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Women's Tennis

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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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.

US Tennis Star Madison Keys Talks US Open, Staying Healthy, and Redefining Success

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Madison Keys was just 16 when she featured in her first US Open, and the home Grand Slam holds a special place in the now-29-year-old’s tennis star’s heart.

“It’s truly the best, greatest feeling in the entire world,” Keys told JWS last week. “I think there have been some of my most heartbreaking moments in front of a US Open crowd, but also some of my absolute most favorite, literally to the point of mid-match getting goosebumps.”

Ahead of today’s 2024 US Open kickoff, Keys commented on the power of the New York Slam’s fans, saying, “The thing I’ve always loved about playing at the US Open is that, literally no matter how down and out you felt, the entire crowd was still there trying to get you through and push you through.”

Madison Keys celebrates winning a set at Wimbledon in July.
An injury forced Madison Keys to withdraw from Wimbledon mid-match in July.


A chaotic 2024 sets up Keys’s US Open appearance
The world No. 14 has had a rollercoaster 2024 season, missing the Australian Open due to injury before making solid finishes at WTA events in Miami, Madrid, and Strasbourg.

The Illinois product then suffered an injury at Wimbledon, withdrawing in the Round of 16 while in a winning position against eventual finalist Jasmine Paolini. “As devastating as that match against Jasmine was,” detailed Keys, “it was also one of my favorite matches that I’ve played, just because I feel like we were both playing so well.”

Her veteran perspective allowed Keys to calmly view the injury for what it was: a simple setback. “[Wimbledon] was really reassuring that I didn’t do anything wrong,” Keys said. “It wasn’t this big thing that we had to worry about or manage. It was just really horrible timing.”

US tennis player Madison Keys smile and rests at practice before the Toronto Open earlier this month.
Managing her health and her schedule is proving vital to Madison Keys’ goal of a long tennis career. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
Prioritizing health is vital to Keys’s tennis career
The 2016 Rio Olympic semifinalist pulled out of the 2024 Paris Games in an effort to maintain her health and gear up for the season’s final Slam — a decision she says was hard-won.

“It’s one of the greatest honors to be able to play for your country and play at an Olympics, and it was honestly one of my favorite tennis moments of my life,” she said. “But I’m getting older — I’ve been on tour for a long time. They like to call me a veteran now, and I think you have to start shifting gears a little bit to prioritize the best schedule…to be able to maintain a high level and stay healthy.”

Recognizing that pacing her seasons will help protect her health and, ultimately, her career, Keys is clear on her path forward. “At this point in my career, my biggest goal is I want to play tennis for as long as I want to play tennis,” she said. “I don’t want some outside force to be the reason that I have to step away from the game.”

When it comes to her health, Keys says the details matter, like prioritizing nutrition and sleep in the run-up to another US Open and partnering with supplement companies to boost her conditioning along the way.

“I’ve started to change my perspective on success and goals,” said Keys. “At the end of every day, being able to say, ‘Okay, did I accomplish my goal? If not, what were the lessons learned? How can I move forward with them?’ I think that’s honestly the best way to go about success in tennis.”

Aryna Sabalenka primed for US Open after Cincinnati Open win

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Pa Sport Staff | The Independent

Aryna Sabalenka missed Wimbledon with injury, but has impressed on her return to the court

Aryna Sabalenka continued her impressive build-up ahead of the US Open with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati Open final.

Sabalenka, who missed Wimbledon with a shoulder injury, had beaten world number one Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals and is set to return to second spot in the next WTA rankings update.

The Belarusian soon built on an early break against Pegula in the opening set to hold for a 4-1 lead which she never looked like relinquishing.

After Pegula was broken again in the first game of the second set, it seemed Sabalenka would be coasting towards another WTA title, but lifted by the home support, the American dug in.


Sixth seed Pegula took her first break chance in the 10th game to level at 5-5, only for Sabalenka to immediately break back and then serve for the match once again.

Sabalenka kept the pressure on, setting up a championship point with another big forehand winner, which she converted when Pegula dropped a return into the net.

It was a first title for Sabalenka since she landed a second consecutive Australian Open success in January, sealing a perfect week for the 26-year-old who did not drop a set.

