10 Biggest Prospects On The WTA Tour

Daria Kasatkina spent much of her early years on the ITF Tour in preparation for her introduction to the WTA scene but it is a move that has paid off a lot faster than she may have expected.

Before last summer, Kasatkina had not featured in a Grand Slam tournament but after she benefited from a lucky-loser spot at the US Open, she went on to reach the third round at Flushing Meadows which included a win over Daria Gavrilova.

The following month, she switched to clay to win her seventh second-tier title before her moment came in Moscow where she solidified her place on the main tour with a run to the semi-finals of her home tournament.

The 18-year-old began 2016 with a win over Venus Williams and she hasn't relented. Significant runs at the Australian Open, St Petersburg and Indian Wells have proven that the teenager is the real deal and with barely any ranking points to defend until August, there is every expectation she will be considered a dark horse for Grand Slam glory by the US Open at the end of the summer given that she is almost guaranteed a spot among the seeds.