May 5 Jun	French Open Paris, France Grand Slam Clay – $6,747,626 – 128S/96Q/64D/32X Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles	Justine Henin-Hardenne 6–4, 6–4	Svetlana Kuznetsova	Nicole Vaidišová Kim Clijsters	Venus Williams Dinara Safina Anna-Lena Grönefeld Martina Hingis
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 6–3, 6–2	Daniela Hantuchová Ai Sugiyama
		Nenad Zimonjić Katarina Srebotnik 6–3, 6–4	Daniel Nestor Elena Likhovtseva

June

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
12 Jun	DFS Classic Birmingham, Great Britain Tier III event Grass – $200,000 – 56S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Vera Zvonareva 7–6(14–12), 7–6(7–5)	Jamea Jackson	Maria Sharapova Meilen Tu	Mara Santangelo Elena Likhovtseva Marion Bartoli Francesca Schiavone
		Jelena Janković Li Na 6–2, 6–4	Jill Craybas Liezel Huber
19 Jun	Hastings Direct Int'l Championships Eastbourne, Great Britain Tier II event Grass – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Justine Henin-Hardenne 4–6, 6–1, 7–6(7–5)	Anastasia Myskina	Svetlana Kuznetsova Kim Clijsters	Nathalie Dechy Anna-Lena Grönefeld Elena Likhovtseva Francesca Schiavone
		Svetlana Kuznetsova Amélie Mauresmo 6–2, 6–4	Liezel Huber Martina Navratilova
	Ordina Open 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Tier III event Grass – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Michaëlla Krajicek 6–3, 6–4	Dinara Safina	Elena Dementieva Eleni Daniilidou	Ana Ivanovic Jelena Janković Paola Suárez Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
		Yan Zi Zheng Jie 3–6, 6–2, 6–2	Ana Ivanovic Maria Kirilenko
26 Jun 3 Jul	Wimbledon Championships London, Great Britain Grand Slam Grass – $6,743,737 – 128S/96Q/64D/32X Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles	Amélie Mauresmo 2–6, 6–3, 6–4	Justine Henin-Hardenne	Maria Sharapova Kim Clijsters	Anastasia Myskina Elena Dementieva Séverine Brémond Li Na
		Yan Zi Zheng Jie 6–3, 3–6, 6–2	Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez
		Andy Ram Vera Zvonareva 6–3, 6–2	Bob Bryan Venus Williams

July

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
10 Jul	Fed Cup: Semifinals Ostend, Belgium, Hard (i) Zaragoza, Spain, Clay	Semifinal winners   Belgium 4–1   Italy 4–0	Semifinal losers   United States   Spain
17 Jul	W&S Financial Group Women's Open Mason, United States Tier III event Hard – $175,000 – 32S/16Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Vera Zvonareva 6–2, 6–4	Katarina Srebotnik	Patty Schnyder Serena Williams	Sania Mirza Marion Bartoli Jelena Janković Amy Frazier
		Maria Elena Camerin Gisela Dulko 6–4, 3–6, 6–2	Marta Domachowska Sania Mirza
	Internazionali Femminili di Palermo Palermo, Italy Tier IV event Clay – $145,000 – 32S/26Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Anabel Medina Garrigues 6–4, 6–4	Tathiana Garbin	Roberta Vinci Lucie Šafářová	Julia Schruff Aravane Rezaï María José Martínez Sánchez Karin Knapp
		Janette Husárová Michaëlla Krajicek 6–0, 6–0	Alice Canepa Giulia Gabba
24 Jul	Bank of the West Classic Stanford, United States Tier II event Hard – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Kim Clijsters 6–4, 6–2	Patty Schnyder	Nicole Vaidišová Tatiana Golovin	Vera Zvonareva Samantha Stosur Anna-Lena Grönefeld Jill Craybas
		Anna-Lena Grönefeld Shahar Pe'er 6–1, 6–4	Maria Elena Camerin Gisela Dulko
	Budapest Grand Prix Budapest, Hungary Tier IV event Clay – $145,000 – 32S/27Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Anna Smashnova 6–1, 6–3	Lourdes Domínguez Lino	Martina Müller Michaëlla Krajicek	Catalina Castaño Eva Birnerová Romina Oprandi Sara Errani
		Janette Husárová Michaëlla Krajicek 4–6, 6–4, 6–4	Lucie Hradecká Renata Voráčová
31 Jul	Acura Classic San Diego, United States Tier I event Hard – $1,340,000 – 56S/27Q/28D Singles – Doubles	Maria Sharapova 7–5, 7–5	Kim Clijsters	Nicole Vaidišová Patty Schnyder	Martina Hingis Anna Chakvetadze Elena Dementieva Mary Pierce
		Cara Black Rennae Stubbs 6–2, 6–2	Anna-Lena Grönefeld Meghann Shaughnessy