“This trophy means a lot, it is a really big achievement, especially coming after injury, with this fear of getting injured again,” Sabalenka said in her courtside interview, broadcast by Sky Sports.

“My team did everything they could to make sure I felt as good as I can and I am proud of myself I was able to handle all of those emotions.”

Five Things To Know About Wimbledon 2024 Champion Barbora Krejcikova

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BY: Agence France-Presse | NDTV

Barbora Krejcikova beat Jasmine Paolini in three sets to win the 2024 Wimbledon women’s title on Saturday. AFP Sport looks at five things to know about the Czech 28-year-old, who now has two Grand Slam titles.

Legoland to dreamland

When Krejcikova is not playing tennis, she is building Lego models.

In her repertoire are the Milky Way, and Dobby, a character from the world of Harry Potter.

“I have many of them actually. Yeah, I even received some from my team here,” she said.

She hopes one day to put together a Lego version of Wimbledon Centre Court.

“If there’s one for me, I’ll do that,” said Krejcikova.

Helping hands

Krejcikova sacked coach Ales Kartus, who helped her to the 2021 French Open title, in July last year. Since then, she has not had a full-time coach but is working with Pavel Motl, who is two years younger, at 26. 

They went to the same school and occasionally trained together.

Recalling how they first met, Motl told the iDNES.cz news website: “Bara was 10 and she played in the village where I live. She was playing on court number three and beat our adult neighbour 6-0, 6-0.” 

Motl refuses to call himself a coach. 

“I don’t know whether I will ever call myself a coach. For me, it’s a kind of a lifetime journey.”

Family life

At Wimbledon, Krejcikova shuns life in official hotels, preferring instead to stay with a local family as she has done for the past decade.

Krejcikova has often spoken of the “relaxed atmosphere” at the house, where her late coach Jana Novotna used to stay too.

The 31st seed paid an emotional tribute to Novotna, who also hails from Brno, in an on-court interview after her semi-final win.

Novotna, who won Wimbledon in 1998, died from cancer in 2017 at the age of 49.

“I remember thinking about her a lot,” said Krejcikova. “I have so many beautiful memories and when I step on the court I fight for every single ball as that is what she would want me to do.”

School’s out

Krejcikova admits she was committed to reaching junior finals as it often meant a day off from school.

“I always liked playing the finals at minor tournaments, because we played on Mondays and I didn’t have to go to school. That was my goal for the weekend,” she said.

Olympics dream

Krejcikova is due to team up with Katerina Siniakova for the Paris Olympics as the pair seek to defend their doubles title from Tokyo. 

The two split last November after winning seven Grand Slam titles together.

The split was initiated by Siniakova, who decided to team up with Storm Hunter but the Australian picked up an Achilles tendon injury in April, meaning a spell on the sidelines.

Siniakova won the French Open women’s doubles with Coco Gauff last month and has reached this year’s Wimbledon final with Taylor Townsend.

Krejcikova teamed up with Laura Siegemund for the women’s doubles at Wimbledon but they knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Wimbledon 2024: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu are among the women to watch

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By: Howard Fendrich | The Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Here are some of the women to watch at Wimbledon, which starts at the All England Club on Monday:

Iga Swiatek

Ranking: 1

Career-Best Ranking: 1

Country: Poland

Age: 23

2024 Record: 45-4

2024 Titles: 5

Career Titles: 22

Grand Slam Titles: 5 — French Open (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (2022)

Last 5 Wimbledons: 2023-Lost in the Quarterfinals, 2022-Lost in the 3rd Round, 2021-4th, 2019-1st, 2018-Did Not Play

Aces: Has not played since winning the French Open on June 8 for her fifth Grand Slam championship, including four of the past five titles in Paris. … Is now 5-0 in major finals. … Wimbledon is the only major tournament where she has not been to at least the semifinals. … Voted WTA Player of the Year in 2023 for second season in a row; Serena Williams was the last to get that honor consecutively, doing so from 2012-15.

She Said It: “Winning five Slams seems pretty surreal. I would never expect it when I was younger.”

