WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has been named WTA Player of the Year for a second straight season.
The Player Award winners are voted on by international media, with the Belarusian becoming only the third player in the past 15 years to win the honor more than once.
She earned almost 80 percent of the media's vote following a dominant season on the WTA Tour that saw her reach the most finals (nine), win the most titles (four) and score the most wins (63).
She also spent the entire year ranked as the WTA world No. 1, ending in the top spot for the second consecutive year, and now sits 12th on the all-time list for weeks in the No. 1 position.
Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend were named Doubles Team of the Year after a glittering season highlighted by their second Grand Slam title together at the Australian Open. The pair also won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and reached the final at the US Open.
The United States' Amanda Anisimova was named Most Improved Player after a breakthrough season that also earned her a Player of the Year nomination. She reached five finals, winning the first two WTA 1000 titles of her career at Doha and Beijing.
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland was voted Comeback Player of the Year after returning to the tour following the birth of her daughter in April 2024. She solidified her comeback by winning the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, defeating world No. 5 Elena Rybakina along the way.
Victoria Mboko, 19, received the Newcomer of the Year award, having started the season ranked outside the top 300 before soaring to No. 18 by the year's end.
In a fan vote conducted across WTA social media platforms, China's Zheng Qinwen was named the WTA Singles Fan Favorite for the second consecutive year. ■
