Aryna Sabalenka

Juniors

Sabalenka had a late start on the ITF Junior Circuit, instead competing on the U14 and U16 Tennis Europe tours at a younger age.^[7][8][9] She did not compete in the main draw of any ITF events until 2013 at the low-level Grade-4 Tallink Cup in Estonia at the age of 15. She never played in the junior Grand Slam tournaments or any other high-level Grade-A and Grade-1 events. Without the higher point levels from these bigger tournaments, she had a career-high ranking of just No. 225.^{[10][note 1]} Sabalenka won her first ITF title in doubles at the lowest-level Grade-5 Alatan Tour Cup in Belarus in late 2013 with compatriot Vera Lapko as her partner.^{[11][note 1]} In 2014, she excelled at Grade 4 events. She reached her first singles final at the Estonian Junior Open in June and won her first singles title at the MTV Total Junior Cup in Finland in October.^{[12][note 1]} At the end of the season, Sabalenka defended her Alatan Tour Cup doubles title, this time with compatriot Nika Shytkouskaya,^{[11][note 1]} and also won the singles title.^{[12][note 1]} She only played in one tournament in 2015, the European Junior Championships. As a Grade B1 event, this was the highest-level junior tournament she played in. She lost in the second round to top seed Markéta Vondroušová.^{[7][10][note 1]}

2012–2016: Professional & Fed Cup debut

Sabalenka began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit in 2012, even before she competed on the ITF Junior Circuit. Her first five tournaments were in her hometown of Minsk and spread out over two years, but she did not win a main draw match in any of them. She won her first professional match at the very end of 2014 in Istanbul.^{[13][note 1]} The following season in October, she won her first two titles in back-to-back weeks in Antalya, both at the $10k level. Sabalenka also won a $25k title the last week of the year.^{[13][note 1]} This title put her into the top 300 WTA rankings for the first time at the start of 2016.^[14] That year, she made her Fed Cup debut in April, losing her only match.^[15] She also won her two biggest titles to date at the $50k level. The first in Tianjin^[16] put her into the top 200 in May and the second in Toyota^[17] in November helped her finish the year ranked at No. 137 in the world.^{[13][note 1][14]}

2017: WTA 125 title, top 100

Despite some early season success in the Fed Cup, Sabalenka had a quiet start to the year. She played in her first WTA Tour main draw in February as a qualifier at the Dubai Open;^[18] however, she did not win her first WTA Tour match until Wimbledon in July. In her Grand Slam debut, she again reached the main draw through qualifying and defeated Irina Khromacheva in the opening round.^[19] Sabalenka followed up this achievement with another win at the Washington Open over No. 34 Lauren Davis, the 2016 runner-up and the highest-ranked player she had defeated at the time.^[20]

After losing in qualifying at the US Open, Sabalenka reached her first ever WTA semifinal at the Tashkent Open, defeating third seed and world No. 53, Tatjana Maria, along the way.^[21][22] A few weeks later, she entered the Tianjin Open as the 119th-ranked player in the world, but managed to reach her first WTA tournament final.^[23] There, she faced her childhood idol Maria Sharapova, but ultimately lost in two tight sets. With this performance, she rose to No. 76 in the rankings, entering the top 100 for the first time.^[24][14] After losing a tight Fed Cup final to the United States,^[25] Sabalenka finished the season by winning the biggest title of her career at the time at the Mumbai Open, a WTA 125 event.^[26] The title cemented her at No. 78 at the end of the year.^[27]

2018: Premier 5 title, top 20

After playing relatively few WTA events in 2017, Sabalenka used her higher ranking to play exclusively on the WTA Tour 2018.^[28] She reached two quarterfinals to begin the year,^[29][30] but lost her opening-round match at the Australian Open to world No. 17 Ashleigh Barty.^[31] She then won her first matches at a Premier tournament at the Indian Wells Open, including a victory over No. 18 Svetlana Kuznetsova.^[32][28]

Sabalenka began the clay-court season by reaching a second career final at the Ladies Open Lugano, where she lost to No. 20 Elise Mertens.^[33] Her ranking rose to the top 50 for the first time.^[34] However, she did not win another match for the rest of the clay-court season; this included a first-round loss to No. 22 Kiki Bertens at the French Open.^[35]

Sabalenka had stronger results on grass. She made it to the quarterfinals at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships. At the Eastbourne International, she defeated No. 13 Julia Görges and No. 15 Elise Mertens to reach the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, she upset defending champion and No. 7 Karolína Plíšková to claim her first victory over a top 10 player.^[36] She defeated Agnieszka Radwańska to reach her first WTA Premier final.^[37] She lost in the final to world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki.^[38] As a result, she broke into the top 40 for the first time.^[39] She lost in the first round at Wimbledon to No. 28 Mihaela Buzărnescu.^[40]

During the North American hardcourt summer season, Sabalenka rose through the rankings.^[14] She reached the third round at the Canadian Open, defeating world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki for the biggest win of her career.^[41] She reached the semifinals at the Cincinnati Open, recording two more top-ten wins over No. 8 Karolína Plíšková and No. 5 Caroline Garcia. She lost in the semifinals to world No. 1 Simona Halep.^[42] After the Cincinnati Open, her ranking improved to a career high of No. 25.^[43] At the Connecticut Open, Sabalenka defeated world No. 9 Julia Görges in the semifinal and Carla Suárez Navarro in the final, claiming her first Premier-tier career title and jumping into the top 20.^[44] Sabalenka closed out this part of the season with her best result at a Grand Slam tournament to date, making it to the fourth round at the US Open. She upset world No. 5 Petra Kvitová in the third round^[45] before losing to the eventual champion Naomi Osaka.^[46] She was the only player to win a set against Osaka in the tournament.

