The beginning of the season, featuring the first Grand Slam and four WTA 1000 tournaments, has already seen four different champions. A clear indicator of the remarkable depth present on the Hologic WTA Tour is that the only player to secure multiple titles has been the 17-year-old sensation Mirra Andreeva.
Madison Keys, the champion of the first major in Melbourne, commented on this trend while in Rome. She observed that it`s increasingly common on both the men`s and women`s tours to see a large group of players capable of winning any given tournament. Keys suggested this is partly due to the absence of consistent dominant figures like Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic from every draw, which previously made outcomes more predictable. However, she also stressed that the fundamental skill level across the board has significantly improved, reducing the margin for error. This heightened baseline leads to much closer and more competitive matches when players are performing well.
Recent results further demonstrate this competitive landscape. Jessica Pegula claimed the title on the green clay courts of Charleston, while Jelena Ostapenko won in Stuttgart after defeating the world`s top two ranked players. Naomi Osaka achieved her first clay court title at the WTA 25 in Saint Malo, France. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is still seeking her first title since winning Roland Garros nearly a year ago, highlighting the challenging nature of the current tour.
Keys added that the sport has become considerably more physical. Players are investing more in their careers, utilizing dedicated fitness trainers and physiotherapists. This commitment is helping more athletes become faster and stronger while also maintaining their health for longer periods.
Tuesday marked Media Day, providing an opportunity for several top players to share their thoughts with reporters. Here are some key takeaways:
Sabalenka Turns 27
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka celebrated her 27th birthday on Cinco de Mayo. Despite the occasion, her day wasn`t entirely free from training. She had tennis practice and fitness sessions in the morning. However, her team made sure the latter half of the day was dedicated to celebrating both her recent victory in Madrid and her birthday. Sabalenka described it as a “beautiful day,” possibly “the best birthday I ever had,” noting it was much better than having to play a match and return home late.
Sabalenka mentioned being overwhelmed with balloons and flowers from brands she represents and from friends. She also received a luxurious watch as a gift from her boyfriend, entrepreneur Georgios Frangulis.
Local Knowledge
Rising star Mirra Andreeva is looking to improve her performance in Rome, having lost her debut match there 6-2, 6-3 last year to Paula Badosa. She is coached by Conchita Martinez, who possesses significant expertise on the Rome courts. Martinez played the tournament 14 times, winning four consecutive titles from 1993 to 1996 and holding an impressive record of 43-10. Andreeva, who recently turned 18, paid tribute to Martinez`s success in Rome on Instagram.
Andreeva noted that she recently discovered Martinez`s record-breaking four consecutive wins in Rome and expressed hope that her coach would share some strategies for replicating that success. Besides their tennis work, Andreeva shared that they play Uno and discuss how to handle nerves and pressure. However, she chose to keep the specific advice Martinez gives private, stating it wouldn`t be as special if shared publicly.
A New Dynamic for Gauff
Coco Gauff, born in 2004, is now finding more peers her age on the tour with the emergence of players like 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, 19-year-old Alexandra Eala, and 21-year-old Diana Shnaider, who was born just weeks after Gauff. Gauff finds this contemporary company beneficial. She admitted that when she first joined the tour at 15, it was difficult to make friends as she was significantly younger than most players. Having more friends closer to her age makes a difference on site, providing relatable conversations and shared experiences. Unlike older players who may be focusing on milestones like marriage and future planning, Gauff appreciates figuring things out alongside others in a similar life stage.
The Clay Conundrum
For power players like Madison Keys, clay courts can present a difficult challenge. It took her several years to learn how to effectively adapt her powerful game to the slower, sticky surface. Keys explained that in some years, she attempted to play too passively, trying to emulate traditional clay-courters, while in other years, she was overly aggressive, trying to play the same way she would on a hard court. She feels that in the past couple of years, she has found a “happy medium,” largely sticking to her natural game while making only minor necessary tweaks for the clay.
Keys believes that, as with any surface, the more matches a player gets on clay, the more comfortable they become, leading to improved performance.
Sabalenka Stays Present
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka currently holds a substantial lead of over 4,000 points in the PIF WTA Rankings. This lead is partly amplified because World No. 2 Iga Swiatek is defending a large number of points (3,000) from her 2024 victories in Rome and Paris, while Sabalenka is defending just over 1,000 points from the same period. However, Sabalenka focuses on the present rather than dwelling on rankings or past results. She stated that she only thinks about her season`s achievements when prompted by the media. While acknowledging that the season has been “super nice” so far, her focus remains on taking “one step at a time” and concentrating on each upcoming tournament and match.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth