LONDON: World number one Aryna Sabalenka has been named WTA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after spending the entire year at the top of the rankings, the governing body of women’s tennis announced on Monday.

Sabalenka capped a dominant 2025 campaign by successfully defending her US Open title, leading the tour in match wins and titles, reaching nine finals. She finished as runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros and reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

The Belarusian won four trophies overall and recorded 63 victories over the season.

As she retained the year-end number one ranking for a second straight year, Sabalenka also set a single-season prize money record of $15,008,519, the WTA said.

Amanda Anisimova was voted the Most Improved Player, having also been nominated for Player of the Year.

The American reached five finals, winning the first WTA 1000 titles of her career in Doha and Beijing, and advanced to her first Grand Slam finals at Wimb­ledon and the US Open.

Anisimova broke into the top 10 in July and qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time in her career, ending the year ranked fourth in the world.

Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend were named Doubles Team of the Year after claiming a second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, while they also reached the US Open final.

Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic received the Comeback Player of the Year award after becoming a mother in April 2024 and producing a strong run of results, highlighted by a victory over world number five Elena Rybakina to win the Abu Dhabi Open.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko was named Newcomer of the Season after surging to a career-high world ranking of 18, capped by her maiden WTA 1000 title on home soil in Montreal.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2025