In women’s tennis, everything looks a little more clear than in men’s tennis – there is no group of leaders of four athletes who are noticeably higher than everyone else. However, this does not make this season’s WTA championship race too predictable, if only because women can not only get injured, but also withdraw from tournaments for family reasons.
When compiling a list of the most likely winners of the race, we focus primarily on the Grand Slam tournaments – both performances at the already completed Aus Open and quotes for the upcoming Grand Slam competitions. If you want to support your favorite, go to Mostbet kirish.
Arina Sabalenko
The 25-year-old neutral Belarusian leads the race after lifting the Australian Open trophy for the second time in a row – two titles that mark the pinnacle of her career. In the last draw, she sent home such worthy rivals as Cori Gauff and Barbora Krejcikova. In the WTA singles rankings, Arina can’t catch up with the phenomenal Iga Swiatek, but the Polish woman has lost a little lately.
Bookmakers willingly believe in the Belarusian further successes: in their opinion, Sabalenka is the most likely winner of Wimbledon (3.75) and the US Open (4.0), and only at Roland Garros the chances are more modest – 5.0 and second place in the list of main contenders for the title. If Arina lives up to the experts’ expectations, she will have three Grand Slam trophies in a season – that’s enough to win the race.
Iga Swiatek
The 22-year-old Polish woman is only ninth in the race so far, but let’s not forget that right now she is the leader of the WTA singles rankings. Not so long ago, she seemed almost invincible – at her age, Iga has three Roland Garros trophies plus one US Open. True, at the last Australian Open, Swiatek rather disgraced herself – she was eliminated in the third round, and not by another favorite, but only by Linda Noskova.
But bookmakers do not believe that the Polish woman’s finest hour has passed – so, she remains the main contender for the next, fourth Roland Garros trophy (2.1). At Wimbledon, the bookmakers expect a fight between Iga and Sabalenka, and assume that Swiatek’s chances are a little more modest (4.33); they predict approximately the same situation at the US Open (4.5).
Although Iga has already lost one trophy, and is not considered the most obvious contender for two more, she is still obliged to at least impose a tough fight everywhere. This means that the Polish player is still capable of collecting three Grand Slam titles in a season.
Coco Gauff
The American turns twenty this March, and she is already seen as almost the new hope of tennis (this is under Iga, who is only 22!). Of the most important titles, she has only one US Open trophy so far, but it is last year’s and has not yet been covered with dust. In Australia, Coco lost to her first really serious opponent, but it was the current and future title holder – Arina. Because of this, Gauff is only fifth in the race, although she is confidently third in the single ranking.
Bookmakers estimate the American’s chances of winning the upcoming Grand Slam tournaments as follows:
- French Open – third (9.0);
- Wimbledon – fourth (but also 9.0);
- US Open – third (7.0).
That’s why current men’s tennis seems more competitive than women’s – Djokovic is about to be ousted there, and therefore the group of leaders already consists of four athletes, and here the potential win of the race by the third Gauff can already be perceived as a sensation.
Elena Rybakina
The 24-year-old representative of Kazakhstan is capable of surprising within individual tournaments, but hardly on the scale of an entire season. Having climbed to fourth position in the race and the WTA rankings, she has won a major only once – Wimbledon in 2022. At the last Aus Open, Elena was unexpectedly surprised by the “neutral” Russian Anna Blinkova, and this happened already in the second round.
In the remaining majors of the season, Rybakina is everywhere in the top 4 contenders, but everywhere with rather modest chances of winning:
- Roland Garros – 13.0 (fourth);
- Wimbledon – 6.5 (third is the only good chance to cling to the title);
- US Open – 8.0 (fourth).
Honestly, we will be surprised not only by Elena winning the race, but also by her second place.
Our forecast
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will clash in a desperate struggle. Who will win in their correspondence confrontation depends on their state of health and willingness to fight to the end. Here it is important to note that the Belarusian is already at her peak, and the Polish woman is not impressive yet, but this same statement means that it is the second, unlike the first, who can improve. If the Polish tennis player finds enough motivation in herself, she should eliminate her competitor, even though she already has one Grand Slam trophy this season.
Coco Gauff is theoretically capable of wedging into their fight, but it will be difficult for her to win the race – rather, she could become a somewhat unexpected second. As for Rybakina and other quite respected tennis players, including Australian Open finalist Zheng Qingwen, then, girls, excuse me – not this time.
