ANALYSIS | Which players on the WTA Tour had a season to forget in 2024?

The 2024 tennis season was another season of ups and downs for everyone on the WTA tour, where some of the biggest names of the women’s game enjoyed career defining wins, and also career low points.

While some players like Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek solidified their status as the women to beat, others faced challenges that left fans wondering what went wrong. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at five key WTA players who struggled to meet expectations during the 2024 season and will be aiming to bounce back as soon as possible, come 2025.

First up we’ve got Ons Jabeur, whose 2024 season was full of challenges and setbacks for the 30-year-old Tunisian, whose career-high ranking of world number two in June 2022 now feels like a distant memory. At the close of 2024, Jabeur found herself ranked 42nd in the world, a steep drop that encapsulates a difficult year plagued by inconsistency and injuries.

Jabeur only managed to win back-to-back matches on five occasions this year, a stark contrast to the consistency she displayed just a few years ago. Her French Open quarter-final run was a rare highlight in an otherwise underwhelming season, particularly for a player who has reached three Grand Slam finals in her career. A first-round exit at the Paris Olympics, marking her third failure in that round at the event, added to the disappointment.

Shoulder injuries disrupted her schedule significantly, forcing her to end her season prematurely after Wimbledon to focus on recovery. She recently admitted that that was a decision she should have made far earlier, reflecting on the decision to halt her season to recover properly. Ranked number six at the end of 2023, Jabeur’s ranking nosedived to 46 as she missed critical tournaments in the latter half of the year.

The 2025 season could be pivotal for Jabeur. With rest and recovery behind her, she must find the consistency that once defined her game, and given her immense talent and ability to perform on the biggest stages, a comeback isn’t out of the question. However, Jabeur will need to stay injury-free and rediscover the sort of hunger that made her one of the most exciting players in the sport.

Marketa Vondrousova entered 2024 with high expectations fresh off the back of her historic Wimbledon victory in 2023. Could she live up to the lofty expectations in 2024? Unfortunately not, as the 25 year old Czech player struggled under the weight of those expectations and ended the year sidelined by injury.

The year started poorly for Vondrousova, as she suffered a first-round exit at the Australian Open, whilst her French Open quarter-final run was a positive note but fell short of the high standards set by her Wimbledon triumph. The struggles continued at Wimbledon, where her title defence ended in the opening round, marking the first time in 30 years that a defending women’s champion exited in the first round. Her injury, which significantly hampered her performance at Wimbledon, forced her to skip the US Open and the remainder of the season.

Reflecting on her difficult year, Vondrousova underwent hand surgery after Wimbledon. As she begins her recovery, we’ve been left to wonder whether she can regain the form that carried her to Grand Slam glory just a year ago. Her ability to return to the top of the game may depend on both her physical recovery and whether she can find a way to deal with the pressures of her breakthrough success back in 2023.

Maria Sakkari’s 2024 season was an uphill battle from the get go, as the 29-year-old Greek star struggled to rediscover the form that once had her ranked as high as world number three in March 2022. She ended the year ranked 31st, capping a season marred by form that left her and her fans scratching their heads.

Sakkari began the year with renewed optimism, having made changes to her coaching team by bringing on David Witt. However, her progress was slow, and aside from a runner-up finish at Indian Wells, she struggled to make an impact. Her Grand Slam performances were particularly disappointing, with a first-round exit at the French Open and a third-round loss at the Olympics doing nothing to suggest her new training regimes were helping her to rediscover her best.

The US Open marked the low point of her season, as Sakkari retired injured during her opening-round match against Wang Yafan, citing a persistent shoulder problem. Subsequently, she announced the premature end of her season to focus on rehabilitation as her injury had no made it impossible for her to compete with elite.

With her ranking in decline and her confidence shaken, Sakkari faces significant challenges heading into 2025. However, her talent and determination have previously carried her to the top, and a strong off-season and effective rehab could help her regain her footing. But was it just the injury that led to her 2024 decline?

Emma Raducanu’s groundbreaking rise to the pinnacle of tennis in 2021, when she became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam at the US Open, seems like a distant memory in light of her well documented recent struggles. At 22, the British star has faced a challenging journey riddled with inconsistencies and injuries on court, leaving her ranked 58th at the end of 2024.

Since her incredible US Open victory, injuries have plagued Raducanu’s young career. After missing the entirety of the 2023 season due to wrist and ankle surgeries, her much-anticipated return in 2024 failed to deliver the results fans had hoped for. Early exits at the US Open, including a first-round loss to Sofia Kenin, highlighted her struggles to regain form, and a sprained ligament in her foot further delayed her comeback, forcing her to withdraw from the China Open.

Raducanu still has plenty of time to climb back to the top, but it is safe to say she has not lived up to expectations ever since that incredible victory at the US Open in 2021. At just 22, she has time to recover and grow into a more consistent player, however, overcoming the weight of expectations and staying injury-free will be critical to her long-term success.

Naomi Osaka’s first full season since returning from maternity leave in 2023 was full of mix fortunes for the former world number one. The 27-year-old, who has won four Grand Slam titles in her career, struggled to find her rhythm and ended 2024 ranked 58th.

Osaka’s Grand Slam record in 2024 was a modest 3-4, a negative record that reflects her challenges in returning to peak form. Her inability to produce consistent results raised questions about her fitness and readiness to compete at the highest level, and a worrying injury forced her to withdraw from the Japan Open. Of course, she was never going to be at her very best in 2024, as she returned to the sport and balanced tennis with motherhood, but she will certainly hope to find better form next year.

Despite the setbacks, Osaka remains one of the most popular and talented players on the tour. If she can stay healthy and regain her confidence, there’s no doubt she has the potential to return to the top of the game, although she has not won a grand slam since 2021.

So that’s our list of five players we feel will be left wanting more come 2025, but the question is can they regain their best form, and is there anyone else on the WTA Tour that we missed out?