Top 3 players to challenge Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in 2025
Coco Gauff ended the season beating both Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka to win the inaugural WTA Finals in Riyadh.
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Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (via Tennis.com)
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek largely dominated the 2024 WTA season. The duo won three of the four Grand Slam titles this season and finished the year in the top two of the WTA rankings. However, there were many other exciting storylines, such as Coco Gauff winning the WTA Finals and Qinwen Zheng clinching the Olympic Singles Gold medal.
While Sabalenka and Swiatek showed their dominance, they also demonstrated that they are not invincible. Sabalenka has yet to prove herself outside of hard courts, while Swiatek continues to struggle on surfaces other than clay.
While Sabalenka and Swiatek showed their dominance, they also demonstrated that they are not invincible. Sabalenka has yet to prove herself outside of hard courts, while Swiatek continues to struggle on surfaces other than clay. As a result, both players were often stopped by others on their less favorable surfaces in 2024. With that in mind, here are our top three picks to challenge this dynamic duo in the 2025 season.
1) Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff finished her 2024 season ranked world No. 3 after a challenging but rewarding year. She won three titles, including two of the most prestigious on the WTA Tour. Her season ended on a high note with a brilliant victory at the WTA Finals, where she defeated both Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Earlier in the year, Gauff claimed her second WTA 1000 title in Beijing and started 2024 strong with a win at the WTA 250 event in Auckland. She also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and the French Open, showing her consistency at the biggest tournaments.
While her fourth-round exits at Wimbledon and the US Open were disappointing at the time, they now seem less significant given her overall success. Although she didn’t win a second Grand Slam title this year, her performance at the WTA Finals was the highlight. To compete with players like Sabalenka and Swiatek in 2025, she will need to maintain this form in the Grand Slams.
Gauff’s brilliance was on full display during her first Grand Slam win at the US Open in 2023. She defeated Sabalenka in the final to secure her maiden major title, a victory that continues to inspire her journey on the tour.
2) Jasmine Paolini
In 2024, Jasmine Paolini shocked the tennis world by climbing to No. 4 in the WTA rankings after starting the year ranked 30th. Her rise was one of the most remarkable stories of the season.
The 28-year-old Italian had only won four Grand Slam matches before this year but made incredible runs to the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon. She was one of just two players to reach the second week at all four majors in 2024, showing her consistency. Her breakthrough also included winning her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai.
Paolini was undoubtedly the most improved player of the year. However, she struggled against the top two players, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, losing all three matches against them. The closest she came to beating Swiatek was at the Billie Jean King Cup, where she won the first set before losing. Despite that, Paolini helped lead Italy to the title in the event, capping a successful year for her country.
With a standout 2024 season behind her, Paolini has proven she can achieve great things. Her next challenge is to close the gap and compete on equal footing with players like Swiatek and Sabalenka.
3) Qinwen Zheng
Qinwen Zheng’s 2024 season didn’t stand out until July, but her incredible second half of the year changed everything. The Chinese star proved she could compete with the best, positioning herself as a real threat to Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Her biggest achievement was winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. This victory was even more remarkable because she defeated Swiatek, the heavy favorite, along the way. Swiatek had dominated at Roland Garros with four titles, including three in a row, making Zheng’s win even more impressive.
Zheng’s year started strong with her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, but she struggled to maintain that momentum for a while. After Wimbledon, though, she turned things around. Her Olympic gold and her run to the final at the WTA Finals showcased her growth and determination.
She also added titles in Tokyo and Palermo, reached the final in Wuhan, and made it to the quarterfinals at the US Open. At just 22 years old, Zheng has established herself as a top player. Heading into the 2025 Australian Open, she carries far more confidence than she did at the start of 2024.
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Fahad Hamid
(593 Articles Published)