Surprise winners and teenage stars shake up the early WTA season

The element of surprise has been the dominant theme this emerging Hologic WTA Tour season.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka did not win her third consecutive title at the Australian Open -- Madison Keys, with her first Grand Slam singles title, did.

No. 2 Iga Swiatek did not win Doha for the fourth straight year -- Amanda Anisimova, with her first WTA 1000 title, did.

Ranked No. 32 going in, Elise Mertens won in Singapore, her first title in two years. One week later, ranked No. 32, Anastasia Potapova won the Transylvania Open, her first victory in two years. By ranking, McCartney Kessler was the biggest revelation, winning the title in Hobart from the No. 67 position. Perhaps even more astonishing? Less than 10 months after giving birth to daughter Bella, Belinda Bencic was the champion in Abu Dhabi.

Surprise!

When Camila Osorio won the title last week in Bogota she was the 14^th different winner in the 18 events played so far this year. Only Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Keys and Jessica Pegula have won multiple titles.

As we eagerly await the European clay-court season -- it opens Monday in Stuttgart -- let’s break down some of the superlatives achieved over the first three-plus months of 2025:

A teenager takes charge

In terms of historic impact, the headline goes to Mirra Andreeva. By scorching the field in Dubai (including Swiatek and Elena Rybakina), the 17-year-old became the youngest WTA 1000 champion ever. She’s also the youngest player to crack the Top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007 -- the year Andreeva was born.

Andreeva echoed Snoop Dogg’s victory speech when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  “I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end,” she told the crowd. “And for always believing in me and for never quitting.”

Less than one month later, Andreeva was the winner in Indian Wells, coming back to defeat Sabalenka in a three-set final. It’s a new world order (see more on two other rising teenagers below). Consider yourself warned.

The Race to Riyadh

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (3,580), No. 2 Madison Keys (3,069), No. 3 Mirra Andreeva (2,565), No. 4 Iga Swiatek (2,315), No. 5 Jessica Pegula (2,310), No. 6 Amanda Anisimova (1,460), No. 7 Clara Tauson (1,365), No. 8 Emma Navarro (1,352), No. 9 Elena Rybakina (1,320), No. 10 Paula Badosa (1,255).

Before the season began, Keys (No. 21), Andreeva (No. 16), Anisimova (No. 36), Tauson (No. 52) and Badosa (No. 12) were all ranked outside the Top 10.

Extreme tennis

The longest match of the year was between Arantxa Rus and Viktorija Golubic at Cluj-Napoca -- 3 hours, 30 minutes. Golubic saved two match points on the way to an epic victory. In completed matches, Daria Kasatkina’s 6-0, 6-0 defeat of Polina Kudermetova in Doha was the shortest -- 42 minutes.

Gallery: Check out all the three-hour matches of 2025

Refreshing perspective

After sitting out the 2023 season to become a mother, Naomi Osaka’s tennis seems to be returning to form. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion has won nine of 13 matches this year. Her quote game remains unguarded and elite.

“Honestly, I feel pretty optimistic about it,” she said of her tennis after falling to Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16 in Miami. “Overall, I kind of told myself, `I like my life a lot.’ So there’s not really much to be negative on.

“Other than that, I can only keep fighting and keep trying my best on the tennis court. And off of it, life is pretty fun.”

Best bottom-line results

Charleston champion Jessica Pegula (25) has more wins than any Hologic WTA Tour player. Gold stars to those who saw that coming.

Biggest upset(s)?

Alexandra Eala, the 19-year-old from the Philippines, had won two WTA Tour main-draw matches coming into the Miami Open. Her third came against Katie Volynets, followed by the fourth over Jelena Ostapenko.

Either of her next two matches could serve as the biggest surprises of the season. First, Eala defeated Australian Open champ Madison Keys in the third round. After getting a walkover against Paula Badosa, she beat Iga Swiatek in another straight-sets shocker.

Despite losing to Pegula in the semifinals, Eala saw her ranking zoom to No. 75 (from No. 140) and received texted congratulations from the owner of the Rafa Nadal Academy, where she spent six years before graduating.

Break-fest in Melbourne

The first-round match between Harriet Dart and Jana Fett at the Australian Open saw 19 break points converted -- the most this year.

Coming up aces

Your leaders: Clara Tauson 151 aces, Elena Rybakina 120 and Madison Keys 116.

Narrowing the focus to aces-per-match renders a more illuminating story:

1. Naomi Osaka (7.08), 2. Alycia Parks (7.07), 3. Clara Tauson (6.57), 4. Linda Noskova (6.41), 5. Zheng Qinwen (5.6).

Eye-opener in Bogota

Count Julieta Pareja as another of those precocious teenagers who made a mark. The 16-year-old American qualified into the main draw at the Copa Colsanitas -- and won three more matches. She was the first player born in 2009 to play in a WTA Tour main draw and the youngest semifinalist since 2019.

Match of the Year?

Elena Rybakina saved six match points against Paula Badosa in the Dubai Round of 16, winning 4-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2). No one has saved more.

And the winners are …

The match between Clara Tauson (46) and Sofia Kenin (61) at Auckland saw 107 winners, it is the match with the most this season.

Madison Keys hit a staggering 224 winners at the Australian Open -- the most by any woman in a single tournament.

Shot of the Year

Need we say more?