After the US Open, Sabalenka lost her opening match at the Tournoi de Québec.^[35] At the Wuhan Open, she upset No. 6 Elina Svitolina in the second round^[47] and upset No. 17 Ashleigh Barty to reach the final.^[48] She defeated Anett Kontaveit in the final to win her first Premier 5 title and second career title.^[49] The following week, she reached the quarterfinals of the China Open, defeating No. 15 Garbiñe Muguruza and No. 4 Caroline Garcia.^[50] This success in China helped her reach a new career-high singles ranking of No.11.^[51] At the end of the season, Sabalenka qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy. She defeated Ashleigh Barty but lost to Caroline Garcia in the group stage.^[52] Barty, having defeated Garcia with fewer games lost, advanced out of the group to end Sabalenka's season.^[53] Nonetheless, Sabalenka was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year for her performance in her first full year on the WTA Tour.^[51]

2019: Premier 5 title, singles top 10, doubles No. 2

Doubles: US Open title, Sunshine Double

Sabalenka started the year ranked No. 73 in doubles.^[14] She began partnering with Elise Mertens in January, when the pair lost to top seeds Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková in the third round of the Australian Open. They had their breakthrough in March at the two Premier Mandatory tournaments. In only their second tournament together, Sabalenka and Mertens won the Indian Wells Open. They defeated three of the top five seeds in the event, including second seeds Tímea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic in the first round and top seeds Krejčíková and Siniaková in the final.^[69] The pair matched this success at their next event by winning the Miami Open to complete the Sunshine Double. They defeated three of the top six seeds, including third seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strýcová in the second round. They won the final against sixth seeds Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai.^[70] With these two titles, Sabalenka rose to No. 21 in the world.^[14]

Sabalenka and Mertens continued to partner together throughout the year, entering eleven events before the year-end championships. Sabalenka did not have much success in the Grand Slam singles events, but she produced much better results in doubles. Sabalenka and Mertens reached the semifinals at the French Open, losing to second seeds Babos and Mladenovic.^[71] They then reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, losing to third seeds Hsieh and Strýcová.^[72] These were Sabalenka's first two appearances in at least the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam event. Sabalenka and Mertens had their best result of the year at the US Open. As the fourth seed at the event, they made it to the final without playing another top-ten-seeded team. In the final, they faced eighth seeds Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty, the latter of whom had won the title a year earlier with CoCo Vandeweghe. Sabalenka and Mertens defeated Azarenka and Barty in straight sets for their first Grand Slam title in any discipline.^[73] With this title, Sabalenka made her top 10 debut in doubles at No. 6 in the world.^[14]

Sabalenka and Mertens made one more final during the year, finishing runner-up at the Wuhan Open, where Sabalenka won the singles title.^[74] Their three big titles helped them win the Race to Shenzhen and qualify for the WTA Finals as the top seeds. Before the event, Sabalenka and Mertens moved up to No. 2 and No. 3 in the rankings, respectively, behind only world No. 1, Barbora Strýcová.^[14] At the WTA Finals, the pair were placed in a round robin group with third seeds Babos and Mladenovic, fifth seeds Chan Hao-ching and Latisha Chan, as well as eighth seeds Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Demi Schuurs. In their opening match, they were upset by Grönefeld and Schuurs in a match tiebreak.^[75] After defeating the Chan sisters, Sabalenka and Mertens lost to Babos and Mladenovic in another match tiebreak. They did not advance out of their group.^[76]

2020: Premier 5 title

In Adelaide, Sabalenka upset No. 4 Simona Halep to reach the semifinals,^[77] where she lost to Dayana Yastremska in straight sets.^[78] At the Australian Open, she lost to Carla Suárez Navarro in the first round in two tie-breakers.^[79] She enjoyed moderate success in doubles, reaching the quarterfinals with Elise Mertens before losing to the Chan sisters. At the Dubai Tennis Championships, Sabalenka defeated Maria Sakkari and Elise Mertens to reach the quarterfinals. She lost to No. 2 Simona Halep in three sets.^[80] At the Qatar Open, Sabalenka defeated Anett Kontaveit, No. 20 Maria Sakkari, Zheng Saisai^[81] and Svetlana Kuznetsova^[82] to reach the final. She defeated No. 11 Petra Kvitová in straight sets to win her third Premier 5 title.^[83]

After the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the WTA Tour, Sabalenka entered the Top Seed Open in August. She defeated Madison Brengle^[84] before falling to Coco Gauff, in three sets.^[85] In Cincinnati, she lost in the third round to qualifier Jessica Pegula in three sets. At the US Open, she lost in the second round to Victoria Azarenka in straight sets.^[86] She had moderate success in doubles, reaching the quarterfinals of both events. Her results began to improve on clay. She reached the semifinals in Strasbourg, losing to No. 5 Elina Svitolina in three sets.^[87] She reached the third round of the French Open, losing to Ons Jabeur in three sets.^[88] In Ostrava, Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff, Sara Sorribes Tormo, and Jennifer Brady to reach the final.^[89] In the final, she defeated No. 14 Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to avenge her US Open loss and win her second title of the season.^[90] At Linz, she defeated Elise Mertens in the final in straight sets to capture her third title of the season.^[91] For the first time, she finished the year at the top 10.^[92]

2021: Major semifinals, singles No. 2, doubles No. 1

Sabalenka entered her first tournament in 2021 at the Abu Dhabi Open. She defeated Polona Hercog, Ajla Tomljanović, Ons Jabeur,^[93] No. 19 Elena Rybakina,^[94] and Maria Sakkari^[95] to reach the final. She defeated Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets to win her third straight WTA title, extending her winning streak to 15 matches and catapulting her to a new ranking of No. 7.^[96]

