Tennis

Three American women inside WTA top-5 for first time in 21 years

February 25, 2025 by Tara S

Madison Keys has risen in the WTA rankings, joining Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the top five. This is a remarkable achievement, as it’s been more than 20 years since three American women were simultaneously ranked in this elite group.

The last time this happened, Serena Williams (No. 3), Lindsay Davenport (No. 4), and Jennifer Capriati (No. 5) were all inside the top five. Together, they won 29 Grand Slam titles and spent nearly 450 weeks at the top of the rankings, with Williams leading the way.

This time, it’s Coco Gauff (No. 3), Jessica Pegula (No. 4), and Madison Keys (No. 5) who have secured top-five spots in the same week. Keys reached her career-best ranking on Monday, benefiting from point losses by Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, which allowed her to move up despite not playing.

Madison Keys’ rise marks first American top-5 trio

Over the past 52 weeks, Gauff has won titles at the WTA Finals and China Open, Pegula has triumphed at WTA 1000 Toronto and WTA 500 Berlin, while Keys has claimed victories in Australia and at WTA 500 Strasbourg Open and Adelaide. They currently trail only Aryna Sabalenka (No. 1) and Iga Swiatek (No. 2), who have alternated at the top of the rankings since April 2022, when Swiatek replaced Ash Barty following her retirement. Together, Sabalenka and Swiatek have spent 152 weeks as WTA No. 1.

Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open. She defeated 2-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Gauff, Pegula, and Keys highlight the strong presence of American women in the WTA Tour, marking the first time since Williams-Davenport-Capriati in 2003 that three Americans are in the top five—three legends of the game.

While they lead the charge, American tennis’ strength is further reflected in the current rankings, with four players in the top 10, including Emma Navarro. Expanding to the top 20, Danielle Collins (No. 14) and Amanda Anisimova (No. 18) also feature. As of this Monday, there are nine Americans in the top 50 and 17 in the top 100.

The legendary trio of American stars

All three—Williams, Davenport, and Capriati—reached world No. 1 and won multiple Grand Slam titles. Serena Williams’ historic career is well known, with 23 Grand Slam titles and 319 weeks as world No. 1 between 2002 and 2017. Her compatriots also had stellar careers, with their peak years in the early 2000s.

Capriati first reached world No. 1 in 2001 and held the top spot for a total of 17 weeks. She won three Grand Slams, reached three other major finals, and claimed 14 titles, including an Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Serena Williams won a total of 23 Grand Slam titles.

Davenport, on the other hand, won three Grand Slams, finished runner-up in four, and amassed a total of 55 titles while losing 38 finals. She also had an impressive 130 wins against top-10 players. Davenport held the No. 1 ranking for 98 weeks, making her the 10th player in history with the most weeks at the top.

The three Americans competed against some of the best players of their era and true legends of the game. Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Amelie Mauresmo, and Maria Sharapova were among those who challenged the Americans in major events and also battled for the top spots in the WTA rankings.

US Tennis Star Madison Keys Wins 1st Grand Slam After Epic Australian Open Run

January 29, 2025 by Tara S

by: Just Women’s Sports

US tennis player Madison Keys earned her first-ever Grand Slam title on Saturday, taking down back-to-back defending champ and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 Australian Open final.

On the heels of a three-set semifinal ousting of No. 2 Iga Świątek last Thursday, Keys’ 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 Saturday victory made her the first player to upset both the world No. 1 and No. 2 in the same Grand Slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova did so at the 2009 French Open. The 29-year-old is also the first to do it in Melbourne since Serena Williams in 2005.

Only three other WTA players have racked up more Grand Slam main draws before winning their first title. On Saturday, Keys tied Caroline Wozniacki for making the most Australian Open main-draw singles appearances before lifting the trophy.

Keys’s Australian Open run included five wins over seeded opponents, four of them in the WTA’s Top 10 entering the tournament. Plus, with five three-set victories, Keys tied the record for the most three-set wins at any of the four Grand Slams.

However, none of those records compare with winning her first major.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Keys said holding her trophy during the post-match ceremony.=

Keys’ championship was years in the making

Keys burst onto the pro scene on her 14th birthday back in 2009, and has been a Top 20 mainstay for most of the last decade.

The US star has appeared in at least the quarterfinal round of all four majors multiple times. However, she had only one Grand Slam final under her belt prior to this weekend’s championship match — a 2017 US Open loss to Sloane Stephens.

