In December 2024, Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, currently ranked world No. 1 in singles, was honoured with the ‘2024 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Player of the Year Award’, taking the crown for the 1st time in her career. She has won 23 career titles, 17 in singles and 6 in doubles.
- WTA has announced the 2024 WTA Player Award winners including 5 Players Awards and 3 Player Service Awards.
2024 WTA Awards Week:
i.The WTA celebrated the standout performers of 2024 during WTA Awards Week, held from December 9-13, 2024.
ii.This event honors top players, tournaments and coaches of the year along with athletes who have made exceptional contributions to the Hologic WTA Tour.
iii.The winners are determined through votes from international tennis media, recognizing achievements at every level.
About Aryna Sabalenka:
i.Aryna Sabalenka has won 3 singles titles at the 2023 & 2024 Australian Opens, and the 2024 United States (US) Open and 2 doubles titles at the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open.
- She has won 23 career titles, 17 in singles and 6 in doubles.
ii.She claimed two WTA 1000 titles and also finished the year as the World No.1 player for the first time in her career.
iii.Along with her Grand Slam success, she won titles in Cincinnati (USA) and Wuhan (China), bringing her total to 4 titles for the year.
2024 WTA Award winners:
i.Jasmine Paolini & Sara Errani – Doubles Team of the Year WTA 2024
- Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani were named as the Doubles Team of the Year WTA 2024 where the Italian duo made history by winning Italy’s first Olympic tennis gold at the Paris 2024 Games.
- In addition to their Olympic victory, they achieved in two WTA 1000 events and played a key role in Italy’s 5th Billie Jean King Cup win in Málaga, Spain.
ii.Emma Navarro – Most Improved Player WTA 2024
- Emma Navarro was named as the Most Improved Player WTA 2024after an impressive rise in 2024.
- After starting the year ranked 38th, Navarro broke into the top 10 by September 2024 and won her 1st title in Hobart (Australia) and reached 6 semi-finals, including in the US Open.
iii.Lulu Sun – Newcomer of the Year WTA 2024
- Lulu Sun, a New Zealand talent, won the award and made a breakthrough with a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon (United Kingdom, UK) as a qualifier and soared to 40th in the world, up from outside the top 200 in January 2024.
iv.Paula Badosa – Comeback Player of the Year WTA 2024
- Paula Badosa was named as the comeback Player of the Year WTA 2024 after returning from a back injury that interrupted her 2023 season.
- In 2024, she won the Washington title and reached the US Open quarter-finals, finishing the year ranked 12th.
List of 2024 WTA Awards:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) |
| Doubles Team of the Year | Jasmine Paolini (Italy) & Sara Errani(Italy) |
| Most Improved Player of the Year | Emma Navarro (the United States of America (USA)) |
| Newcomer of the Year | Lulu Sun (New Zealand) |
| Comeback Player of the Year | Paula Badosa (Spain) |
Note: Iga Swiatek was awarded WTO Player of the Year 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova claimed Doubles Team of the Year 2023.
Winners of 2024 WTA Player Service Awards:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award | Ons Jabeur(Tunisia) |
| Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award | Ons Jabeur(Tunisia) |
| Coach of the Year | Renzo Furlan(Italy) |
About Women’s Tennis Association (WTA):
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Portia Archer
Headquarters- Florida, the United States of America (USA)
Established- 1973