At the Australian Open, Sabalenka was defeated by 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the fourth round in three sets. Nonetheless, she won the doubles competition with Elise Mertens. By winning the title, Sabalenka ascended to world No. 1 in the doubles rankings for the first time in her career.^[97]

As the defending champion at the Qatar Open, she lost her opening match to Garbiñe Muguruza in three sets.^[98] At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she cruised through to the quarterfinals defeating Anett Kontaveit along the way, before losing to No. 16 Garbiñe Muguruza again in three sets.^[99]

At the Miami Open, Sabalenka defeated Veronika Kudermetova and No. 20 Markéta Vondroušová to reach the quarterfinals, where she lost to No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in three sets.^[100]

Sabalenka started her clay season at Stuttgart. She defeated Zhang Shuai, qualifier Anna-Lena Freidsam, Anett Kontaveit and No. 3 Simona Halep to reach the final. In the final, she lost again to No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in three sets.^[101]

At the Madrid Open, Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula,^[102] No. 16 Elise Mertens,^[103] and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova^[104] to reach her second consecutive final on clay. In the final, she defeated No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in three sets to win her tenth WTA title and first on clay.^[105] As a result, her ranking moved to world No. 4.^[106]

At Rome, she lost in the third round to Coco Gauff in straight sets.^[107] At the French Open, she lost in the third round to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets.^[108]

Starting her grass season at the German Open, Sabalenka lost her opening match against Madison Keys in three sets.^[109] Nonetheless, she and compatriot Victoria Azarenka won the doubles event, defeating the top-seeded pair of Demi Schuurs and Nicole Melichar.^[110] Seeded second at Wimbledon, Sabalenka defeated No. 20 Elena Rybakina to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. She then defeated Ons Jabeur, becoming the third Belarusian woman to reach Wimbledon semifinals following Natasha Zvereva in 1998 and Victoria Azarenka in 2011 and 2012.^[111] She lost her semifinal match against No. 13 Karolína Plíšková in three sets. As a result, she reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3.^[112]

Sabalenka started her North American hard court season in Montreal. She defeated No. 15 Victoria Azarenka to reach the semifinals,^[113] where she lost again to No. 6 Karolína Plíšková in straight sets.^[114] She then lost her opening-round match against Paula Badosa at the Cincinnati Open in three sets.^[115] Despite the loss, she reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2.^[116]

At the US Open, Sabalenka reached her second consecutive major semifinal following wins over Danielle Collins, No. 16 Elise Mertens, and No. 9 Barbora Krejčíková. In the semifinal, she lost to Leylah Fernandez in three sets.^[117]

Due to a positive COVID-19 test, Sabalenka was not able to play at Indian Wells.^[118] She qualified for the WTA Finals in singles for the first time,^[119] but she was eliminated by Paula Badosa^[120] and Maria Sakkari^[121] in the group stage.

2022: US Open semifinal

At the Adelaide International, Sabalenka lost her opening match against Kaja Juvan;^[122] at the Adelaide International 2, she lost her first round to qualifier Rebecca Peterson in three sets.^[123] Entering the Australian Open as the second seed, she struggled with her serve but managed to dig out three-set wins against wildcard entrant Storm Sanders,^[124] Wang Xinyu,^[125] and Markéta Vondroušová.^[126] She lost in the fourth round to Kaia Kanepi in a three-set match, which ended in a third-set super-tiebreak.^[127][128]

Sabalenka found her form, beating wildcard entrant Alizé Cornet^[129] and Jil Teichmann^[130] to reach the quarterfinals at the Qatar Ladies Open, where she lost to the No. 8 Iga Świątek in straight sets.^[131]

Following early exits in Indian Wells,^[132] Miami^[133] and Charleston,^[134] Sabalenka reached her first final of 2022 at the Stuttgart Open, defeating Bianca Andreescu,^[135] No. 6 Anett Kontaveit and No. 3 Paula Badosa.^[136] In the final, she lost again to No. 1 Iga Świątek in straight sets.^[137] Entering as the defending champion at the Madrid Open, she was knocked out by Amanda Anisimova in the first round in three sets.^[138] At the Italian Open, Sabalenka defeated Zhang Shuai, No. 11 Jessica Pegula, and Amanda Anisimova to reach the semifinals, where she lost to No. 1 Iga Świątek for the third time in 2022 in straight sets.^[139] At the French Open, she lost in the third round to Camila Giorgi in three sets.^[140]

Sabalenka began the grass-court season at the Rosmalen Open, where she made the final but lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets.^[141] At the German Open, she lost in the first round to Veronika Kudermetova in three sets. Due to Wimbledon's ruling on Russian and Belarusian players, Sabalenka was banned from participating in the event due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, cutting her grass season short.^[142]

Sabalenka opened the US hardcourt swing in Silicon Valley Classic, where she lost to No. 12 Daria Kasatkina in the quarterfinals in three sets. She then played the Canadian Open, losing to No. 11 Coco Gauff in the third round in three sets.^[143] Her best result came at Cincinnati Open. Sabalenka defeated qualifier Anna Kalinskaya,^[144] wildcard entrant Shelby Rogers, and Zhang Shuai^[145] to make the semifinals, where she lost to qualifier Caroline Garcia in three sets.^[146] Her best run of the season came at the US Open, where she defeated qualifier Catherine Harrison,^[147] Kaia Kanepi,^[148] qualifier Clara Burel, No. 19 Danielle Collins,^[149] and Karolína Plíšková^[150] to reach her second consecutive US Open semifinal. In the semifinals, she was defeated by No. 1 Iga Świątek for the fourth time this season in three sets.^[151]

At the San Diego Open, she defeated wildcard entrant Sloane Stephens before losing to qualifier Donna Vekić in three sets.^[152] In Guadalajara, she lost her opening match against Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.^[153]

Sabalenka qualified for the WTA Finals for a second straight year.^[154][155] She defeated world No. 3 Jessica Pegula^[156] and No. 2 Ons Jabeur^[157] in the round-robin stage, and No. 1 Iga Świątek in the semifinals in three sets,^[158][159] but lost to Caroline Garcia in the final in straight sets.^[160] She became the fourth woman to defeat the top 3 players at the same tournament, joining Steffi Graf (1999 French Open), Serena Williams (2002 Miami Open), and Venus Williams (2008 WTA Finals).

