Aryna Sabalenka’s achieved another remarkable feat in women’s tennis after she was named the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Player of the Year again.
The Belarusian star collected the honour for a second straight season to show how much she has dominated at the sport’s summit.
At 27, Sabalenka produced a relentless campaign defined by power and remarkable consistency. She lifted four titles, more than any other player, while repeatedly rising on the biggest stages.
Most notably, she defended her US Open crown in September with a statement victory. That triumph secured her fourth Grand Slam singles title.
Across the season, Sabalenka reached nine finals, the highest tally on the WTA circuit. However, narrow defeats also shaped her year, including Grand Slam losses in Melbourne and Paris.
She fell to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final in January and was lager denied by Coco Gauff in the French Open final. Beyond the majors, she captured titles in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid.
Crucially, Sabalenka spent the entire season ranked world number one. She also finished 2025 atop the rankings for the second consecutive year. In July, she crossed a historic threshold by surpassing 12,000 ranking points. No player had achieved that feat since Serena Williams in 2015.
Her numbers were equally striking by season’s end as she posted a 63-12 win-loss record and earned a record £11m in prize money.
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Awards night confirms a season of excellence across the tour
The scale of Sabalenka’s achievement was reflected in the voting. She received nearly 80% support from international tennis media.
Her calendar is not slowing either. On 28 December, she will face Nick Kyrgios in a high-profile exhibition match. The encounter, styled as a Battle of the Sexes event, carries a broader purpose as Sabalenka hopes it will “help bring women’s tennis to a higher level”.
Elsewhere, the WTA honoured standout stories from across the tour. Belinda Bencic claimed comeback player of the year after returning from maternity leave.Teenager Victoria Mboko earned newcomer of the year recognition after the Canadian surged from outside the top 300 to world number 18.
In doubles, Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend took top honours. Meanwhile, Amanda Anisimova was rewarded as most improved after reaching five finals.
Men’s tennis also celebrated recently. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner shared major ATP accolades last week.
Tags: Aryna Sabalenka, WTA Player of the Year, Grand Slam, Katerina Siniakova, Belinda Bencic, Victoria Mboko.
