No. 5: Qinwen Zheng
The 22-year-old had a terrific season, as the quick hitter finally understood what she was doing on the court. It took her a while to smash the ball, crosscourt or down the line, and to put it away. However, she has some fine weeks, but others, she could collapse. The Chinese did start early in January, reaching the Australian Open final, and finally, she lost against Aryna Sabalenka. That was good enough. Months later, she won the Olympic Games, beating Donna Vekic. In the fall, she gained ground, reached the final Wuhan, and won in Tokyo. She showed a lot of new styles. In the WTA Finals, she reached the final and had a serious chance against Coco Gauff, but the American out-lasted her, 7-6(2) in the third set. Zheng can look very good when she plays well, but she can drop off in others, like at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open. Sabalenka has beaten her three times in 2024, beating Zheng quickly. She has to improve her serve and her performance on the net. Without a doubt, she must attack early and often. If she does, the Slams are eating for her.
No. 4: Jasmine Paolini
The 28-year-old Italian had an amazing year, almost coming out of nowhere, reaching the final at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She was so consistent with her deep forehand and her backhand. She can spin it, flatten it out, and top it. She can lose early, but she can lock it in, then she can explode. She won Dubai, and with the doubles, she and her partner, Sara Errani, won some huge events. Paolini wants to win a Grand Slam for the first time, as at Wimbledon, in the final, she was so close, but she went down, 6-4 in the third set against Barbora Krejcikova. That was a brutal loss. Still, if Paolini can do the same thing, plus with a more potent forehand, then yes, on clay, she can hit anyone.
No. 3: Coco Gauff
At the end of the year, the 20-year-old American had a fabulous win, taking the WTA Finals. She beat Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng, playing so solid and driving on the ball. She did not have a spectacular year, but there were some smooth results when she won Beijing in the fall. However, at Roland Garros, in the semis, she went down her up and down forehand, losing quickly against Swiatek. At the Australian Open, in the semis, Sabalenka slapped her forehand close to the lines, and Gauff could not understand what she had to do. She lost, and she was frustrated. Now, given that she is still young, she will try to enhance her forehand and to return, too. She has already won a Grand Slam, so clearly, she is darn good. However, people rise fast each year when they practice and try to do something better. If she does that, Gauff will win another Slam in 2025.
No. 2: Iga Swiatek
Being No. 1 is very important, and the Pole did it for a while, but right at the end, Sabalenka took it. Oh well, Swiatek can take it back again in 2025, but she will be more grounded. For the most part, the steady master can lock it in, winning Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, winning only one set. Wow. However, after that, she started to slide, losing at the US Open and the WTA Finals. Sometimes, the players can become bored over the years, on the court and off. And then, you can find the solution when you are walking, all by yourself. Swiatek seems to really love tennis, and given that she can crush her forehand, her backhand, her first serve and her return, then in 2025, she will snag another Slam in 2025.
No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka
What a stunning year for Belarus, who won the Australian and US Open. The huge hitter knocked down against Gauff and Zheng with some phenomenal groundstrokes. It was pretty good on clay, but not great, as she can be more patient. Yet in the summer, she became more case on the hardcourts, winning Cincinnati and grabbing the US Open, beating the American Jessica Pegula. Her forehand is massive, her backhand is heavy, and her return is very aggressive. Her serve has improved a lot, as a few years ago, she had so many double faults, but now, it is much more consistent. She can win another couple more Slams in 2025, and it would be nice to win at Roland Garros [clay] or Wimbledon [grass], but to do it, she will have to be much more thoughtful on the court and off.