2023: Australian Open champion, No. 1

Sabalenka began her 2023 season at the Adelaide International. She defeated Liudmila Samsonova,^[161] Markéta Vondroušová, and Irina-Camelia Begu^[162] to reach the final. She defeated qualifier Linda Nosková to win the title, without dropping a set en route.^[163]

Sabalenka entered the Australian Open as the fifth seed. She defeated Tereza Martincová, Shelby Rogers, Elise Mertens,^[164] and No. 10 Belinda Bencic^[165] to reach her first-ever Australian Open quarterfinal. She then beat Donna Vekić to reach her fourth Grand Slam semifinal.^[166] She beat Magda Linette to secure her 10th straight-set victory of 2023 and make her first ever major final.^[167][168] In the final, she defeated No. 25 Elena Rybakina in three sets to win her first major title.^[169][170] She became the second Belarusian to ever win a major singles title after Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.^{[171][172][173][174]} After winning the title in Melbourne, Sabalenka rose back to No. 2 in the WTA rankings.

In Dubai, Sabalenka defeated Lauren Davis^[175] and Jeļena Ostapenko to reach the quarterfinals, where she fell to the eventual champion Barbora Krejčíková in three sets.^[176]

At the Indian Wells, Sabalenka defeated Evgeniya Rodina,^[177] Barbora Krejčíková,^[178] sixth seed Coco Gauff,^[179] and seventh seed Maria Sakkari to reach the final.^[180] She lost in the final to tenth seed Elena Rybakina in straight sets in a rematch of their Australian Open final.^[181]

In Miami, Sabalenka defeated Shelby Rogers,^[182] Marie Bouzková, and Barbora Krejčíková^[183] to reach the quarterfinals, where she was defeated by Sorana Cîrstea in straight sets.^[184]

Sabalenka started her clay court season in Stuttgart. She defeated Barbora Krejčíková,^[185] wildcard entrant Paula Badosa,^[186] and Anastasia Potapova^[187] to make her third straight Stuttgart final. In a rematch of last year's final, she was defeated by world No. 1 Iga Świątek in straight sets.^[188]

In Madrid, Sabalenka defeated Sorana Cîrstea,^[189] wildcard entrant Camila Osorio, wildcard entrant Mirra Andreeva,^[190] Mayar Sherif,^[191] and ninth seed Maria Sakkari^[192] to reach her second Madrid final. In the final, she defeated world No. 1 Iga Świątek in three sets to win her second Madrid title.^[193]

In Rome, she suffered her first early defeat of the year, losing her opening match to Sofia Kenin in straight sets.^[194] At the French Open, Sabalenka defeated Marta Kostyuk,^[195] qualifier Iryna Shymanovich,^[196] Kamilla Rakhimova,^[197] Sloane Stephens,^[198] and Elina Svitolina,^[199] without dropping a set, to reach her first Roland Garros semifinal. In the semifinals, she lost to Karolína Muchová in three sets, despite leading 5–2 and holding match point.^[200]

Sabalenka began her grass court season in Berlin, defeating qualifier Vera Zvonareva before losing to wildcard entrant Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets. At Wimbledon, she defeated Panna Udvardy,^[201] Varvara Gracheva,^[202] Anna Blinkova,^[203] Ekaterina Alexandrova,^[204] and Madison Keys^[205] to reach her fourth consecutive major semifinal. She lost in the semifinals to sixth seed Ons Jabeur in three sets.^[206]

Sabalenka started her North American hard court season in Montréal. She defeated Petra Martić^[207] before losing to Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.^[208] In Cincinnati, she defeated qualifier Ann Li, Daria Kasatkina,^[209] and fifth seed Ons Jabeur^[210] to reach the semifinals. In a rematch of their French Open semifinal, she fell again to Karolína Muchová in three sets.^[211]

At the US Open, Sabalenka defeated Maryna Zanevska,^[212] Jodie Burrage,^[213] Clara Burel,^[214] Daria Kasatkina,^[215] and Zheng Qinwen,^[216] without dropping a set, to reach her third consecutive US Open semifinal. She became the first player to reach the semifinals of all four major events in one year since Serena Williams in 2016.^[216] She outlasted Madison Keys after losing the first set 6-0 to reach her first US Open final.^[217] In the final, she lost to sixth seed Coco Gauff in three sets.^[218] Due to the loss of No. 1 Iga Świątek in the fourth round, Sabalenka became, for the first time, the world No. 1 tennis player.^[219] She became the 29th player to be ranked No. 1 in the world on the WTA Tour, and the second Belarusian, after Victoria Azarenka. She was also the eighth female player to have been ranked No. 1 in the Open Era in both singles and doubles at some point in their careers.^[220][b]

After the US Open, Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals of the China Open, where she lost to fifth seed Elena Rybakina in straight sets. She made her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals.^[221] She defeated Maria Sakkari^[222] and Elena Rybakina^[223] but lost to Jessica Pegula^[224] in the round-robin stage. In the semifinals, she lost to Iga Świątek in straight sets, who would go on to win the event.^[225] As a result, Świątek reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking and Sabalenka finished as year-end No. 2.^[226][227]

