Aryna Sabalenka in 2025: The Tour’s Undisputed No. 1

In tennis, being the world’s best player doesn’t automatically guarantee a clean sweep at the title in every tournament. Aryna Sabalenka epitomized this point in 2025. Although Sabalenka may have stumbled in more finals than those she won in 2025, she ensured she was the player everyone had to beat.

If Sabalenka proved anything, it was that her season was less defined by perfect endings but by week-to-week superiority over her rivals. Sabalenka played in just 16 tournaments this year. She reached the final in nine events, winning titles in Brisbane, Miami, Madrid, and the US Open. She made the quarterfinals or better in five other tournaments. Even though she didn’t hit her absolute peak form regularly, she found ways to break through tough draws more often than not.

Was this the best season by a WTA player in the last five years? Probably not. But Sabalenka finished the 2025 season as the Tour’s most consistent player. She won the most titles (4), earned more prize money than her peers (the first woman to break $15 million barrier), and comfortably retained the World No. 1 ranking after a very close chase in the second half of the season.

The first half: Back-to-back Grand Slam final losses

Sabalenka’s season began Down Under, where she warmed up for her Australian Open title defense by winning the Brisbane International. Having reigned supreme in Melbourne in each of the last two years, Sabalenka’s quest for a three-peat hit a brick wall as she came up short in the final against an inspired Madison Keys. The American won the battle of the heavyweights and deservedly lifted her first Grand Slam.

After an underwhelming pit stop in the Middle East, Sabalenka headlined the finals of Indian Wells and Miami in March, losing in the former to a red-hot Mirra Andreeva, but winning the latter against Jessica Pegula.

When the clay swing rolled around, Sabalenka justified once more why the No. 1 ranking was next to her name. In four tournaments that she played, she reached three finals, including her first at the French Open, where she became just the third player to beat Iga Swiatek at the clay-court Major. But after compiling 70 unforced errors in the title match, it was Coco Gauff who took the crown, denying Sabalenka for the second time in the grandest stage. Sabalenka’s output on clay was still far more productive this year than in any other season (17-3 record and hoisted the Madrid Open crown).

The second half: Redemption at the US Open

The French Open final defeat clearly stung, so much so that Sabalenka had to personally apologize to Gauff over her post-match comments that stirred controversy. Wimbledon was expected to be the scene of Sabalenka’s redemption. This was where her unconstrained power would finally translate to a first Grand Slam of the season. But a near three-hour quarterfinal win over Laura Siegemund served as a precursor of misfortune that was to come, and Amanda Anisimova overpowered Sabalenka in the last four.

With three Grand Slams done and dusted, the US Open felt less like an opportunity for the Belarusian to salvage her season. However, Sabalenka’s mental toughness in overcoming nerves and heartbreak provided her with the platform to shine under the lights in New York. She stayed in control of her emotions and trusted her shots, and in a Wimbledon semifinal rematch, Sabalenka defeated Anisimova in straight sets to win her fourth Major.

There wasn’t a storybook ending to the season. Sabalenka’s historic win streak in Wuhan came to a halt in the semifinal to Pegula, and she lost the WTA Finals title match against Elena Rybakina. Still, Sabalenka was named the WTA’s Player of the Year for a second time after occupying the top spot in the rankings for the entire calendar year.