Acing the competition

Caroline Garcia defeats Aryna Sabalenka to win 2022 WTA Finals title in Fort Worth

Caroline Garcia is the 2022 WTA Finals champion.

Getty Images

Caroline Garcia raised the trophy as 2022 WTA Finals champion at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena on Monday, November 7. No. 6-seed Garcia defeated No. 7-seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(4), 6-4 before an excited crowd in the championship match.

"I really went for it and I'm really, really happy to have win my biggest title," Garcia said.

Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens of Belgium defeated defending champs Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic in a nailbiter - 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 - to earn the doubles title.

WTA Finals Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens (left) defeated defending double champs\u00a0Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova. Getty Images

The championship brought the week-long tournament to a rousing conclusion. The WTA Finals are the prestigious year-end finale for the Women’s Tennis Association, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world.

Fort Worth hosted the tournament for the first time, October 31-November 7, after it was moved from Shenzhen, China. It's the first time the contest had been staged in North Texas, and the first time it was in the United States since 2005.

The top eight singles players who competed in a round robin-style tournament were:

No. 1 Iga Swiatek (Poland)
No. 2 Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
No 3 Jessica Pegula (United States)
No. 4 Coco Gauff (United States)
No. 5 Maria Sakkari (Greece)
No. 6 Caroline Garcia (France)
No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka*
No. 8 Daria Kasatkina*

WTA Finals Runner-up Sabalenka received a glass sculpture created by Sinaca Glass Studios in Fort Worth.Getty Images

The total prize money pool for the tournament is $5 million. The singles winner takes home more than $1.5 million.

In addition to receiving a slightly smaller cash prize, the runners up in both singles and doubles took home beautiful glass sculptures created by Fort Worth's Sinaca Glass Studios. Everyone left Fort Worth with a cowboy hat, also presented on-court.

Championship night brought the largest and most engaged crowd of the tournament - split down the middle, it seemed, for both Garcia and Sabalenka.

"Today's atmosphere was pretty amazing," Garcia said. "I mean the fans really, like, enjoyed a lot the show. In US it's always like this, they love tennis, just love the show they give you. Right from the beginning they were really into it and I think they helped us to bring our best tennis. They were supporting both of us, and it was really nice and really respectful for everyone."

Added Sabalenka, "The atmosphere was unbelievable. I mean, I, to be honest, I didn't expect that my support for me here, and people support me a lot here, and I really enjoyed every second playing. It was, atmosphere was unbelievable. Really."

Sabalenka had stunned the tennis world when she upset top-seed and world No. 1 Swiatek in the semifinals November 6. Swiatek had dominated the tournament - not yet losing a set - as she had dominated women's tennis all year long.

Garcia had defeated Sakkari in the semifinals to make it to the championship.

(*Per WTA style, players native to Russia and Belarus do not have their country listed.)

sports

Radio News

Cumulus Media launches new country music radio station in Dallas

Courtesy Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

undefined

Cumulus Media has launched a new radio station in Dallas-Fort Worth: Called Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2, it will play hit country music from the 70’s and 80’s, and it launched on December 15.

The station began broadcasting its new format and programming at 12 noon, airing its first song, “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" by George Strait.

93.3 HD2 in Dallas isn't a primary station but part of the WBAP-FM/AM cluster, specifically its digital subchannels offering other formats. The main 93.3 FM broadcasts News/Talk 820 WBAP. This is one of its HD subchannels, meaning that you need an HD Radio receiver in your car (or home) to tune in.

The station stream will be up in a couple of days via the new website at www.countrylegendstexasclassics.com, so you can stream it on your phone, computer, or Smart speaker.

Country Legends & Texas Classics HD2 will feature country favorites from artists including George Strait, Willie Nelson, Alabama, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and Reba McIntyre, among many others.

The station previously aired Westwood One syndicated Classic Rock. (Westwood One is owned and operated by Cumulus Media.)

Cumulus Dallas regional VP Dan Bennett notes in a statement that they're already seriously invested in country music.

“We are doubling down on our long-term commitment to Country music in Texas by launching Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2," Bennett says. "This station will give a voice to great Country hits from the 70’s and 80’s. Paired with our fan favorite DFW Country stations, 99.5 The WOLF and New Country 96.3, this creates a wall of Country for our station group and for the passionate Country music lovers in the DFW area and strengthens our belief in this incredible format."

Cumulus Media has 395 owned-and-operated radio stations across 84 markets, delivering nationally-syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment programming from brands that include the NFL, the NCAA, the Masters, Infinity Sports Network, AP News, the Academy of Country Music Awards across more than 9.500 affiliated stations through Westwood One, the largest audio network in America. They also have Cumulus Podcast Network, a platform for original podcasts.

video media openings