'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff have separated themselves from their peers on the WTA Tour over the last couple of years with solid results. Together, they account for six of the last eight Majors and have finished the season ranked in the top three for the last two years.
After another strong season from the trio, expectations are high for them to deliver once again in 2025. The WTA Tour has entered its era of consistency, where top players are once again expected to dominate week after week, after a relative free-for-all for a few years.
The 2024 season wrapped up only a couple of weeks ago. However, the start of the new season is only three weeks away, so here's predicting how the tour's three leading ladies will fare in the coming season:
Trending
Iga Swiatek has the edge in overall consistency, Aryna Sabalenka has the upper hand at Majors, with Coco Gauff right behind them
Iga Swiatek is the only player on the WTA Tour to post at least 60 wins for the past three seasons. She had a 67-9 record in 2022, a 68-11 record in 2023, and a 64-9 record in 2024. The main reason for this is her domination at the WTA 1000 tournaments.
Swiatek has captured nine WTA 1000 titles since the start of 2022. She won four titles each in 2022 and 2024, and while she won only one title in 2023, she did reach another two finals and didn't lose before the quarterfinal stage. She has an impressive 81-11 record at this level since 2022.
Since Swiatek's triumph at the US Open 2022, she has struggled to get going at other Majors besides the French Open. She's well on her way to replicate Rafael Nadal's numbers in Paris based on her current trajectory. However, she hasn't made it beyond the quarterfinals of the other three Majors in the past two years.
Swiatek's lone semifinal appearance at the Australian Open now seems like an anomaly as she hasn't made it past the fourth round on all other occasions. She also struggles on grass and has tallied only 11 wins at Wimbledon so far. This is where Aryna Sabalenka's recent excellence at the Majors comes into the picture.
The Belarusian struggled with the weight of expectations at the Majors at the start of her career. However, she has turned things around impressively, and no other player has won more matches at the Majors than her in the last two years.
Sabalenka won the Australian Open, was the runner-up at the US Open, and was a semifinalist at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2023. She defended her title Down Under, won the US Open, and made the quarterfinals in Paris this year. She was forced to skip Wimbledon due to an injury. She has a 41-4 record at the Majors since the start of 2023.
Sabalenka also has a decent record at the WTA 1000 level. She has won three titles, made another three finals, and amassed a 50-14 record over the last two years. She also hasn't lost before the quarterfinals of the last six WTA 1000 tournaments.
While Coco Gauff didn't win a Major this year, she did win the WTA Finals, that too by beating Swiatek and Sabalenka along the way. She did reach a couple of Grand Slam semifinals and has a 30-7 record at the Majors since 2023. She has won two WTA 1000 titles over the last two seasons and has a 42-15 record at that level during that time frame.
Iga Swiatek's record against fellow top players further makes a case for her continued dominance
Iga Swiatek has compiled a 39-14 record against her fellow top 10 cohorts since 2022. Aryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, has a 24-19 record during this period, while Coco Gauff has a 19-24 record. The Pole also leads her head-to-head against the other two.
Swiatek has a 8-4 advantage over Sabalenka and leads her rivalry with Gauff 11-2. If she were to meet the other two, then she would be favored to come out on top more often than not. The American, meanwhile, narrowly leads the Belarusian 5-4 in their head-to-head.
Based on their results, Swiatek will be poised to do well at the French Open and the WTA 1000 tournaments in 2025. Clay and slow hardcourts are her territory, so she will be the overwhelming favorite to win the Italian Open, the Indian Wells Open, and the Qatar Open. She has pretty good odds to win the Madrid Open, though Sabalenka has performed quite well there as well.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, has started to peak at the Majors. A third straight Australian Open title will be on her mind next year. Martina Hingis was the last to do so in Melbourne with her hat-trick of titles from 1997-1999. Swiatek did a three-peat in Paris this year, and the Belarusian will be keen to match her by doing the same Down Under.
Sabalenka will also have a good shot at going all the way at Wimbledon. She made the semifinals there in 2021 and 2023 and didn't compete in 2022 and this year. Gauff and Swiatek haven't made it that far at the All England Club, so this is one place where she has the clear edge over them. She will also be the frontrunner on faster surfaces, followed by Gauff.
After a brief dip in form over the summer, Gauff closed out 2024 on a high. She also beat her two main rivals to win the WTA Finals and will aim to carry that form in 2025. She has the potential to do well on all surfaces, and she can take the fight to Swiatek and Sabalenka if she's at the top of her game.
Swiatek has more opportunities to add to her trophy haul, though Sabalenka and Gauff have almost caught up to her. Regardless of who outperforms the other, the trio will be expected to remain a cut above the rest of the tour in 2025 as well.
