'Great year for me': World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka receives new WTA title after stellar season

Aryna Sabalenka received the WTA Player of the Year award for the first time in her career after winning two grand slam titles and climbing atop of the rankings in 2024.

The 26-year-old won the Australian Open in January and the U.S. Open in September, along with two other titles, going 56-14 with over $15 million AUD in prize money.

She overtook Iga Swiatek for the top ranking in October, closing out the season for the first time as world number one.

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"Thank you so much for voting for me. I'm super happy to win the award," Sabalenka said in a video post on Instagram.

"It's been a great year for me and I really appreciate all the support."

In other results, Emma Navarro was honored as Most Improved Player, while Paula Badosa was named Comeback Player and Lulu Sun won Newcomer of the Year.

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 all the way up to No.8 by year's end.

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.

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 quarter finals.

Sun went from outside the top 200 in the rankings to a career-best No. 39, highlighted by a quarter final 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.

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were picked as the Doubles Team of the Year, having 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.