August

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
7 Aug	JPMorgan Chase Open Carson, United States Tier II event Hard – $600,000 – 56S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Elena Dementieva 6–3, 4–6, 6–4	Jelena Janković	Maria Sharapova Serena Williams	Dinara Safina Bethanie Mattek Ana Ivanovic Meghann Shaughnessy
		Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez 6–3, 6–4	Daniela Hantuchová Ai Sugiyama
	Nordea Nordic Light Open Stockholm, Sweden Tier IV event Hard – $145,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Zheng Jie 6–4, 6–1	Anastasia Myskina	Sofia Arvidsson Tsvetana Pironkova	Martina Suchá Eva Birnerová Caroline Wozniacki Li Na
		Eva Birnerová Jarmila Gajdošová 0–6, 6–4, 6–2	Yan Zi Zheng Jie
14 Aug	Rogers Cup Montreal, Canada Tier I event Hard – $1,340,000 – 56S/48Q/28D Singles – Doubles	Ana Ivanovic 6–2, 6–3	Martina Hingis	Dinara Safina Anna Chakvetadze	Katarina Srebotnik Nicole Pratt Svetlana Kuznetsova Shahar Pe'er
		Martina Navratilova Nadia Petrova 6–1, 6–2	Cara Black Anna-Lena Grönefeld
21 Aug	Pilot Pen Tennis New Haven, United States Tier II event Hard – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Justine Henin-Hardenne 6–0, 1–0 ret.	Lindsay Davenport	Samantha Stosur Svetlana Kuznetsova	Amélie Mauresmo Marion Bartoli Elena Dementieva Mara Santangelo
		Yan Zi Zheng Jie 6–4, 6–2	Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur
	Forest Hills Tennis Classic Forest Hills, United States Tier IV event Hard – $74,800 – 16S Singles	Meghann Shaughnessy 1–6, 6–0, 6–4	Anna Smashnova	Lourdes Domínguez Lino Maria Elena Camerin	Elena Vesnina Sania Mirza Martina Suchá Séverine Brémond
28 Aug 4 Sep	U.S. Open New York City, United States Grand Slam Hard – $8,332,000 – 128S/96Q/64D/32X Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles	Maria Sharapova 6–4, 6–4	Justine Henin-Hardenne	Amélie Mauresmo Jelena Janković	Dinara Safina Tatiana Golovin Elena Dementieva Lindsay Davenport
		Nathalie Dechy Vera Zvonareva 7–6(7–5), 7–5	Dinara Safina Katarina Srebotnik
		Bob Bryan Martina Navratilova 6–2, 6–3	Martin Damm Květa Peschke

