World number one Aryna Sabalenka has been voted the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Player of the Year following a successful campaign in 2024, Afrosport reports.
Sabalenka won four titles this year, having retained the Australian Open in January before clinching her third Grand Slam singles title in September, when she won the US Open.
The Belarusian also won titles at the Cincinnati Open in August as well as the Wuhan Open two months later, where she made history as the first woman to win the event three times.
drumroll, please…🥁
Congratulations to @SabalenkaA, your 2024 Player of the Year!
Check out the full video over on Youtube 👇
— wta (@WTA) December 9, 2024
Sabalenka overtook rival Iga Swiatek to take pole position in the WTA rankings, ending the Poland international’s 11-month stay at the top.
She ended the season losing just 14 times while recording 56 wins after missing both Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics due to injuries and health-related reasons.
The winners of the WTA award are voted for by the international tennis media, and Sabalenka wins the honour for the first time, dethroning Swiatek, who has won the last two editions in 2022 and 2023.
