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Women's Tennis Season Recap: Sabalenka's Ascent, Gauff's Growth, Zheng's Breakthrough

2024-11-28

Tennis is now entering its off-season after a whirlwind of Grand Slams, WTA Tour tournaments, and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Players are taking a well-deserved break, some in the Maldives and others on practice courts, gearing up for the new campaign in Australia and New Zealand at the end of December. In this review of the 2024 WTA season, our tennis team takes a deep dive into the performances of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Zheng Qinwen, Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, and more. They also pick their best and favorite matches, surprises, and moments from this remarkable year in tennis. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments!

Uncover the Stories and Surprises of the 2024 WTA Season

How Sabalenka Rose to the Top and Swiatek's Path Back

James Hansen: Sabalenka's official ascent to world No. 1 was a bittersweet moment. An unheralded reduction in ranking points for non-participation in mandatory tournaments unexpectedly moved her above Swiatek one Monday morning in October. But it was a long time coming, especially for Swiatek, who admitted she thought she might lose the top spot "two weeks ago" during a news conference at the WTA Tour Finals.Matthew Futterman: Sabalenka's evolution was marked by biomechanical fixes to her serve and the addition of more variety to her game. She won the crucial points in the U.S. Open semi-final and final against Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula with short angles, drop shots, and volleys, rather than relying on her powerful winners as she did against Zheng Qinwen in Melbourne. She also took time off from Wimbledon, the Olympics, and other tournaments due to Belarus's exclusion from the Billie Jean King Cup, which gave her the chance to rest while others were constantly on the move.Charlie Eccleshare: Missing Wimbledon and the Olympics was a significant event, even though at the time it felt like a massive problem. Sabalenka realized she should have taken a break in March after the death of her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov. Coming into the U.S. hard-court swing fresh gave her a huge advantage, while Swiatek seemed to run out of steam around the U.S. Open.Hansen: The Olympics didn't define the season, but it had a greater impact than initially expected. Swiatek, who was unexpectedly eliminated by Zheng at the Olympics, still ended the year with the most WTA titles in the top 10 and the highest win percentage. She was world No. 1 from the start of the year until late October. She has brought on Wim Fissette as her new coach and they have both discussed making adjustments to her game during the off-season to prevent her defeats from looking similar and unstoppable, as happened around Wimbledon. She appears ready to make a strong comeback.Eccleshare: When we spoke at the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, Sabalenka said that when she first became world No. 1 (just before the end of the 2023 season), it felt like "five minutes" and she felt like a pretender. Now she sees herself as a dominant force and demonstrated that in Melbourne and especially during the hard-court swing at the end of the year. Swiatek wasn't at her expected level in the second half of the year but is likely to bounce back.Matt Futterman: I don't see anyone else emerging to challenge Swiatek and Sabalenka for the top spot in the next few years. The wildcard is Coco Gauff.

A Season with Two Coaches for Gauff and Reflections on the WTA Top 10

Hansen: If you were analyzing Gauff's season, which included the WTA Tour Finals title, a WTA 1000 title in Beijing, a 250 in Auckland, and the women's doubles title at the French Open, what would you say?Futterman: Gauff might be disappointed as she didn't achieve her goal of winning another Grand Slam. She expected to keep adding to her Slam count but didn't make it to a final.Eccleshare: We can divide Gauff's season into the pre- and post-Brad Gilbert era. Her serve and forehand have improved since then, although the serve still has moments of unpredictability. Gauff beat Navarro in the Auckland semifinals, so Navarro's consecutive Grand Slam wins over her were a significant setback.Hansen: Staying on the theme, who in the WTA top 10 would be satisfied with their season and who wouldn't?(Records prior to Billie Jean King Cup)Eccleshare: Zheng and Paolini stand out. Paolini had an extraordinary year with two Grand Slam finals, Olympic doubles gold with Sara Errani, and winning the Billie Jean King Cup with Italy. Zheng, the Olympic singles gold medalist and Australian Open finalist, has also made significant progress. Navarro is also worthy of mention as she has been making steady progress and is often overlooked.Futterman: Barbora Krejcikova would definitely be happy with her Wimbledon title. Danielle Collins, who wasn't even seeded for Grand Slams in January, has had a remarkable year and would be satisfied with her progress.Eccleshare: Elena Rybakina is one who will look back and wonder what could have been. Despite her results, her time with and then separation from long-term coach Stefano Vukov, along with illnesses and injuries, has affected her. Even after Stuttgart and Madrid, it seemed like she was on track to be one of the best players in the world, but it didn't work out as planned, especially at Wimbledon.Hansen: Rybakina's early-season form kept her in the WTA Tour Finals and her win over Sabalenka there suggests she could be on the rise with Goran Ivanisevic by her side. Who made the biggest statement on the tour in 2024 with their progress?Eccleshare: Zheng. Her performance has unsettled the top players on the tour as she shows no signs of backing down. She has made a real impact in a positive way.Futterman: Navarro. Her match against Maria Sakkari in Indian Wells was a turning point. She played with confidence and hit the ball hard, and that confidence carried through to her other tournaments. Even when she won the Hobart International, she didn't play with the same level of confidence. Gauff, who knew Navarro from their junior days, was caught off guard.

A Season of Notable Comebacks and Exciting Breakthroughs

Hansen: This was a season of significant comebacks, with players like Naomi Osaka, Paula Badosa, and Karolina Muchova returning to the court. Among these three, who will look back with the most satisfaction?Eccleshare: Badosa. She has made the most progress in both fitness and her game level. Muchova has achieved a lot in a single event and shown that her level is still in the mix for a Grand Slam win, but Badosa seems more ready for a full season and to stay fit compared to Muchova, who had an end-of-season injury. Osaka also faced similar issues and hasn't fully answered the question of her level. Badosa has managed to combine these two aspects better.Futterman: Osaka's physical condition is a mystery. She seems to be in good shape, but she has lost her superpower of playing her best in crucial moments. Her serves in Grand Slam finals were exceptional in the past, but this year she struggled. Whether coach Patrick Mouratoglou can help her regain that form remains to be seen.Hansen: Among the younger players on the tour, who made the most significant strides this year?Eccleshare: Diana Shnaider stands out. She has won titles on different surfaces, including a WTA 500, and reached a WTA 1000 semifinal in Canada. For a player who didn't receive a lot of hype and still has room for improvement in Grand Slam results, she has had a remarkable year.Futterman: Iva Jovic impressed me. The 16-year-old American beat Magda Linette at the U.S. Open and was just a few points away from beating the No. 29 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. She has the potential to progress further and this was a great start.

2024 WTA Tour Speed-run

Best match:Iga Swiatek vs. Aryna Sabalenka, Madrid Open final (MF, CE, JH)Favorite match:Aryna Sabalenka vs. Jessica Pegula, U.S. Open final (CE)Donna Vekic vs. Jasmine Paolini, Wimbledon semi-final (MF)Karolina Muchova vs. Jessica Pegula, U.S. Open semi-final (JH)Most memorable (not necessarily best!) shot:Karolina Muchova's behind-the-back lob at the U.S. Open (CE)Aryna Sabalenka's cross-court drop shot on set point of the U.S. Open final (MF)Donna Vekic's inside-out forehand return winner down match point to Marta Kostyuk at the Olympics (5-6 in below video) (JH)This article originally appeared in The Athletic.Tennis, Women's Tennis2024 The Athletic Media Company