September

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
11 Sep	Fed Cup: Final Charleroi, Belgium, Hard (i)	Italy 3–2	Belgium
	Wismilak International Bali, Indonesia Tier III event Hard – $225,000 – 30S/11Q/13D Singles – Doubles	Svetlana Kuznetsova 7–5, 6–2	Marion Bartoli	Lindsay Davenport Patty Schnyder	Séverine Brémond Hana Šromová Olga Puchkova Melinda Czink
		Lindsay Davenport Corina Morariu 6–3, 6–4	Natalie Grandin Trudi Musgrave
18 Sep	China Open Beijing, China Tier II event Hard – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–4, 6–0	Amélie Mauresmo	Jelena Janković Peng Shuai	Lindsay Davenport Nadia Petrova Ai Sugiyama Li Na
		Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez 6–2, 6–4	Anna Chakvetadze Elena Vesnina
	Sunfeast Open Kolkata, India Tier III event Hard (i) – $175,000 – 32S/16Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Martina Hingis 6–0, 6–4	Olga Puchkova	Sania Mirza Iroda Tulyaganova	Tamarine Tanasugarn Aravane Rezaï Alberta Brianti Alla Kudryavtseva
		Liezel Huber Sania Mirza 6–4, 6–0	Yuliya Beygelzimer Yuliana Fedak
	Banka Koper Slovenia Open Portorož, Slovenia Tier IV event Hard – $145,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles draw – Doubles draw	Tamira Paszek 7–5, 6–1	Maria Elena Camerin	Tathiana Garbin Émilie Loit	Martina Suchá Martina Müller Andreja Klepač Jarmila Gajdošová
		Lucie Hradecká Renata Voráčová Walkover	Eva Birnerová Émilie Loit
25 Sep	Fortis Championships Luxembourg Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg Tier II event Hard (i) – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Alona Bondarenko 6–3, 6–2	Francesca Schiavone	Agnieszka Radwańska Květa Peschke	Elena Dementieva Patty Schnyder Dinara Safina Nathalie Dechy
		Květa Peschke Francesca Schiavone 2–6, 6–4, 6–1	Anna-Lena Grönefeld Liezel Huber
	Guangzhou International Guangzhou, China Tier III event Hard – $175,000 – 32S/16Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Anna Chakvetadze 6–1, 6–4	Anabel Medina Garrigues	Jelena Janković Tzipora Obziler	Alicia Molik Olga Puchkova Chen Yanchong Li Na
		Li Na Sun Tiantian 6–4, 2–6, 7–5	Vania King Jelena Kostanić
	Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships Seoul, South Korea Tier IV event Hard – $145,000 – 32S/27Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Eleni Daniilidou 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(7–3)	Ai Sugiyama	Virginia Ruano Pascual Marion Bartoli	Sania Mirza Paola Suárez Akiko Morigami Vera Zvonareva
		Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez 6–2, 6–3	Chuang Chia-jung Mariana Díaz Oliva

October

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
2 Oct	Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart, Germany Tier II event Hard (i) – $650,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Nadia Petrova 6–3,7–6(7–4)	Tatiana Golovin	Patty Schnyder Svetlana Kuznetsova	Michaëlla Krajicek Elena Dementieva Daniela Hantuchová Jelena Janković
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 6–3, 6–4	Cara Black Rennae Stubbs
	Japan Open Tennis Championships Tokyo, Japan Tier III event Hard – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Marion Bartoli 2–6, 6–2, 6–2	Aiko Nakamura	Camille Pin Chan Yung-jan	Junri Namigata Youlia Fedossova Jamea Jackson Ai Sugiyama
		Vania King Jelena Kostanić 7–6(7–2), 5–7, 6–2	Chan Yung-jan Chuang Chia-jung
	Tashkent Open Tashkent, Uzbekistan Tier IV event Hard – $145,000 – 32S/16Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Sun Tiantian 6–2, 6–4	Iroda Tulyaganova	Victoria Azarenka Olga Puchkova	Maria Elena Camerin Anastasia Rodionova Sania Mirza Kateryna Bondarenko
		Victoria Azarenka Tatiana Poutchek Walkover	Maria Elena Camerin Emmanuelle Gagliardi
9 Oct	Kremlin Cup Moscow, Russia Tier I event Carpet (i) – $1,340,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Anna Chakvetadze 6–4, 6–4	Nadia Petrova	Nicole Vaidišová Elena Dementieva	Amélie Mauresmo Vera Zvonareva Patty Schnyder Maria Sharapova
		Květa Peschke Francesca Schiavone 6–4,6–7(4–7), 6–1	Iveta Benešová Galina Voskoboeva
	PTT Bangkok Open Bangkok, Thailand Tier III event Hard – $200,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Vania King 2–6, 6–4, 6–4	Tamarine Tanasugarn	Séverine Brémond Meghann Shaughnessy	Sybille Bammer Eleni Daniilidou Jelena Kostanić Aiko Nakamura
		Vania King Jelena Kostanić 7–5, 2–6, 7–5	Mariana Díaz Oliva Natalie Grandin
16 Oct	Zurich Open Zürich, Switzerland Tier I event Hard (i) – $1,340,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Maria Sharapova 6–1, 4–6, 6–3	Daniela Hantuchová	Svetlana Kuznetsova Katarina Srebotnik	Amélie Mauresmo Martina Hingis Maria Kirilenko Timea Bacsinszky
		Cara Black Rennae Stubbs 7–5, 7–5	Liezel Huber Katarina Srebotnik
23 Oct	Generali Ladies Linz Linz, Austria Tier II event Hard (i) – $600,000 – 28S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Maria Sharapova 7–5, 6–2	Nadia Petrova	Patty Schnyder Nicole Vaidišová	Ana Ivanovic Vera Zvonareva Jelena Janković Samantha Stosur
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 6–3, 6–0	Corina Morariu Katarina Srebotnik
30 Oct	Bell Challenge Quebec City, Canada Tier III event Carpet (i) – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles – Doubles	Marion Bartoli 6–0, 6–0	Olga Puchkova	Séverine Brémond Lilia Osterloh	Jelena Janković Martina Suchá Aleksandra Wozniak Shenay Perry
		Laura Granville Carly Gullickson 6–3, 6–4	Jill Craybas Alina Jidkova
	Gaz de France Stars Hasselt, Belgium Tier III event Hard (i) – $175,000 – 32S/32Q/16D Singles draw – Doubles draw	Kim Clijsters 6–3, 3–6, 6–4	Kaia Kanepi	Vera Zvonareva Michaëlla Krajicek	Sandra Klösel Aravane Rezaï Ana Ivanovic Francesca Schiavone
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–3	Eleni Daniilidou Jasmin Wöhr