Ultimately, it took relinquishing her desperation to win a Slam to actually snag that elusive trophy.

“I’ve done a lot of work to no longer need [winning a Grand Slam],” Keys explained after her win. “I really wanted it, but it’s no longer the thing that was going to define me, and kind of letting go of that burden, I finally gave myself the ability to play for it.”

2025 Australian Open runner-up Aryna Sabalenka smiles at champion Madison Keys while holding their hardware. — With her Grand Slam title, Keys joins No. 1 Sabalenka in the WTA Top 10. (Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Slam win returns Keys to the WTA’s Top 10

The WTA updated their rankings early Monday, with Keys’s breakthrough performance boosting her to No. 7 — her first Top 10 slot since January 2023. The new rank also ties her career-high, with Keys first peaking at No. 7 in October 2016.

Keys’s rise also solidifies the US as arguably the nation most flush with the sport’s top talent. The US now boasts four players in the Top 10, with Keys joining No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 6 Jessica Pegula, and No. 9 Emma Navarro. No other nation has more than one athlete in that elite tier.

That said, the WTA’s best stayed put in Monday’s rankings. Despite their Australian Open losses, all four top seeds — Sabalenka, Świątek, Gauff, and No. 4 Jasmine Paolini — retained their top spots.

Madison Keys Upsets Iga Świątek in Australian Open Semifinal

January 23, 2025 by Tara S

In the biggest upset of the 2025 Australian Open so far, 19-seed Madison Keys defeated world No. 2 Iga Świątek in a back-and-forth three-set semifinal early Thursday morning.

Entering as the tournament’s only athlete to win every set, five-time Grand Slam champion Świątek conceded more games to Keys than in her previous five Australian Open matches combined.

Keys’s speedy serve and heavy forehand paired with a Świątek double-fault pushed the match to a tie-break decider, with the US star ultimately winning 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8).

“It just became who can get that final point and who can be a little bit better than the other one,” Keys said post-match. “I’m happy it was me.”

Keys’s victory is just the latest chapter in a 2025 Australian Open run that’s seen her beat three Top 10 contenders in Świątek, No. 6 Elena Rybakina, and No. 10 Danielle Collins. Those victories earned the 29-year-old her own Top 10 spot in next Monday’s WTA rankings.

With Thursday’s win, Keys booked her second-ever Grand Slam championship match, returning to the sport’s top stage for the first time since the 2017 US Open.

Aryna Sabalenka backhands a shot during her 2025 Australian Open semifinal. — Keys must defeat reigning champion Sabalenka to earn her first Slam title on Saturday. (Shi Tang/Getty Images)

One last challenge awaits Keys

To claim her career’s first Grand Slam trophy, however, Keys will have to defeat reigning champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who comfortably downed Spain’s No. 11 Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday in pursuit of a third-straight Australian Open title.

In their five previous meetings, Keys has only beaten Sabalenka once, topping her in Berlin in 2021.

Sabalenka won their most recent bout in the 2023 US Open semifinals. However, that three-set slog was similar to Keys’s gritty victory over Świątek and, if she can maintain the composure and energy she displayed on Thursday, the US star’s momentum could fuel her to similarly stun Sabalenka.

Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand in the Women's Singles Semi Finals match against Paula Badosa of Spain during day twelve of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. — Keys will play defending Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in the tournament’s final. (Shi Tang/Getty Images)

How to watch the 2025 Australian Open final

Saturday’s Australian Open final between Keys and Sabalenka will take the court at 3:30 AM ET, with live coverage on ESPN.

January 7, 2025 by Tara S

https://agsa.org/2025/01/6078/

Aryna Sabalenka wins the WTA Player of the Year award and Emma Navarro is picked as Most Improved

December 10, 2024 by Tara S

By: Associated Press

Aryna Sabalenka received the WTA Player of the Year award for the first time on December 9 after winning two Grand Slam titles and finishing 2024 at No. 1 in the rankings.

In other results of voting by tennis media, Emma Navarro was honored as Most Improved Player, Paula Badosa was named Comeback Player, Lulu Sun was Newcomer of the Year, and Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were picked as the Doubles Team of the Year.

Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, won the Australian Open in January and the U.S. Open in September, along with two other titles this season, going 56-14 with nearly $10 million in prize money. She overtook Iga Swiatek for the top ranking in October.

