The WTA Carlsbad Classic is in the record books. The event took place the week of Thanksgiving at the Park Hyatt Aviara resort near San Diego. Yanina Wickmayer triumphed in the singles final over American Nicole Gibbs, 6-3, 7-6 (4). Wickmayer won all of her matches in straight sets, but she was pressed to tiebreaks by Julia Boserup and Gibbs.

The Cinderella story was alternate doubles team Gabriela Ce and Veronica Cepede Royg. This pair won the doubles final against top seeds Oksana Kalashnikova and Tatjana Maria. The match went to a tie-break with the final score being 1-6, 6-4, 10-8. Carlsbad was a first pairing for Gabriela and Veronica, as well as Gabriela’s debut on the WTA tour.

Also impressively, two Canadian qualifiers fought their way into the main draw, Sharon Fichman and Francoise Abanda. Now 18, Abanda reached her highest singles ranking of No. 175 back in October 2014. She is a player to follow in 2016. In Carlsbad, she beat Vania King, 6-4, 6-4 but then lost to Tatjana Maria in the second round, 6-4, 6-3.

Event Notes

The Carlsbad Classic provides an opportunity for lower-ranked players and future WTA stars to earn prize money and acquire points. The event featured familiar names Yanina Wickmayer, Vania King, Nicole Gibbs, and Cici Bellis alongside up-and-coming challengers from around the globe.

Following the draw was a challenge. The player field changed frequently right up to the start of play and continued to morph due to the disqualification of Alla Kudryavtseva. Upon reflection, Alla offered a public apology on social media to her opponent Nicole, fans, the WTA, and the tournament. Chair umpires were consistently strict about on-court conduct.

The Carlsbad draw is affected by the year-end calendar position and 125K limits on the eligible player field. Carlsbad also lost original top seed and world No. 19 Elina Svitolina. Svitolina went deep in several tournaments this year, including the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Perhaps she was due a much needed rest. Other initially announced but ultimately missing players were Taylor Townsend, Shahar Peer, Christina McHale, and Lauren Davis.

Despite these shifts, the event went off without a hitch. Fans viewed exciting matches up close. Player commentary was easy to hear, and sweat forming on brows was visible to the plain eye from all seats.

Speaking of ranking, Forbes awarded the Park Hyatt Aviara their Five-Star gold standard. Players had words of praise for the event staff and tranquil location. Champion Wickmayer enjoyed Carlsbad so much that she added an extra week to her stay to train at the resort. The Park Hyatt provides beautiful views of the Pacific coast and the gorgeous grounds. Mother Nature was cooperative, providing seasonally cool but dry weather and no rain delays.

While fan attendance was initially sparse, the semis and finals were well-attended. This year, the event ran only day sessions due to inadequate night lighting. Fans visiting during early rounds found wide open grounds with players sitting among fans checking out competition and rooting for their favorites. You won’t have that experience at larger events.

The event sold 19,865  tickets and rose over $50,000  for its charitable partners, Operation Underground Railroad and Warrior Foundation Freedom Station. Giving is a core value of the event, along with family-friendly pricing. General admission tickets were only $15.00.

Looking Ahead - Carlsbad 2016

Carlsbad is one of seven 125K series events on the WTA calendar. It is one of the three 125K series tournaments located in the United States. Its American peers are San Antonio, Texas (March) and Hempstead, New York (May). For 2016, Carlsbad holds its Thanksgiving position with play scheduled from Nov. 21-27, 2016.  Come hang out with the future of the WTA.