Aryna Sabalenka entered the 2025 North American hard-court swing under pressure but closed the series firmly at world No 1 after successfully defending her US Open crown. The swing consisted of six tournaments — the Citi DC Open, Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, Monterrey Open, Tennis in the Land and the US Open — and ran from July 21 in Washington DC to September 8 at Flushing Meadows.

Six different champions emerged: Leylah Fernandez won in DC, Victoria Mboko lifted the trophy in Montreal, Iga Swiatek triumphed in Cincinnati, Diana Shnaider prevailed in Monterrey, Sorana Cîrstea took the Cleveland title and Sabalenka claimed New York.

Sabalenka’s US Open defence preserved her top ranking despite skipping Canada and an early exit in Cincinnati. She began the swing with a 4,751-point lead over Coco Gauff and finished with a 3,292-point advantage. The WTA rankings after the swing list Sabalenka on 12,420 points, Coco Gauff 7,669, Iga Swiatek 6,813, Jessica Pegula 6,423 and Mirra Andreeva 5,163, with others including Zheng Qinwen, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini and Paola Badosa rounding out the top 10.

Coco Gauff returned to No 2 after winning Cincinnati and advancing to the US Open quarter-final. Amanda Anisimova climbed three places to a new No 4 after following her Wimbledon runner-up finish with a run to the US Open final; Jessica Pegula dropped three spots.

There were notable moves further down the board. Naomi Osaka rose 37 places to No 14 after finishing runner-up in Montreal and reaching the US Open semi-final. Mboko rocketed from No 88 on July 21 to No 23, collecting 1,000 points for her Montreal title, then skipped Cincinnati and lost in the first round at the US Open (+65). Emma Raducanu moved up 12 places to No 34 after a Washington DC quarter-final and a series of third-round exits. Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova also climbed significantly following strong US Open runs. Alex Eala became the first Filipino woman to win a Grand Slam singles match, then won a WTA 125K in Mexico and rose eight places to No 61.

The North American swing reshaped several rankings while confirming Sabalenka’s hold on the top spot.

Aryna Sabalenka defended her US Open crown with a composed 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over Amanda Anisimova, converting frustration into resolution after a season of near-misses. The world number one leaned into emotional control and steady aggression, producing a fourth major singles title and becoming the first woman to defend the US Open since Serena Williams’ 2012-14 run.

“Going into this final I decided for myself that I’m going to control my emotions,” she said after the final. “I’m not going to let them take control over me, and doesn’t matter what happens in the match.” Sabalenka’s improved defensive retrievals paired with her usual force helped her neutralize Anisimova’s power.

Anisimova’s comeback to elite contention remains one of the tournament’s main stories. Just over two years removed from stepping away from tennis to take college classes, she reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals. Her path included a quarterfinal win over Iga Swiatek and a dramatic semifinal comeback versus Naomi Osaka. “I’ve tried to turn everything around for myself,” said after the final. “Obviously today was better than my last final, but yeah, again, today was a really tough match.”

Osaka produced her strongest week since 2021, reaching the semifinals after a Labor Day round of 16 win over Coco Gauff. Greatly aided by her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, Osaka combined power with perspective. “Oh, my God, the most devastating question. . . Honestly, I’m fine losing, but don’t ask me about this Labubu, man.”

Jessica Pegula reached the semis without dropping a set, beating Victoria Azarenka and Barbora Krejcikova before succumbing to Sabalenka. “Considering where my summer started and how it was going, how it was trending, I’m happy to walk away with putting in the effort that I was able to put in tonight against, you know, the best player in the world right now.”

The draw showcased depth and variety: Czech players Marketa Vondrousova, Barbora Krejcikova and Karolina Muchova all reached the quarters, Krejcikova saved eight match points to advance earlier and Vondrousova later withdrew with a knee injury. Taylor Townsend, ranked 139, produced two signature wins and pushed Krejcikova to eight match points in the round of 16. “So I have everything that I need, and, you know, it’s just about now just keep getting the reps, keep putting myself in these types of positions,” Townsend said following that match. “This hurts, but it’s part of competition, it’s part of sports, but I’m right where I need to be.”

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have been the defining WTA players of the decade and 2025 has only intensified their rivalry. Sabalenka sits atop the WTA Rankings on 11,225 points, while Swiatek occupies second on 7,933, a deficit of 3,292 points. The season has been Sabalenka’s strongest to date, highlighted by a US Open title. Swiatek added a first Wimbledon crown and joined the small group of women to complete the Surface Slam.

In the WTA Race to Riyadh, which counts only points earned in 2025, Sabalenka leads with 9,610 points to Swiatek’s 7,533. The Pole has a notable advantage in the run-in: she only has 400 points left to defend before year end, a low total that creates opportunity.

Last year both players produced identical US Open outcomes: Sabalenka defended her title while Swiatek exited in the quarter-finals. Swiatek’s reduced late-season output in 2024 was linked to a provisional suspension following a failed drugs test at the Cincinnati Open; that provisional ban was lifted ahead of the WTA Finals. After the suspension, Swiatek played only the WTA Finals post-US Open, collecting 200 points for each of two group wins and 400 points in total after failing to progress beyond the round-robin stage.

By contrast Sabalenka accumulated more late-season points in 2024: 215 for a China Open quarter-final and 1,000 for defending Wuhan, then 400 at the WTA Finals. That left Sabalenka with 1,615 points to defend this season, 1,215 more than Swiatek.

Both players have secured places at the WTA Finals in Riyadh and have committed to the Beijing WTA 1000 event. Swiatek returns to Beijing after lifting that title in 2023; Sabalenka is seeking her first Beijing victory. Both are also likely to play in Wuhan, where Sabalenka aims for a fourth straight title and Swiatek could make a debut. Swiatek remains mathematically capable of overtaking Sabalenka, aided by the potential to earn up to 2,500 points at the WTA Finals, but Sabalenka’s 2025 consistency means the world No 1 still holds the advantage.