Navarro made her debut in the WTA’s top 10 in September after making her deepest Grand Slam run at the U.S. Open, where she eliminated defending champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round before losing to Sabalenka in the semifinals.

The 23-year-old Navarro, who grew up in South Carolina and won the 2021 NCAA singles championship at the University of Virginia, won her first tour title at Hobart, Australia, in January, and moved from No. 32 in the rankings at the start of 2024 to No. 8 at the end.

Badosa sat out the last half of 2023 with a back injury but the 27-year-old Spaniard was back near the top of the sport this year, climbing to No. 12 in the rankings, winning the title in Washington and equaling her best result at a Grand Slam tournament by getting to the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

Sun went from outside the top 200 in the rankings to a career-best No. 39, highlighted by a quarterfinal showing as a qualifier at Wimbledon in July and a runner-up finish at the Monterrey Open in August. Sun, 23, was born in New Zealand, grew up in Switzerland and helped the University of Texas win an NCAA team championship.

Errani and Paolini won a doubles gold medal for Italy at the Paris Olympics and helped their country win the Billie Jean King Cup. They also reached the French Open doubles final together. In singles, Paolini was the runner-up at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Gauff Wins 2024 WTA Finals Tournament

November 13, 2024 by Tara S

Dee Lab | Just Women’s Sports

World No. 3 tennis star Coco Gauff won the 2024 WTA Finals on Saturday, becoming the youngest US player to take the tournament since Serena Williams in 2001.

Gauff’s championship came by way of a grueling three-hour 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) final match win over reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

The 20-year-old’s road to the $4.8 million purse — the largest in women’s tennis history — included just her second-ever win over No. 2 Iga Świątek in the group round and a semifinal victory over No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Friday.

A winning end to a rollercoaster season
When asked about her 2024 season, Gauff told reporters, “There’s been a lot of ups and downs. At moments, it felt great. At other moments, it felt awful. Basically, a typical year on tour.”

Her low point was a disappointing attempt to defend her 2023 US Open title. Gauff stumbled out of the US Grand Slam in the fourth round this fall.

That performance led Gauff to an apparently productive coaching change. She left coach Brad Gilbert, adding Matt Daly to her team to work with Jean-Christophe “JC” Faurel.

Since then, Gauff has gone 13-2, ultimately adding the China Open and WTA Finals titles to her June French Open doubles trophy.

After silencing doubters with Saturday’s victory, Gauff took to social media, writing “lol safe to say I beat the bad season allegations.”

New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski lift their 2024 WTA Finals doubles trophy.
Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski paired up to make WTA Finals history. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images for WTA)
A double dose of WTA Finals history
Just before Gauff took the court, Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe were crowned the season’s doubles champions.

Dabrowski and Routliffe avenged their Wimbledon final loss by defeating US player Taylor Townsend and her Czech partner Kateřina Siniaková 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday. They are now the first athletes from Canada and New Zealand to win the WTA Finals doubles title.

Coco Gauff stuns Iga Swiatek to reach semifinals at 2024 WTA Finals

November 6, 2024 by Tara S

David Kane

Gauff earned the straight-sets victory needed to guarantee her spot in the final four in Riyadh, knocking out the former world No. 1 for only the second time in 13 meetings.

Coco Gauff pulled off a massive upset at the 2024 WTA Finals, defying a 1-11 head-to-head against Iga Swiatek to stun the former world No. 1, 6-3, 6-4 and guarantee herself a spot in the semifinals.

“It feels great. I knew going into the match that, despite our head-to-head, I had a lot of confidence,” Gauff said on court. “I felt like I was playing great tennis. Even when I was playing a little bit sloppy in the games I lost, they were still going to deuce, so that gave me confidence. I knew if I could find my game and stay solid, I’d have the chance to close out the match.”

The No. 3 seed not only needed to snap a four-match losing streak against Swiatek to advance out of round-robin play regardless of subsequent results from the Orange Group, but she also needed to win in straight sets. Gauff managed both to close out play on Day 4, conquering Swiatek in one hour and 48 minutes on Riyadh’s Center Court.

Whether Gauff advances first or second out of the Orange Group is to be determined by the final rotation of matches on Thursday. Jessica Pegula has been eliminated from contention, leaving the second spot to be filled by either Swiatek or Barbora Krejcikova, who defeated Pegula in straight sets earlier in the day.