November

Week	Tournament	Champions	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Quarterfinalists
6 Nov	WTA Tour Championships Madrid, Spain Year-end Championship Hard – $3,000,000 – 8S (round robin)/4D Singles – Doubles	Justine Henin-Hardenne 6–4, 6–3	Amélie Mauresmo	Kim Clijsters Maria Sharapova	Martina Hingis Nadia Petrova Svetlana Kuznetsova Elena Dementieva
		Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur 3–6, 6–3, 6–3	Cara Black Rennae Stubbs

Calendar and other changes

• The French Open main draw began play on Sunday rather than the traditional Monday start, making it a 15-day tournament. Prize money between the men and women was also made equal for the first time. ^[15]
• Two new events were created: the Bangalore Open in Bangalore, India, replacing the previous event held in Hyderabad; and the Anda Open in Tel Aviv, Israel—later cancelled due to the 2006 Lebanon War. ^[16]
• The Advanta Championships was removed from the calendar. ^[16]
• The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was moved from its previous home of Filderstadt to Stuttgart.
• The WTA Tour Championships were held in Madrid, Spain for the first time, having spent several years in Los Angeles. It stayed there for the 2007 season.
• The four Grand Slam tournaments and Miami were made into mandatory events, meaning all players that qualified by ranking had to play them or they received a "zero-pointer" on their ranking.
• Prize money of the standard Tiers was raised slightly: Tier I was now $40,000 higher, Tier II was $15,000 higher, and Tier III and IV both $5,000 higher. ^[16]
• The previous Tier V category was completely abolished. ^[16]
• Bonus points, where previously a player could receive extra points in addition to their round points depending on the ranking of the opponent they beat, were also abolished. ^[17]
• Also in 2006, the WTA began experimenting with on-court coaching, allowing players to call their coach onto the court for advice between sets. It was tested in five events during 2006, and continued in the 2007 season. ^[18]
• Electronic line calling, or "Hawk-Eye", was premiered during the season. The Sony Ericsson Open was the first event to utilise the new technology. ^[19] Later that year, the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam to use it. It has since been used in every Grand Slam tournament except the French Open (the ball leaves a mark on the clay, therefore it is not thought to be necessary.)

Statistics

List of players and titles won, last name alphabetically:

• Justine Henin-Hardenne – Sydney, Dubai, French Open, Eastbourne, New Haven and WTA Tour Championships (6)
• Nadia Petrova – Doha, Amelia Island, Charleston, Berlin and Stuttgart (5)
• Maria Sharapova – Indian Wells, San Diego, U.S. Open, Zurich and Linz (5)
• Amélie Mauresmo – Australian Open, Paris, Antwerp and Wimbledon (4)
• Marion Bartoli – Auckland, Tokyo and Quebec City (3)
• Kim Clijsters – Warsaw, Stanford and Hasselt (3)
• Svetlana Kuznetsova – Miami, Bali and Beijing (3)
• Shahar Pe'er – Pattaya City, Prague and Istanbul (3)
• Anna Chakvetadze – Guangzhou and Moscow (2)
• Elena Dementieva – Tokyo and Los Angeles (2)
• Martina Hingis – Rome and Kolkata (2)
• Michaëlla Krajicek – Hobart and 's-Hertogenbosch (2)
• Anabel Medina Garrigues – Canberra and Palermo (2)
• Meghann Shaughnessy – Rabat and Forest Hills (2)
• Zheng Jie – Estoril and Stockholm (2)
• Vera Zvonareva – Birmingham and Cincinnati (2)
• Sofia Arvidsson – Memphis (1)
• Alona Bondarenko – Luxembourg (1)
• Eleni Daniilidou – Seoul (1)
• Lourdes Domínguez Lino – Bogotá (1)
• Anna-Lena Grönefeld – Acapulco (1)
• Ana Ivanovic – Montréal (1)
• Vania King – Bangkok (1)
• Tamira Paszek – Portorož (1)
• Lucie Šafářová – Gold Coast (1)
• Mara Santangelo – Bangalore (1)
• Anna Smashnova – Budapest (1)
• Sun Tiantian – Tashkent (1)
• Nicole Vaidišová – Strasbourg (1)

The following players won their first title:

• Marion Bartoli – Auckland
• Shahar Pe'er – Pattaya City
• Mara Santangelo – Bangalore
• Sofia Arvidsson – Memphis
• Lourdes Domínguez Lino – Bogotá
• Anna-Lena Grönefeld – Acapulco
• Tamira Paszek – Portorož
• Alona Bondarenko – Luxembourg
• Anna Chakvetadze – Guangzhou
• Sun Tiantian – Tashkent
• Vania King – Bangkok

Titles won by nation:

•  Russia – 18 (Tokyo, Indian Wells, Miami, Amelia Island, Charleston, Berlin, Birmingham, Cincinnati, San Diego, Los Angeles, U.S. Open, Bali, Beijing, Guangzhou, Stuttgart, Moscow, Zurich and Linz)
•  Belgium – 9 (Sydney, Dubai, Warsaw, French Open, Eastbourne, Stanford, New Haven, Hasselt and WTA Tour Championships)
•  France – 7 (Auckland, Australian Open, Paris, Antwerp, Wimbledon, Tokyo and Quebec City)
•   Israel – 4 (Pattaya City, Prague, Istanbul and Budapest)
•  China – 3 (Estoril, Stockholm and Tashkent)
•  Spain – 3 (Canberra, Bogotá and Palermo)
•  United States – 3 (Rabat, Forest Hills and Bangkok)
•   Czech Republic – 2 (Gold Coast and Strasbourg)
•  Netherlands – 2 (Hobart and 's-Hertogenbosch)
•   Switzerland – 2 (Rome and Kolkata)
•   Austria – 1 (Portorož)
•  Germany – 1 (Acapulco)
•   Greece – 1 (Seoul)
•  Italy – 1 (Bangalore)
•   Serbia – 1 (Montréal)
•  Sweden – 1 (Memphis)
•   Ukraine – 1 (Luxembourg)

Rankings

Below are the 2006 WTA year-end rankings in both singles and doubles competition:

Singles Year-end Ranking [20] No Player Name Points 2005 Change 1   Justine Henin-Hardenne  (BEL) 3,998 6 +5 2   Maria Sharapova  (RUS) 3,532 4 +2 3   Amélie Mauresmo  (FRA) 3,391 3 = 4   Svetlana Kuznetsova  (RUS) 2,523 18 +14 5   Kim Clijsters  (BEL) 2,215 2 -3 6   Nadia Petrova  (RUS) 2,189 9 +3 7   Martina Hingis  (SUI) 2,018 NR N/A 8   Elena Dementieva  (RUS) 1,875 8 = 9   Patty Schnyder  (SUI) 1,578 7 -2 10   Nicole Vaidišová  (CZE) 1,391 15 +5 11   Dinara Safina  (RUS) 1,390 20 +9 12   Jelena Janković  (SRB) 1,211 22 +10 13   Anna Chakvetadze  (RUS) 1,144 33 +20 14   Ana Ivanovic  (SRB) 1,053 16 +2 15   Francesca Schiavone  (ITA) 1,032 13 -2 16   Anastasia Myskina  (RUS) 1,000 14 -2 17   Daniela Hantuchová  (SVK) 986 19 +2 18   Marion Bartoli  (FRA) 951 40 +22 19   Anna-Lena Grönefeld  (GER) 922 21 +2 20   Shahar Pe'er  (ISR) 894 45 +25

