With months to go for the all-new 2025 tennis, the hype is building up in the women’s series as the new world #1 looks at another successful year.
Aryna Sabalenka was crowned the WTA’s #1 ranked player at the end of the season, and she will begin her 2025 season with her favourite tournament—the Australian Open, where she is a two-time back-to-back winner.
But Sabalenka’s real test will come later in the summer when the fans with Wimbledon tickets welcome her to the All England Lawn & Tennis Club.
Sabalenka’s Rise
The Belarusian enjoyed the best season of her career, which yielded two Grand Slam titles and the year-end number-one ranking.
She overtook Iga Swiatek in the rankings after winning the Wuhan Open and aims to stay at the top of women’s tennis for a long time.
As great as this season was for Sabalenka, she has one goal for 2025: to play at the Wimbledon Championships and win the title.
Aryna Sabalenka assesses her chances at Wimbledon 2025
Since the start of the 2023 season, Aryna Sabalenka has been the WTA Tour’s most consistent player at the Grand Slams. The 26-year-old made the semifinals or better in each of the majors last year, winning two in 2024.
The one event she did not have a chance of winning in 2024 was Wimbledon, as a shoulder injury prevented Sabalenka from gracing the hallowed turf at SW19. Fans with Wimbledon tickets were awaiting her arrival, but despite making it to the courts, she had to withdraw before playing a single game.
Following her success elsewhere in 2024 and the improvement in her variety of shots, Sabalenka fancies her chances of glory at the All-England Club in 2025.
“I was quite frustrated I had to pull out because I felt I was probably ready to get far in this tournament. I have all of those tools,” she told Andy Roddick’s ‘Served’ podcast.
“I have a slicing game, drop shot, a serve, quite strong groundstrokes. I felt so good going into Wimbledon, especially after the Roland Garros experience where I didn’t win a match; I felt so bad in the stomach and was so hungry to play in the Grand Slam.
“I was so frustrated. I am really excited for next year, and I hope I will be ready 100% to play. I definitely feel like I have got more confidence going into Wimbledon.”
Sabalenka will need to work hard to keep up with the likes of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Jasmine Paolini, who will also look at an exceptional 2025.
Swiatek had the edge at the start of the year, coming in as #1 and winning the Roland Garros.
Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon Record
Sabalenka has entered the Wimbledon Championships on five occasions.
On debut in 2017, she reached the second round but failed to win a match in 2018 and 2019. Wimbledon did not take place in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the event returned in 2021, Sabalenka achieved her best result by reaching the semifinals, which she equalled in 2023.
Therefore, Sabalenka has recorded 11 victories at Wimbledon during her career and suffered five defeats.
After missing the 2022 and 2024 events, the three-time Grand Slam winner will look to add her first grass court major to her tally next summer.
Emma Raducanu Tipped to Become a Future Wimbledon Champion
The tennis world knows the 22-year-old can win a Grand Slam after she shocked the world by winning the US Open as a qualifier in 2021.
Furthermore, she did so without dropping a set, proving the significance of Emma Raducanu’s achievement in Flushing Meadows three years ago.
Since then, she has been some way off winning a major, but now back to full fitness and feeling rejuvenated, the former British number one could become a threat at the Grand Slams once again.
2024 was another frustrating year for Raducanu, which began when she returned from double wrist and ankle surgery in January.
She had been hoping for an injury-free year, but Raducanu suffered more physical issues and missed some sections, such as most of the clay court season and the Asian swing post-US Open.
Now back to full health, Raducanu helped Great Britain reach the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals. She warned the rest of the tour that she intends to play more regularly in 2025.
That said, 30-time wheelchair tennis Grand Slam champion Alfie Hewett sees Raducanu having a strong season next year and thinks she will become a Wimbledon champion.
“Emma has a real chance to have a big year. She has proven that when she is fit, healthy, and strong and can get to the end of tournaments, she is up there with some of the best players in the game.
“I think it’s possible that she could win Wimbledon one day. She had a great run there this year. She had got all the ingredients in her game, and she’s done it before, so why not?”
For Raducanu, fanfare and support will be at their highest, with the Brit being a familiar face amongst the English fans. If she makes a semifinal or beyond, the demand for Wimbledon tickets is set to soar.
Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon Record
Raducanu has played at Wimbledon just three times in her career so far.
The Bromley local made her main draw debut in 2021 and reached the fourth round two months before winning the US Open title.
Raducanu returned the following year but could only reach round two when Carolina Garcia comfortably beat her on centre court.
The former World number 10 missed the 2023 edition of the tournament due to injury, but she was fit to compete in 2024 and equalled her best result by reaching round four.
She took on qualifier Lulu Sun, who stunned Raducanu 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to book a spot in her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
The first Grand Slam for the year 2025 will start on 12 January 2025 in Melbourne. The all-important Wimbledon is set to kick off on 30 June 2025.
Wimbledon tickets go on sale shortly.