2024: Two major titles, year-end No. 1

Sabalenka started her 2024 tennis season at the Brisbane International. She defeated Daria Kasatkina^[228] and Victoria Azarenka to reach the final,^[229] where she lost to second seed Elena Rybakina in straight sets.^[230] At the Australian Open, Sabalenka overcame qualifier Ella Seidel,^[231] qualifier Brenda Fruhvirtová,^[232] Lesia Tsurenko,^[233] Amanda Anisimova,^[234] ninth seed Barbora Krejčíková,^[235] without dropping a set, to reach the semifinals. She defeated fourth seed Coco Gauff in straight sets to avenge her US Open loss and reach her second consecutive Australian Open final.^[236] She defeated Zheng Qinwen in the final in straight sets,^[237][238] becoming the first woman to successfully defend her title at the Australian Open since Victoria Azarenka in 2013.^[239][240]

At the Indian Wells, she defeated Peyton Stearns^[241] and wildcard entrant Emma Raducanu^[242] before losing to Emma Navarro in three sets.^[243] In Miami, she defeated Paula Badosa^[244] before losing to Anhelina Kalinina in three sets.^[245]

Sabalenka started her clay season at Stuttgart. She was eliminated in the quarterfinals by sixth seed Markéta Vondroušová in three sets.^[246] As the defending champion in Madrid, Sabalenka defeated Magda Linette,^[247] wildcard entrant Robin Montgomery,^[248] Danielle Collins^[249] and Mirra Andreeva to reach the semifinals,^[250] where she edged an epic three-set victory over fourth seed Elena Rybakina.^[251] In a rematch of the previous year's final, she faced world No. 1 Iga Świątek. Sabalenka had three championship points during the match, but eventually lost.^[252]

In Rome, she defeated qualifier Katie Volynets, Dayana Yastremska, Elina Svitolina,^[253] ninth seed Jeļena Ostapenko,^[254] and Danielle Collins^[254] to reach the final. In the final, she faced again Iga Świątek, and lost in straight sets.^[255]

At the French Open, Sabalenka defeated Erika Andreeva,^[256] qualifier Moyuka Uchijima,^[257] Paula Badosa^[258] and Emma Navarro to reach the quarterfinals.^[259] In the quarterfinals, she was hampered by stomach issues^[260] and lost to Mirra Andreeva in three sets.^[261] Due to her loss, her ranking dropped to No. 3.^[262]

Sabalenka suffered a right shoulder injury that forced her to retire during her quarterfinal match against Anna Kalinskaya at the Berlin Ladies Open in June^[263] and she withdrew from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, having failed to recover in time to play.^[264]

Sabalenka returned from injury at the Washington DC Open. She defeated qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova^[265] and Victoria Azarenka^[266] to reach the semifinals, where she lost to Marie Bouzková in three sets.^[267] At the Cincinnati Open, Sabalenka defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto,^[268] Elina Svitolina,^[269] and Liudmila Samsonova^[270] to reach the semifinals. She defeated world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the semifinals,^[271][272] and defeated sixth seed Jessica Pegula to win the title, without dropping a set en route.^[273][274] Her ranking moved back to No. 2.^[272][274]

At the US Open, Sabalenka overcame qualifier Priscilla Hon,^[275] Lucia Bronzetti,^[276] Ekaterina Alexandrova,^[277] Elise Mertens,^[278] seventh seed Zheng Qinwen^[279] and Emma Navarro^[280] to reach her second straight US Open final. She defeated sixth seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets to win her first US Open singles title and third major singles title.^[281][282] She became the fifth woman to win the Australian Open and the US Open in the same year since 1988.^[283]

Sabalenka continued her great form in China. At the China Open, she defeated qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew,^[284] Ashlyn Krueger^[285] and Madison Keys^[286] to reach the quarterfinals. She lost in the quarterfinals to Karolína Muchová in three sets.^[287] At the Wuhan Open, where she won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023, Sabalenka defeated Kateřina Siniaková in straight sets in her opening match.^[288] In the next round, she came back from a set down against Yulia Putintseva to advance to the quarterfinals,^[289] where she defeated Magdalena Fręch.^[290] Sabalenka faced fourth seed Coco Gauff in the semifinals, mounting a comeback from a set and a break down to the reach the final.^[291] In the final, she defeated fifth seed Zheng Qinwen in three sets to lift her third Wuhan Open title and her second WTA 1000 for the 2024 season.^[292]

After 11 months off the top in October, she regained the WTA world number-one ranking.^[293] Following wins against Zheng Qinwen^[294] and Jasmine Paolini in her first two group matches at the WTA Finals,^[295] combined with Świątek's loss to Coco Gauff, Sabalenka for the first time would finish the year as No. 1.^[296] She became the 16th player to be ranked year-end No. 1 in WTA history.^[297] Sabalenka lost her last group match to Elena Rybakina^[298] and was defeated by Coco Gauff in the semifinals.^[299]

In December, Sabalenka was named WTA Player of the Year.^[300][301]

2025: US Open title, year-end No. 1

Sabalenka started 2025 at the Brisbane International. She defeated Renata Zarazúa,^[302] Yulia Putintseva,^[303] Marie Bouzková,^[304] and No. 16 Mirra Andreeva^[305] to reach the final, without dropping a set. In the final, she came back from a set down against qualifier Polina Kudermetova to win the title.^[306][307] As the two-time defending champion at the Australian Open, Sabalenka defeated Sloane Stephens,^[308] Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro,^[309] Clara Tauson,^[310] No. 15 Mirra Andreeva, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and No.12 Paula Badosa to advance to her third straight Australian Open final.^[311] She lost in the final to No. 14 Madison Keys in three sets.^[312][313]

At the Qatar Ladies Open, she lost in the first round to Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets.^[314] At the Dubai Championships, she defeated qualifier Veronika Kudermetov^[315] before losing to Clara Tauson in straight sets.^[316]

