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Aryna Sabalenka was voted in favour WTA Player of the Year for the first time since the Belarusian won two Grand Slam titles and secured the year-end world number one spot, the governing body of women’s tennis announced.
After successfully defending the trophy at the Australian Open in January, Sabalenka won the US Open crown September for her third Grand Slam title and skipped Iga Swiatek topped the world rankings a month later.
She also won tournaments in Cincinnati and Wuhan to finish her 2024 campaign with four titles.
The international tennis media also voted Paris Olympic gold medalists Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini as the best doubles team of the year, while American Emma Navarro was named the most improved player of the season.
Ranked 38th at the end of 2023, Navarro broke into the top 10 in September after winning her first title in Hobart and making six semi-final appearances, including at Flushing Meadows, during the season.
Lulu Sun won the Newcomer of the Year award after the New Zealander reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals as a qualifier, helping her rise to world No. 40 after being ranked outside the top 200 in January.
Former world number two Paul Badoswho ended her 2023 season early due to a back problem that put her future in the game in doubt, was named Comeback Player of the Year.
After returning to the tour this season, the Spaniard won the title in Washington and also equaled her best Grand Slam performance by reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open and ending the year in 12th place.
Reuters