Sabalenka keeps the crown.
Aryna Sabalenka finished 2025 as the Women’s Tennis Association player of the year for a second straight season after a campaign that read like a highlight reel, leaving little doubt she was the player everyone else measured themselves against.
Sabalenka’s Dominant Season
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Amanda Anisimova
Voted by international tennis media, Sabalenka collected the Player of the Year honour with almost 80% of the vote, a near landslide that reflected a season where she led the tour in several major categories and rarely left a match without making a statement.
The numbers underline the narrative: Sabalenka won four titles and reached a tour-best nine finals, routinely pushing through deep draws and turning pressure moments into momentum more often than not during the season.
She finished with a strong win-loss ledger, posting a 63-12 record, and media reports highlighted record earnings for the season, with the BBC citing £11m and AP reporting $15 million in prize money as signs of a dominant year.
On the Grand Slam stage Sabalenka defended her US Open title in September, beat Amanda Anisimova in the final there, and reached the Australian Open and French Open finals while making it to the Wimbledon semifinals before losing to Anisimova.
The Belarusian also became the first player since Serena Williams in 2015 to pass the 12,000 WTA ranking points mark, a tidy historical footnote that underscores how repeatedly she piled up wins across surfaces and tournaments.
Awards And The Rising Names
Amanda Anisimova earned recognition as Most Improved Player after a breakthrough season that included two Grand Slam finals and a string of top-level results, rising from No. 36 at the end of 2024 to finishing the year at No. 4 in the rankings.
Belinda Bencic was voted Comeback Player of the Year after returning from a 13-month break following the birth of her first child and producing a run that included two titles and a Wimbledon semifinal, while newcomer Vicky Mboko climbed from outside the top 300 to around the top 20.
Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend collected Doubles Team of the Year after securing their second Grand Slam together, and Amanda Anisimova received additional nods after reaching five finals and claiming high-profile WTA 1000 titles during her surge.
What Comes Next For The Tour
Sabalenka will keep a target on her back but also some intriguing exhibition plans, with a December 28 Battle of the Sexes-style match against Nick Kyrgios intended to “help bring women’s tennis to a higher level,” a bit of showmanship with a serious message attached.
The AP noted Sabalenka joined Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek among players who have won back-to-back Player of the Year honours over the past 25 years, a short list that places her season in a broader historical context and raises expectations for future dominance.
For rivals the challenge is clear: close the gap on consistency and depth. For fans it was a season of big matches and bold statements, and for Sabalenka the task will be turning another banner year into sustained legacy work across 2026.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