Gauff has endured an up-and-down follow-up to her breakout 2023 season, one that culminated with her first Grand Slam title at the US Open. Though she began the year with back-to-back major semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, serve and forehand woes followed her through the summer and saw her Flushing Meadows title defense end behind a flurry of double faults.

The 20-year-old rebounded somewhat in Asia, winning a WTA 1000 title at the China Open but suffering another tragic serving day at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, where she narrowly lost in in the semifinals to Aryna Sabalenka.

In Riyadh with new coach Matt Daly, Gauff opened with a strong performance against fellow American Jessica Pegula to book a meeting with Swiatek, who roared back from a set and two breaks down to defeat Barbora Krejcikova.

Gauff shook off intermittent serving woes to outmatch Swiatek for only the second time in their 13-match rivalry.

Facing the Pole on hard courts for the first time since last year’s WTA Finals, Gauff pressured Swiatek early, forcing her to save three break points in her second service game. Though Swiatek, who is also at the WTA Finals with a new coach—having hired Wim Fissette after a US Open quarterfinal exit to Pegula—dug out of the long game, she found herself on the back foot again and again, ultimately giving up two breaks to hand Gauff the opening set.

The second set got closer as some of Gauff’s service issues reared back up—nine double faults to only two in the first set—and Swiatek twice led by a break. Gauff quickly reclaimed the initiative both times and put down a strong service hold to put herself on the brink of a very big win.

“From the ground, on the return of serve, I think I had three games in a row with break points. But I didn’t let that discourage me. I knew I was going to get it eventually. Even in the last game, I missed two forehand returns but I told myself, ‘It’s ok, I’ll get the next one,” and I did!”

Swiatek was dealing with visible frustration on top of a relentless onslaught from Gauff, who outrallied the Pole to earn a match point. A bold final gambit by Swiatek failed to pay off as a forehand swing volley flew long, putting Gauff over the finish line in just under two hours.

Gauff will end her round-robin campaign against Krejcikova, while Swiatek will face Pegula for the first time since losing their match at the US Open.

Top Tennis Talent Lands in Saudi Arabia for 2024 WTA Finals

November 5, 2024 by Tara S

The year’s final major tennis tournament begins on Saturday when the sport’s highest-ranked athletes descend on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to compete in the 2024 WTA Finals.

Featuring the eight best singles players and eight best doubles teams, Slam winners and Olympic medalists alike will compete for the Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova trophies before the winter break.

Also up for grabs is a piece of the record $15.25 million prize pool, larger than any Grand Slam purse and a nearly 70% increase over the 2023 pot. Should the champions go undefeated through the tournament, the singles winner will bank $5.155 million, while the top doubles duo will take home $1.125 million.

WTA tennis stars Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula play doubles together at Wimbledon 2024. — 2024 French Open and Wimbledon doubles teammates Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will open their WTA Finals singles campaigns against each other. (Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Eight days of elite tennis action

In both the WTA Finals singles and doubles categories, competitors are split into two groups of four.

Each singles player or doubles pair will play all others in their group for a total of three matches across the first six days. The top two in each group will then compete in the November 8th semifinals, with both finals set for November 9th.

In the singles contest, the Purple Group includes No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, No. 5 Elena Rybakina, and No. 7 Qinwen Zheng, while the Orange Group lists No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 6 Jessica Pegula, and No. 8 Barbora Krejčíková.

In both competitions, 25% of the top eight athletes represent the USA. Along with Gauff and Pegula on the singles court, the doubles tournament includes No. 5 US duo Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk as well as Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Taylor Townsend in the Nos. 6 and 8 pairs, respectively.

World No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Świątek share a friendly moment during practice for the 2024 WTA Finals. — Off-court friends No. 1 Aryana Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Świątek are fierce on-court competitors. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Will Sabalenka play Świątek at the WTA Finals?

A showdown between Sabalenka and 2023 WTA Finals champion Świątek could be the event’s blockbuster match. The top-ranked players have yet to square off in a major tournament in 2024 — a year rife with highs and lows for both athletes.

Sabalenka started the WTA season by winning her second Australian Open, then later struggled through a shoulder injury that forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon. She capped the Grand Slam season in style, though, winning her first US Open in September.

As for five-time Grand Slam victor Świątek, 2024 brought the Polish phenom her fourth French Open title. A rockier second half to the season — including a third round and quarterfinal ousting from Wimbledon and the US Open, and a fall from the No. 1 ranking for the first time since November 2023 — motivated Świątek to seek a new coach.

