{"id":93913,"date":"2025-11-18T04:30:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T09:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=93913"},"modified":"2025-11-18T00:12:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T05:12:48","slug":"the-2025-wta-awards-nominees-are-out-heres-all-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/11\/18\/the-2025-wta-awards-nominees-are-out-heres-all-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2025 WTA Awards Nominees are Out: Here\u2019s all you Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The ballots are in, the shortlists are electric, and the 2025 WTA Player Awards are shaping up to be the most hotly contested in years. From wire-to-wire No. 1s to super-moms, from teenagers winning WTA 1000s to veterans saving match point like it\u2019s an everyday hobby \u2013 this season had everything. Here\u2019s your full, unfiltered guide to every single nominee.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtatennis.com\/awards\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Winners will be revealed<\/a> the week of December 15.<\/p>\n<h2>Player of the Year<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/11\/10\/record-riches-aryna-sabalenka-headlines-the-wtas-2025-moneyball-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Aryna Sabalenka<\/a> \u2013 Held World No. 1 from January 1 to December 31 for the second straight year (only the fourth woman ever to go wire-to-wire), reached nine finals, won four titles, and qualified for her fifth consecutive WTA Finals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/10\/14\/iga-swiatek-surpasses-venus-williams-wta-prize-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Iga Swiatek<\/a> \u2013 Became the first Polish player in history to win Wimbledon, added the Cincinnati WTA 1000, won two more titles, and made her fifth straight WTA Finals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/10\/06\/wta-october-power-rankings-sabalenka-anisimova\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Amanda Anisimova<\/a> \u2013 The comeback story of the decade: five finals (including her first two Grand Slam finals), titles in Doha and Beijing (both WTA 1000\/1000 level), Top 10 debut, and a semifinal run at her maiden WTA Finals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/11\/13\/wta-end-of-year-power-rankings-rybakina-emerges-on-top\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Elena Rybakina<\/a> \u2013 Went a perfect 5-0 to win her first WTA Finals in Riyadh and collected her 9th, 10th, and 11th career titles.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/11\/17\/coco-gauff-2025-season-recap\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Coco Gauff<\/a> \u2013 Claimed her second major at Roland-Garros, reached back-to-back WTA 1000 finals in Madrid and Rome, then won the Wuhan WTA 1000, and qualified for her fourth straight WTA Finals.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2245920733\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 68.181816% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2245920733?et=2AmcPtk1SLB4rw8K5BlpRA&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=hra67zoaSoQABwh7QxXviTQFpPWxXeEYzUiKbTOwX50=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"405\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Madison Keys \u2013 Finally broke through for her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, started the year on a tour-best 16-match winning streak, won Adelaide, and returned to the WTA Finals for the first time since 2016.<\/p>\n<h3>Doubles Team of the Year<\/h3>\n<p>Mirra Andreeva &amp; Diana Shnaider \u2013 The teenage sensation duo won Miami and Brisbane and earned their first WTA Finals qualification.<\/p>\n<p>Sara Errani &amp; Jasmine Paolini \u2013 Defended their Rome title, won their first Slam together at Roland-Garros, and made their second consecutive WTA Finals.<\/p>\n<p>Taylor Townsend &amp; Katerina Siniakova \u2013 Captured the Australian Open and Dubai, reached the US Open final, and Townsend became the first mother in history to reach doubles World No. 1.<\/p>\n<p>Veronika Kudermetova &amp; Elise Mertens \u2013 Won Wimbledon, then backed it up by lifting the WTA Finals trophy; also runners-up in Rome and Madrid back-to-back.<\/p>\n<p>Gabriela Dabrowski &amp; Erin Routliffe \u2013 Dominated with the US Open, Cincinnati, and Stuttgart titles.<\/p>\n<h3>Comeback Player of the Year<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/07\/08\/belinda-bencic-the-last-mother-still-standing-at-wimbledon\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Belinda Bencic<\/a> \u2013 Gave birth to daughter Bella in April 2024, returned in January 2025, won Abu Dhabi and Tokyo, and stormed to the Wimbledon semifinals.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2243048257\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 63.468014% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2243048257?et=P13Lguc0RpFALisvhV7ASg&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=PeqQo7aW1CLWZh8h_hsWdaklCnZZ18r6EdkfUbuJWec=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"377\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Marketa Vondrousova \u2013 Missed nearly a full year with shoulder surgery and further injuries, came back in the summer, beat World No. 1 Sabalenka to win Berlin, and reached the US Open quarterfinals.