Sabalenka Sets the Standard Again
WASHINGTON There was never much suspense about this one. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has been crowned WTA Player of the Year for a second consecutive season, a distinction that only underlines just how far ahead of the pack she has been over the past 12 months.
Voted on by the international tennis media, the award places the Belarusian in rare company. In fact, she’s just the third player in the last 15 years to claim the honor more than once a stat that speaks volumes about both her consistency and her dominance in an era packed with elite talent.
And dominance really is the word. Sabalenka hoovered up nearly 80 percent of the media vote after a season that bordered on ruthless. She led the WTA Tour in finals reached (nine), titles won (four), and total match victories (63). Those aren’t just impressive numbers they’re the kind of figures that leave rivals chasing shadows.
If that wasn’t enough, she spent the entire year perched at No. 1 in the WTA rankings, finishing top of the pile for the second straight season. That sustained excellence has now pushed her to 12th on the all-time list for weeks spent at world No. 1 a quiet milestone that hints at a legacy still being written.
Doubles Excellence Shines Through
Elsewhere, Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend were deservedly named Doubles Team of the Year after a season that sparkled from start to finish. Their partnership hit another major high with a second Grand Slam title together at the Australian Open, a win that cemented their chemistry on the biggest stage.
They didn’t stop there. Titles followed at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and they came agonizingly close to another major crown with a run to the US Open final. Consistent, fearless, and tactically sharp it was hard to argue with this selection.
Breakthroughs, Comebacks, and New Faces
Amanda Anisimova’s resurgence was rewarded with the Most Improved Player award, and it’s difficult to think of a more fitting recipient. The American enjoyed a genuine breakout campaign, reaching five finals and lifting the first two WTA 1000 trophies of her career at Doha and Beijing. That surge in form was so convincing it even earned her a Player of the Year nomination — no small feat in a season dominated by Sabalenka.
Then there’s Belinda Bencic, whose story carried an extra emotional weight. The Swiss star was voted Comeback Player of the Year after returning to the tour following the birth of her daughter in April 2024. She didn’t just come back she made a statement, sealing the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open title and knocking off world No. 5 Elena Rybakina along the way. For anyone doubting whether she could still compete at the highest level, that run provided a resounding answer.
Youth had its moment too. Nineteen-year-old Victoria Mboko picked up the Newcomer of the Year award after one of the most dramatic climbs on tour. She began the season ranked outside the top 300 and somehow finished it sitting at No. 18. Blink and you might have missed her rise but the rest of the tour certainly won’t next year.
Fans Make Their Choice
Finally, the fans had their say. In a vote conducted across WTA social media platforms, China’s Zheng Qinwen was named WTA Singles Fan Favorite for the second year running. Popularity doesn’t always track perfectly with results, but in Zheng’s case, the connection with supporters feels genuine and growing.
From Sabalenka’s relentless grip on the top spot to breakthrough seasons and inspiring comebacks, the WTA’s award list reads like a snapshot of a tour brimming with storylines. And if this year was any indication, the next chapter should be just as compelling.
I am a journalist with 10+ years of experience, specializing in family-friendly film reviews.