How to watch the 2024 WTA Finals tennis tournament

The 2024 WTA Finals kicks off on Saturday, when US Open winner Sabalenka plays 2024 Olympic gold medalist Zheng at 11 AM ET.

Later, 2023 US Open champ Gauff will take on 2024 US Open runner-up Pegula at 8:45 AM ET on Sunday.

All 2024 WTA Finals matches will be broadcast live on the Tennis Channel.

Aryna Sabalenka wins US Open over American Jessica Pegula for third grand slam singles title

September 12, 2024 by Tara S

By Andy Scholes and Jill Martin, CNN

Aryna Sabalenka would not be denied hoisting the US Open championship trophy this year.

Sabalenka, the world No. 2 from Belarus, defeated American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to win the US Open for the first time.

This is Sabalenka’s third career grand slam singles title, having won the Australian Open for the second consecutive year back in January. She’s the first woman to sweep the hard court grand slams since Angelique Kerber in 2016.

After winning championship point, Sabalenka fell to the court, overcome with emotion. She went on to thank the crowd for their support.

Aryna Sabalenka kisses the trophy after winning the US Open for the first time.
Aryna Sabalenka kisses the trophy after winning the US Open for the first time. Frank Franklin II/AP
“You were cheering for me on those good moments,” Sabalenka said. “Of course I expected you to cheer for Jessica. I mean, that wouldn’t be normal if you would cheer for me, you know?”

This was the second year in a row Sabalenka reached the US Open final. A year ago, she lost to Coco Gauff, and the New York crowd was not on the Belarusian’s side, loudly pulling for the American.

“So many times I was so close to get a US Open title,” Sabalenka said, who also had heartbreaking losses in 2021 and 2022 in the semifinals. “It’s always been a dream of mine. Finally, I got this beautiful trophy.”

Sabalenka admitted the crowd affected her in that 2023 final – and she had resolved that wouldn’t happen to her again.

“I would say that this year, I felt so much love from the crowd,” Sabalenka told CNN. “Even though I was facing Americans, they still were supporting, cheering for me a little bit.

“I felt like last year there was kind of like close to zero on my side, and this year I felt a lot of support, even in the finals. I’m just super happy to feel so much love in New York.”

Sabalenka reflected on what her success meant to her. “Well, after I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis,” she said.

“Every time I see my name on that trophy, I’m so proud of myself, I’m proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going.”

Sabalenka, 26, has now won 12 consecutive matches and improves her head-to-head record against Pegula to 6-2.

While the scoreline was straight sets, it wasn’t exactly straightforward.

Sabalenka led by a set and 3-0, but Pegula went on to win the next five games to give the American a 5-3 second-set lead.

Sabalenka would not give Pegula a chance to force a third set, however, winning the next four games to close out the match.

Sabalenka was asked how she was going to celebrate with her team. “A lot of drinks,” she said to CNN. “I need to feel this relief. I hope we’re going to have a lot of fun with my team.”

USA’s Jessica Pegula serves to Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka during their women’s final match on day thirteen of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 7, 2024. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
Jessica Pegula was competing in her first grand slam singles final. Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images
Pegula, meanwhile, had made a breakthrough at this year’s US Open. Previously, the 30-year-old’s best result at a major was reaching the quarterfinals, where she had been 0-6 at that stage. With her result in New York, she will rise from No. 6 to No. 3 in the world, matching her career-high ranking.

Pegula had missed a portion of the schedule earlier this season, including the French Open, because of injury. But during the North American hard court swing this summer, Pegula found her stride, going 15-2.

Those two losses were to Sabalenka: in the Cincinnati Open final last month and Saturday in her first grand slam singles final.

“It’s been an incredible month for me, really,” Pegula said. “I had a rough start to the year but was really able to turn it around. To be able to be standing here in my first grand slam final, and then coming off such a hot summer, I didn’t expect it. I’m just really grateful for the last few weeks of tennis and some incredible matches I’ve been able to put together.”

Pegula, who is a Buffalo native, is the daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula, owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. She was introduced to tennis by her family at age 7, and she recently said getting to the US Open final was “a childhood dream.”

When Pegula entered the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the final, she notably removed her headphones, appearing to soak in the crowd noise after she had been introduced.