At the Indian Wells, Sabalenka defeated McCartney Kessler,^[317][318] Lucia Bronzetti,^[319] lucky loser Sonay Kartal,^[320] and Liudmila Samsonova^[321] to reach the semifinals, without dropping a set. Next, she defeated fifth seed Madison Keys in straight sets to avenge her Australian Open loss.^[322] She lost in the final to ninth seed Mirra Andreeva in three sets.^[323]

At the Miami Open, Sabalenka defeated Viktoriya Tomova,^[324] qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse,^[325] defending champion Danielle Collins,^[326] ninth seed Zheng Qinwen,^[327][328] and sixth seed Jasmine Paolini^[329] to reach the final, without dropping a set. She defeated fourth seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets to win the title.^[330][331] She became the eighth player to have surpassed the 10,000 points mark in the WTA rankings.^[332]

Starting her clay season at the Stuttgart Open, Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals via walkover when Anastasia Potapova withdrew due to injury.^[333] She defeated Elise Mertens^[333] and fifth seed Jasmine Paolini,^[334] without dropping a set, to reach her fourth Stuttgart final. She lost the championship match to Jeļena Ostapenko in straight sets.^[335][336]

At the Madrid Open, Sabalenka defeated qualifier Anna Blinkova,^[337] Elise Mertens,^[338] Peyton Stearns,^[339] Marta Kostyuk,^[340] and Elina Svitolina to reach her fourth Madrid final.^[341] She defeated fourth seed Coco Gauff in the final in straight sets to claim her third Madrid Open title.^[342][343] She became the third woman to surpass 11,000 points in the WTA rankings after Serena Williams and Iga Świątek.^[344][345]

In Rome, Sabalenka defeated Anastasia Potapova,^[346] Sofia Kenin,^[347] and Marta Kostyuk to reach the quarterfinals,^[348] where she lost to eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in straight sets.^[349][350] At the French Open, Sabalenka defeated Kamilla Rakhimova,^[351] Jil Teichmann,^[352] Olga Danilović,^[353] Amanda Anisimova,^[354] and Zheng Qinwen to reach the semifinals, without dropping a set.^[355] In the semifinals, she defeated three-time defending champion Iga Świątek in three sets to reach her first French Open final.^[356][357] In a rematch of their Madrid Open final, she lost in the final to second seed Coco Gauff in three sets.^[358][359]

Sabalenka started her grass season at the Berlin Open. She defeated qualifier Rebeka Masarova^[360] and No. 11 Elena Rybakina to reach the semifinals,^[361] where she lost to Markéta Vondroušová in straight sets.^[362] At the Wimbledon Championship, Sabalenka beat qualifier Carson Branstine,^[363] Marie Bouzková,^[364] Emma Raducanu,^[365] Elise Mertens,^[366] and Laura Siegemund^[367] to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, she lost to No. 12 Amanda Anisimova in three sets.^[368] Despite this loss, she became the first woman to surpass 12,000 points on the WTA rankings since Serena Williams in 2015.^[369][370]

Sabalenka started her US hard court season at the Cincinnati Open. She defeated Markéta Vondroušová,^[371] Emma Raducanu,^[372] and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro^[373] to advance to the quarterfinals. She lost in the quarterfinals to ninth seed Elena Rybakina in straight sets.^[374] At the US Open, Sabalenka defeated Rebeka Masarova, Polina Kudermetova, Leylah Fernandez, and Cristina Bucșa to reach the quarterfinals, without dropping a set.^[375] She advanced to the semifinals via walkover when Markéta Vondroušová withdrew due to injury.^[376] In a rematch of their 2024 US Open final, she defeated fourth seed Jessica Pegula in three sets to reach her third consecutive US Open final.^[377][378] In a rematch of their Wimbledon semifinal, she defeated eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in straight sets to win her second US Open title and fourth major title. She became the first player to defend a US Open singles title since Serena Williams in 2014.^[379][380]

As the three-time defending champion at the Wuhan Open, Sabalenka beat Rebecca Sramkova,^[381] Liudmila Samsonova,^[382] and eight seed Elena Rybakina to advance to the semifinals.^[383] She lost in the semifinals to sixth seed Jessica Pegula in three sets.^[384]

At the WTA Finals, Sabalenka defeated the other three players in her group: Jasmine Paolini, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff.^[385] In the semifinals, she defeated Amanda Anisimova in three sets.^[386] She lost in the final to Elena Rybakina in straight sets.^[387]

For the second year in a row, Sabalenka finished as the year-end No. 1.^[388] She also held the No. 1 position uninterrupted through the entire season.^[388] She was also named WTA Player of the Year for the second year in a row.^[389]

On 28 December 2025, Sabalenka (women's singles world No. 1) and Nick Kyrgios (men's singles world No. 671) contested an exhibition match promoted as the Battle of the Sexes at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.^[390][391] The event was organized by their shared management agency, Evolve. The match was played as a three-set contest under modified rules: the dimensions of Sabalenka's side of the court were reduced by 9%, and both players were restricted to a single serve per point. In the event of a tie, a 10-point match tiebreak would have been played.^[392] According to Evolve, the court-size adjustment was intended to "reflect average movement-speed differences between men and women".^[393] Kyrgios defeated Sabalenka in straight sets, 6–3, 6–3.^[392]

2026: Sunshine Double, Australian Open finalist

Sabalenka began her 2026 season by successfully defending her Brisbane International title, defeating Cristina Bucșa,^[394] Sorana Cîrstea,^[395] Madison Keys,^[396] and Karolína Muchová to reach the final,^[397] where she defeated Marta Kostyuk. During her run in Brisbane, Sabalenka did not drop a set.^[398]