Doubles Year-end Ranking [21] No Player Name Points 2005 Change 1   Lisa Raymond  (USA) 3,858 3 +2   Samantha Stosur  (AUS) 3,858 2 +1 3   Zheng Jie  (CHN) 2,996 30 +27 4   Yan Zi  (CHN) 2,996 31 +27 5   Cara Black  (ZIM) 2,516 1 -4 6   Rennae Stubbs  (AUS) 2,501 5 -1 7   Katarina Srebotnik  (SLO) 2,242 25 +18 8   Květa Peschke  (CZE) 2,193 16 +8 9   Francesca Schiavone  (ITA) 2,094 34 +25 10   Virginia Ruano Pascual  (ESP) 2,076 4 -6 11   Anna-Lena Grönefeld  (GER) 1,799 11 = 12   Ai Sugiyama  (JPN) 1,772 14 +2 13   Daniela Hantuchová  (SVK) 1,766 13 = 14   Paola Suárez  (ARG) 1,742 17 +3 15   Meghann Shaughnessy  (USA) 1,663 19 +4 16   Dinara Safina  (RUS) 1,632 28 +12 17   Liezel Huber  (RSA) 1,593 6 -11 18   Vera Zvonareva  (RUS) 1,524 10 -8 19   Anabel Medina Garrigues  (ESP) 1,315 20 +1 20   Nathalie Dechy  (FRA) 1,277 103 +83

Singles number 1 ranking

Holder	Date gained	Date forfeited
Lindsay Davenport  (USA)	Year-End 2005	29 January 2006
Kim Clijsters  (BEL)	30 January 2006	19 March 2006
Amélie Mauresmo  (FRA)	20 March 2006	12 November 2006
Justine Henin-Hardenne  (BEL)	13 November 2006	Year-End 2006

See also

• 2006 ATP Tour
• WTA Tour
• List of female tennis players
• List of tennis tournaments

References

1. Clarey, Christopher (2006-01-20). "Serena Williams Loses at Australian Open". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
2. "Zheng Jie, Yan Zi make history for China". 2006-01-27. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
3. Bierley, Steve (2006-05-24). "Laid-back Petrova has first grand-slam title firmly in her sights". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
4. "The Wimbledon seeding committee got this one just right". 2006-07-05. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
5. "AMELIE THE NEW QUEEN OF SW19" . Retrieved 2010-06-06.
6. "Head-to-Head Sharapova vs Clijsters" . Retrieved 2010-06-06.
7. "Ana Ivanovic Player Profile". Archived from the original on 2010-07-21. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
8. "Dechy, Zvonareva defy the odds". 2006-09-06. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
9. "Act II of Navratilova's career ends with a win". 2006-09-11. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
10. "Kuznetsova humbles Mauresmo to win China title". 2006-09-25. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
11. "Clijsters returning after two months' layoff". 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
12. "Mauresmo under threat in Madrid". BBC News. 2006-11-06. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
13. "Henin-Hardenne beats Sharapova, clinches No. 1". 2006-11-11. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
14. "2006 WTA Tour Calendar". Archived from the original on 2009-08-23. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
15. "SUNDAY START FOR FRENCH OPEN" . Retrieved 2010-06-06.
16. "2006 WTA Tour".
17. "WTA set to introduce electronic line calling system". 2005-05-11. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
18. "Courtside help under fire in tennis". USA Today. 2006-08-11. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
19. "Instant Replay Comes To Tennis". 2006-06-03. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
20. Schroeder, Liz (2011-11-11). "Sony Ericsson WTA Singles Rankings Rank Date: 18 December 2006" (PDF). WTA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
21. Schroeder, Liz (2011-11-11). "Sony Ericsson WTA Doubles Rankings Rank Date: 18 December 2006" (PDF). WTA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2011-05-24.