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Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka all tasted Grand Slam success for the first time at the US Open. The three have since taken very different routes, career wise.
While Gauff is currently in the top-10, Osaka and Raducanu are slowly building back after spending time away from the sport for varied reasons.
Those three aren’t the only players making for interesting storylines to follow in the 2025 season. Here, we take a look at some stories worth keeping an eye out for:
#5 Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu breaking 'one Slam wonder' tag
Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu both know what it takes to succeed on the big stage at a young age. The two players had Grand Slam titles to their names before turning 21, achieving the feat at the US Open.
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Raducanu, who became the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, has not been able to replicate the same success since. Injuries, frequent team changes and a loss of form have kept her from finding her feet on Tour.
Gauff, meanwhile, achieved Grand Slam glory after much build-up at last year’s US Open. Her 2024 season, however, has been underwhelming, especially on the big stage.
Both women will look to capture a second Slam title and leave the “one Slam wonder” category as quickly as possible.
Gauff definitely showed signs of revival at the back end of the season, triumphing in China and again at the WTA Finals. There is, however, still work that needs to be done, especially on the serve. Raducanu, meanwhile, will likely need longer before she starts thinking about winning Slams. She has made the second week at a Slam only once in her last eight attempts.
Talent alone cannot guarantee success and both Gauff and Raducanu will be keen on getting the elements of their games to come together and return to the winners’ circle in 2025.
#4 Naomi Osaka resuming Slam dominance
Not long ago, Naomi Osaka was winning back-to-back Grand Slams. The Japanese achieved that feat in 2018-19 and again in 2020-21 at the US and Australian Opens.
But much like Emma Raducanu, her recent record on the big stage is best forgotten.
Osaka has gone 8-9 since winning the 2021 Australian Open, but there have been signs of a revival.
Her French Open encounter against eventual champion Iga Swiatek was the talk of the town for long. And it wasn’t even her favorite surface.
Osaka possesses the raw power that makes her a big threat on the quick hardcourts. Her prolonged absence from the Tour, first to look after her mental health and then maternity leave, was bound to give way to some rust.
Osaka’s serve and forehand are still among the best of weapons in the women’s game. If she can find some consistency and trust the process, she could well find herself going back-to-back at Slams in no time.
#3 Aryna Sabalenka's reign as World No. 1
Aryna Sabalenka successfully dethroned Iga Swiatek from the World No. 1 position earlier in the year, thus beginning her second stint in the pole position.
The Belarusian currently holds a healthy 1,200-point lead over Swiatek but things can change quickly,
For Sabalenka, the start of the year will be especially crucial given that she has a bunch of points to defend. Starting from the Australian Open alone, she will have to be wary of dropping a massive 2,000 points earned during her run to the title last year.
Things will get easier for her after that, but with Swiatek and Co. breathing down her neck, the pressure could well begin to tell.
#2 Jasmine Paolini, Zheng Qinwen's sophmore season
Two players, Jasmine Paolini and Zheng Qinwen, showed immense improvement in their games this year. The two, who had hardly played at Grand Slam centre courts prior to this, now share three Slam finals between them.
Zheng was quick out the blocks, making the Australian Open final only to disappear for a few months. Paolini, meanwhile, showcased her immense adaptability by reaching back-to-back Slam finals at the French Open (clay) and Wimbledon (grass).
Coming into the new year, they will be filled with expectations. But with that comes pressure. Neither player has remained in the spotlight for as long and it’s still early days to lock their fate in.
#1 Iga Swiatek's return after doping row
The last few weeks have been dominated by the doping allegations surrounding tennis’ former World no. 1, Iga Swiatek.
While people continue to share their views on the topic, the Pole has largely remained silent and maintained her innocence. She will, after all, get plenty of chances of letting her tennis racket do the talking.
For Swiatek, the key will be finding the right headspace. While her numbers are incredible on paper (she ended 2024 with a 61-9 win-loss), she will need to get into the right frame of mind if she wishes to claim more Grand Slam titles.