At the Australian Open, Sabalenka defeated Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah,^[399] Bai Zhuoxuan,^[400] Anastasia Potapova,^[401] and Victoria Mboko to reach her 13th consecutive major quarterfinal.^[402] She defeated Iva Jovic^[403] in the quarterfinal and Elina Svitolina in the semifinal, reaching her fourth consecutive Australian Open final and seventh consecutive hardcourt major final.^[404] Sabalenka was defeated by Elena Rybakina in three sets in the final, in a rematch of their 2023 Australian Open and 2025 WTA Finals finals.^[405]

Following the Australian Open, Sabalenka skipped the Middle East swing, missing the Qatar Ladies Open and Dubai Open for fatigue-related reasons.^[406] She returned to play at the Indian Wells Open, where Sabalenka received a bye into the second round and eventually reached the final by defeating Himeno Sakatsume,^[407] Jaqueline Cristian,^[408] Naomi Osaka,^[409] Victoria Mboko,^[410] and Linda Nosková.^[411] In the final, Sabalenka faced Elena Rybakina in a rematch of their Australian Open final and the 2023 Indian Wells Open final. She defeated Rybakina in a third set tiebreak, saving one match point in the process.^[412]

Sabalenka entered the Miami Open as defending champion and received a bye into the second round. She then defeated Ann Li,^[413] Caty McNally,^[414] Zheng Qinwen,^[415] Hailey Baptiste,^[416] and Elena Rybakina to reach the final.^[417] In the final, she defeated Coco Gauff, winning her second consecutive Miami Open title and completing the Sunshine Double.^[418] She became the first player since 2022 to achieve the Sunshine Double and the fifth woman overall to complete the Sunshine Double in singles.^[419] She also became the first player, male or female, to complete the achievement in both singles and doubles, having previously completed the Sunshine Double in doubles at the 2019 Miami Open.^[420]

Due to an injury, Sabalenka withdrew from Stuttgart, where she was runner-up the previous year. She started her clay season with a first round bye in Madrid. She then defeated Peyton Stearns,^[421] and 29th seed Jaqueline Cristian to reach fourth round.^[422] In the fourth round, she came back from a set and a break down to defeat Naomi Osaka to reach her 17th consecutive quarterfinal on the WTA tour.^[423] She lost in the querterfinals to Hailey Baptiste after having six match points.^[424] She received bye in the first round in Rome, then she defeated Barbora Krejčíková in straight sets, before losing to 26th seed Sorana Cirstea in the third round after being a break and a set up, thus marking an end to her 17 consecutive quarterfinals streak on WTA Tour.^[425][426] At the French Open, Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals after defeating fellow Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the first women's night session match since 2023.^[427] However, she then lost to 25th seed Diana Shnaider after a bagel in the third set, ending her hopes of securing a slam on a natural surface.^[428]

Sabalenka began her grass-court season at Berlin, where she defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova, after receiving a first round bye.^[429] She overcame a second set deficit to defeat Nikola Bartůňková to advance to the semifinals,^[430] where she lost to Jessica Pegula with a third set bagel.^[431] At Wimbledon, Sabalenka lost in the fourth round to Osaka. This marked the first time since the 2022 French Open that she lost a major match before the quarterfinals, snapping a streak of 14 major quarterfinal appearances.^[432]

Fed Cup

Elena Rybakina

Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have played each other 17 times since 2019, with Sabalenka leading their head-to-head 10–7 whereas Rybakina leads the finals 4–2.^[450] Both players are known for their aggressive baseline play, resulting in fast-paced and intense matches.

They have faced off in two major finals with the 2023 Australian Open^[451] won by Sabalenka, and the 2026 Australian Open^[452] won by Rybakina.

Their other notable encounters include the 2023 BNP Paribas Open finals, ^[453] 2024 Madrid Open semifinal,^[454] 2025 WTA Finals finals,^[455] and the 2026 BNP Paribas Open final.^[456]

Iga Świątek

Sabalenka and Iga Świątek have met 13 times since 2021, with Świątek in control of the head-to-head at 8–5.^[457] Their rivalry has been seen as becoming one of the greatest in women's tennis.^[458][459] Their most praised matches include the 2024 Madrid Open final, where Świątek defeated defending champion Sabalenka in three sets in 3 hours and 11 minutes, saving three championship points in the process, and the 2023 Madrid Open final, where Sabalenka won in three sets in 2 hours and 25 minutes against Świątek to claim her second Madrid title.^{[460][461][462]} Sabalenka and Świątek played each other at the 2025 French Open, which Sabalenka won in three sets.^[463]

Coco Gauff

Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have met 13 times since 2020, with Sabalenka edging the head-to-head at 7–6.^[464] They have played each other multiple times at majors, the first being the 2023 US Open final.^[465] Sabalenka lost that match despite winning the first set.^[466] Sabalenka defeated Gauff at the 2024 Australian Open semifinals on her way to defending the title.^[467][468] Sabalenka and Gauff faced off again in the final of the 2025 French Open, with Gauff overtaking Sabalenka for her first French Open Major Championship win and second Grand Slam overall.^[359] Sabalenka would avenge that loss by knocking Gauff out of the 2025 WTA Finals where Gauff was the defending champion.^[469] Sabalenka would meet Gauff for the first time in 2026 in the Miami finals, where Sabalenka battled through Gauff in three sets to win Miami for the second time, as well as the Sunshine Double.^[470]