Read All About It: ‘The One Where She Wins Her Fifth Grand Slam’

Coco Gauff

Ranking: 2

Career-Best Ranking: 2

Country: United States

Age: 20

2024 Record: 32-10

2024 Titles: 2

Career Titles: 7

Grand Slam Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (2023)

Last 5 Wimbledons: 2023-1st, 2022-3rd, 2021-4th, 2019-4th, 2018-DNP

Aces: Has reached at least the semifinals at each of the past three majors. … Won the U.S. Open last year — the first American teenager to triumph there since Serena Williams in 1999. … Won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June, teaming with Katerina Siniakova. … Started working with coach Brad Gilbert after a first-round exit at Wimbledon in 2023.

She Said It: “I’m not going to put a number (on) how many (majors) I want to win. But as many as I can.”

Read All About It: Gauff’s first Slam trophy came at age 19

Aryna Sabalenka

Ranking: 3

Career-Best Ranking: 1

Country: Belarus

Age: 26

2024 Record: 30-9

2024 Titles: 1

Career Titles: 14

Grand Slam Titles: 2 — Australian Open (2023, 2024)

Last 5 Wimbledons: 2023-SF, 2022-DNP, 2021-SF, 2019-1st, 2018-1st

Aces: A semifinalist each of her past two Wimbledon appearances; was unable to enter the tournament in 2022 because all players from her country were banned after Belarus helped Russia attack Ukraine. … Won the past two Australian Open titles. … Has a record of 54-9 in her last 11 major tournaments. She was 16-14 in her first 14. … Briefly ranked No. 1 last season.

She Said It: “I mean, definitely Grand Slams — that’s the goal for everyone. And definitely, everyone feels the pressure.”

Read All About It: Sabalenka’s first major championship was about persistence

Elena Rybakina

Ranking: 4

Career-Best Ranking: 3

Country: Kazakhstan

Age: 25

2024 Record: 35-7

2024 Titles: 3

Career Titles: 8

Grand Slam Titles: 1 — Wimbledon (2022)

Last 5 Wimbledons: 2023-QF, 2022-Won Championship, 2021-4th, 2019-DNP, 2018-DNP

Aces: Won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2022, but did not get the usual rankings bump because no points were awarded by the tours there that year. … Her title defense at the All England Club last year ended in the quarterfinals. … Was the runner-up at the Australian Open in 2023.

She Said It: “I think I can play on all the surfaces. Of course, looking back to the results, grass, I will say, is the favorite, because it’s fast.”

Read All About It: Rybakina’s Wimbledon title came with a muted response

Marketa Vondrousova

Ranking: 6

Career-Best Ranking: 6

Country: Czech Republic

Age: 25 on Friday

2024 Record: 16-10

2024 Titles: Zero

Career Titles: 2

Grand Slam Titles: 1 — Wimbledon (2023)

Last 5 Wimbledons: 2023-W, 2022-DNP, 2021-2nd, 2019-1st, 2018-1st

Aces: Has just two tour-level titles so far — but one came at a Grand Slam tournament, Wimbledon last year. … Owned a 1-4 career record at Wimbledon before going 7-0 en route to last year’s championship. … The left-hander has been sidelined for chunks of time because of wrist problems.

She Said It: “On grass, I didn’t play so good, so I would never have thought of (winning Wimbledon).”

Read All About It: Vondrousova is a unique champion

Emma Raducanu

Ranking: 168

Career-Best Ranking: 10

Country: Britain

Age: 21

2024 Record: 13-8

2024 Titles: Zero

Career Titles: 1

Grand Slam Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (2021)

Last 5 Wimbledons: 2023-DNP, 2022-2nd, 2021-4th, 2019-DNP, 2018-DNP

Aces: A series of injuries — including three operations last year — and frequent coaching changes have made recent seasons tough for the 2021 U.S. Open champion. … Played as well as ever during the Eastbourne grass-court tuneup the week before Wimbledon, including the first win of her career against a member of the top 10, Jessica Pegula. … Certain to get plenty of attention and plenty of support from the home crowds at the All England Club.

She Said It: “I have been going through some stuff, so to come through has been really nice.”

Read All About It: Raducanu was 18 when she became the first qualifier to win a Slam title

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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press

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