Aryna Sabalenka wins first WTA Player of the Year award after clinching two Grand Slams

Aryna Sabalenka has been voted the WTA Player of the Year for the first clip aft the Belarusian won 2 Grand Slam titles and secured the year-end world number 1 ranking, the governing assemblage of women’s tennis said.

After successfully defending her Australian Open trophy successful January, Sabalenka won the U.S. Open crown successful September for her 3rd Grand Slam title and leapfrogged Iga Swiatek to apical the world rankings a period later.

She besides won tournaments successful Cincinnati and Wuhan to extremity her 2024 run pinch 4 titles.

International tennis media besides voted for Paris Olympics golden medallists Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini arsenic the year’s apical doubles team, while American Emma Navarro was named the season’s astir improved player.

Ranked 38th astatine the extremity of 2023, Navarro collapsed into the apical 10 successful September aft winning her first title successful Hobart and making six semi-final appearances, including astatine Flushing Meadows, during the season.

Lulu Sun won the Newcomer of the Year grant pursuing the New Zealander’s tally to the quarter-finals astatine Wimbledon arsenic a qualifier, which helped her climb to 40th successful the world aft being classed extracurricular the apical 200 successful January.

Former world number 2 Paula Badosa, who ended her 2023 play early owed to a backmost problem that formed uncertainty astir her early successful the game, was named Comeback Player of the Year.

After returning to the circuit this season, the Spaniard won the Washington title and besides matched her champion Grand Slam capacity by reaching the U.S. Open quarters to decorativeness the twelvemonth classed 12th.

Reuters