Jessica Pegula

Sabalenka has developed a fairly storied rivalry with Jessica Pegula. Their consistency on hard courts leads to them frequently facing each other in the latter stages of events. The two have met 13 times since 2020, with Sabalenka controlling the head-to-head 9–4.^[471] Pegula would win their first meeting in the third round of the 2020 Western & Southern Open in three sets. They would face off at the 2024 US Open final in which Sabalenka would win 7–5, 7–5 to earn her first US Open title.^[359] The two would have a rematch of their US Open final in the 2025 US Open semifinals, where Sabalenka would win a close three-set match 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 on her way to defending her US Open title.^[374] Pegula would snap Sabalenka’s 20-match winning streak as well as her 2025 tiebreak record in their following match in Wuhan, before pulling out a three-set win 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(2).^[181] They faced each other once more in the Riyadh 2025 WTA Finals, where Sabalenka defeated Pegula in three sets.^[472] The pair's first meeting on grass came at the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open, which Pegula won in three sets, bageling Sabalenka in the final set.^[473]

Jasmine Paolini

Sabalenka has developed a recurring rivalry with Jasmine Paolini, which she leads 6–2. The pair first met at the 2017 Ilkley Trophy, where Paolini defeated Sabalenka in three sets. Paolini later earned another notable win at the 2022 Indian Wells Open, defeating Sabalenka 2–6, 6–3, 6–3.^[474] Sabalenka has otherwise controlled the matchup, winning their later meetings at events including Beijing, the Miami Open, the Stuttgart Open, and the WTA Finals. Their matches have contrasted Sabalenka’s power-based baseline game with Paolini’s speed, court coverage, and ability to extend rallies.^[475]

Amanda Anisimova

Sabalenka has also developed a rivalry with Amanda Anisimova. The pair have played 11 times with Sabalenka trailing 5–6. They've met six times in Grand Slams including 3 consecutive major contests in 2025 where they're tied 3–3. Anisimova defeated Sabalenka en route to her first major semifinal at 2019 French Open^[476] and also in the semifinal of 2025 Wimbledon^[477] to reach her first major final. They met in the final of 2025 US Open where Sabalenka won 6–3, 7–6^(7–3) to win her fourth major.^[478] In 2025, they met again in the semifinal to WTA Finals won by Sabalenka.^[479]

Political views

In August 2020, during the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Sabalenka criticised the government of Alexander Lukashenko for its dispersal of peaceful protests and called for no violence, but was criticised by members of the Belarusian opposition for not using her platform to advocate the protest movement's goals.^[517][518] She separately praised the Belarusian government for "everything that is done for the country in general and for sports in particular".^[517] In 2020, during widespread protests after the disputed election, Sabalenka signed an open letter that said that sport should remain outside of politics.^[519][520] Belarusian media considered the letter supportive of Lukashenko, as it followed an open letter by Belarusian sporting figures demanding the election be invalidated.^[521]

Following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sabalenka expressed support for the Ukrainian people and the use of Ukraine-coloured ribbons: "I feel like people need our support. I just hope they understand that we're all really concerned. I think even 'sad' isn't even the right word."^[522][523] In January 2023, with regard to the war and the banning of Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Sabalenka said, "I just understand that it's not my fault."^[524] Her comments on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the situation of Ukrainian tennis players were criticised by Lesia Tsurenko's coach Nikita Vlasov and former Ukrainian player Sergiy Stakhovsky for lacking substance and compassion.^[525][526] Sabalenka later indicated support for ending the war in Ukraine, saying: "If I could stop the war I would do it but unfortunately that doesn't lie in my hands. I just hope for peace."^[527]

During a press conference at the 2023 French Open, when asked about the war by Ukrainian journalist Daria Meshcheriakova, she said: "Nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, support the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Nobody, normal people will never support it."^[528] She later said: "I don't want my country to be in any conflict, I don't support war, meaning I don't support Lukashenko right now."^{[528][529][530]}

Comments on transgender athletes

In December 2025, Sabalenka stated in an interview with Piers Morgan that she opposed the participation of transgender women in women's tennis. While saying she had "nothing against" transgender people, she argued that transgender women retained a biological advantage over female players and that it was unfair for women to compete against "biological men." She also said that female athletes train throughout their lives to reach the highest level and should not have to compete against opponents whom she believed possessed inherent physical advantages.^[531]

In August 2026, Sabalenka reiterated her views on transgender athletes saying "it would be not really fair for the woman to compete against biological man" and voiced support for the WTA's new gender-testing policy that bans trans women from participating in the WTA Tour.^[532]

Television and film

Sabalenka appears in the tennis docuseries Break Point, which premiered on Netflix on 13 January 2023.^[533]

Grand Slam tournament performance timelines

Singles

* Received a walkover in the quarterfinals match, which does not count as a win or loss.

Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 8 (4 titles, 4 runner-ups)

More information Result, Year ...

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2023	Australian Open	Hard	Elena Rybakina	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Loss	2023	US Open	Hard	Coco Gauff	6–2, 3–6, 2–6
Win	2024	Australian Open (2)	Hard	Zheng Qinwen	6–3, 6–2
Win	2024	US Open	Hard	Jessica Pegula	7–5, 7–5
Loss	2025	Australian Open	Hard	Madison Keys	3–6, 6–2, 5–7
Loss	2025	French Open	Clay	Coco Gauff	7–6(7–5), 2–6, 4–6
Win	2025	US Open (2)	Hard	Amanda Anisimova	6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Loss	2026	Australian Open	Hard	Elena Rybakina	4–6, 6–4, 4–6

Close

Doubles: 2 (2 titles)

More information Result, Year ...

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	2019	US Open	Hard	Elise Mertens	Victoria Azarenka Ashleigh Barty	7–5, 7–5
Win	2021	Australian Open	Hard	Elise Mertens	Barbora Krejčíková Kateřina Siniaková	6–2, 6–3

Close

Year-end championship finals

Singles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

More information Result, Year ...

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2022	WTA Finals	Hard (i)	Caroline Garcia	6–7(4–7), 4–6
Loss	2025	WTA Finals	Hard (i)	Elena Rybakina	3–6, 6–7(0–7)

Close

Records and achievements