The WTA Finals saw Ashleigh Barty cap off a memorable 12 months with victory over Elina Svitolina in Shenzhen.

The event brings a close to the 2019 season of singles events and another decade of singles tournaments on the WTA Tour. The last few years have produced some of the most entertaining ever.

We take a look at how diverse the WTA Tour has become and whether the tour has the potential to go even more global.

Are the tournaments producing many different champions?

At the start of this year, there was a remarkable stretch of 18 tournaments where each saw a different winner. Many expected this number to keep rising but the overall tally for different winners in 2019 is 36, the same number as it was in 2010, and only seven more than 2000. 

There has definitely been an increase in the number of winners this decade compared to last, 58 to be precise. In 2017, the WTA Tour saw 43 different winners of tournaments, which was the most since the professional era started.

The last two years however have seen 35 and 36 which is a significant fall off.

What are the reasons for the increased number of winners?

In 2010, of the finals in singles tournaments, 19 were matches lasting three sets. Fast forward nine years later, the number of three set matches in finals has risen to 30.

This shows that the level of play between opponents is a lot closer than previously, and players who are not favourites are showing an ability to surprise their more well-known opponents.

Another factor is the variety of surfaces used in tournaments.

In 2010, 33 out of 59 singles events were played on hard courts. Yet in 2019, 37 out of the 59 singles tournaments were played on hard courts.

The increase in play on hard courts, which is arguably the most commonly used court in the world, means players are comfortable on the tour more often and able to perform more consistently.

Is the game going to be even more global?

Without a doubt women’s tennis has become more global. The sight of American winners on the tennis circuit is not as commonplace as it was in the 1990s or 2000s.

For the last three years, the Czech Republic has seen the highest number of winners on the WTA Tour, with players like Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova dominating.

The numbers show that more countries have players who win titles of some form now than ever before and there are signs that players from the younger generation are ready to dominate in the coming years.

The likes of Barty, Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu, and even though she is only 15, Coco Gauff, could sweep most of the titles going forward. There will of course be new winners, like every year, but a handful of players like these could make the women’s game less volatile.

So, another decade is past and as a new one begins in January next year the women's  game looks set be even more fascinating.