<\/p>\n<p>Barbora Krejcikova \u2013 Absent the first six months of 2025 but never left the Top 100; reached the US Open quarterfinals and saved match point on four separate occasions after her return \u2013 tied for most on tour.<\/p>\n<p>Sorana Cirstea \u2013 Out six months with foot surgery, plunged to No. 168, then qualified and won Cleveland for her third career title, finishing the year back in the Top 50.<\/p>\n<p>Anastasija Sevastova \u2013 Returned from a full-year ACL tear unranked, immediately reached Montreal Round of 16 (defeating World No. 4 Jessica Pegula), and added quarterfinals in Rabat.<\/p>\n<h4>Most Improved Player of the Year<\/h4>\n<p>Clara Tauson \u2013 Won Auckland, reached her first WTA 1000 final in Dubai and a semifinal in Montreal, finishing at a career-high No. 12.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/10\/10\/ekaterina-alexandrova-dedication\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Ekaterina Alexandrova<\/a> \u2013 Broke into the Top 10 for the first time, won Linz, and reached four WTA 500 finals while making the fourth round at three majors.<\/p>\n<p>Linda Noskova \u2013 Defeated two Top-10 players en route to her first WTA 1000 final in Beijing, added finals in Prague and Tokyo, and hit a career-high No. 13.<\/p>\n<p>Mirra Andreeva \u2013 Won back-to-back WTA 1000s in Dubai and Indian Wells, reached quarterfinals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and cracked the Top 10 at just 17.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2245022465\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2245022465?et=_3B73ZDHRadM7tAq0DAu-A&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=kVpSXzWfeYxIrhqcq-1piOUkKEY6BfXcV_0DrG1zavU=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Amanda Anisimova \u2013 The rare double nominee: five finals (two Slams), Doha and Beijing titles, Top 10 debut, and WTA Finals semifinal.<\/p>\n<h4>Newcomer of the Year<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/11\/15\/victoria-mboko-2025-season-recap\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Victoria Mboko<\/a> \u2013 Burst onto the scene by winning the Montreal WTA 1000 on home soil as a teenager, then added the Hong Kong title for good measure.<\/p>\n<p>Lois Boisson \u2013 Received a Roland-Garros wild card, took out two Top-10 players, reached the semifinals in her Slam debut, and won Hamburg a month later.<\/p>\n<p>Alexandra Eala \u2013 Stunned two Top-5 players to reach the Miami semifinals and made the Eastbourne final as a qualifier.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/11\/14\/united-cup-star-studded-teams-top-10-firepower\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Maya Joint<\/a> \u2013 Showed surface mastery by winning her first two WTA titles on clay in Rabat and grass in Eastbourne, plus two more semifinals.<\/p>\n<p>Iva Jovic \u2013 At 17 years old, lifted the WTA 500 trophy in Guadalajara and reached the Cincinnati third round as a lucky loser.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2239509726\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 61.952858% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2239509726?et=39jewJTZSzdLKHysL0lwqg&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=FhogFTyXc4FbMBBJjN6OgnUwan5i0qWABGpPMyPgtd8=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"368\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Eva Lys \u2013 Leaped nearly 90 ranking spots from No. 129 to No. 40, highlighted by a US Open fourth round and Beijing quarterfinal.<\/p>\n<p>From history-makers to miracle-workers, 2025 served up a season for the ages. Now the international media get to pick the winners \u2013 good luck to them. December 15 can\u2019t come soon enough.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ballots are in, the shortlists are electric, and the 2025 WTA Player Awards are shaping up to be the most hotly contested in years. From wire-to-wire No. 1s to super-moms, from teenagers winning WTA 1000s to veterans saving match point like it\u2019s an everyday hobby \u2013 this season had everything. Here\u2019s your full, unfiltered [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4590,"featured_media":93056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2,9],"tags":[2746,1766,266,11133,2747,5595,4315,63,18273,6457,18059,15,43436,364],"class_list":["post-93913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wta","category-featured","category-news","tag-amanda-anisimova","tag-aryna-sabalenka","tag-belinda-bencic","tag-clara-tauson","tag-coco-gauff","tag-elena-rybakina","tag-iga-swiatek","tag-madison-keys","tag-mirra-andreeva","tag-tennis-news","tag-victoria-mboko","tag-wta","tag-wta-awards","tag-wta-tour"],"modified_by":"Steen Kirby","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4590"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93913"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93930,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93913\/revisions\/93930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}