section_path: Career/2024: Two major titles, year-end No. 1
section_name: 2024: Two major titles, year-end No. 1
paragraph_text: 2024: Two major titles, year-end No. 1
  
  In January, Sabalenka reached the final of the Brisbane International, defeating Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals, before losing the championship match to Elena Rybakina.
  
  Sabalenka won the Australian Open without losing a set and became the first woman to defend her title there since Victoria Azarenka in 2013. She defeated 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in the final, having overcome Ella Seidel, Brenda Fruhvirtová, 28th seed Lesia Tsurenko, Amanda Anisimova, ninth seed Barbora Krejčíková and fourth seed Coco Gauff in the earlier rounds.
  
  She reached the quarterfinals at Stuttgart, where she was eliminated by Markéta Vondroušová. As the defending champion in Madrid, she defeated Magda Linette, Robin Montgomery, Danielle Collins and Mirra Andreeva, before edging an epic three-set semifinal victory over world No. 4, Elena Rybakina. In total, she played four three-set matches to reach the final, dropping 60 games in the process, the most to reach the women's singles final in Madrid. In a rematch of the previous year's final, she faced Iga Świątek. Sabalenka had three championship points during the match, but eventually lost. In Rome, she saved three match points in her fourth-round match against Elina Svitolina and endured a lower-back injury before defeating her opponent in three sets. In the quarterfinal, she earned her third WTA top-10 win of the year by defeating Jeļena Ostapenko. It was followed by a semifinal victory over Danielle Collins, before Sabalenka fell again to Iga Świątek in the final, this time in straight sets.
  
  She entered the French Open as the second seed, and defeated Erika Andreeva, Moyuka Uchijima, Paula Badosa and 22nd seed Emma Navarro in straight sets. In the quarterfinal, she was hampered by stomach issues and lost to Mirra Andreeva in three sets. With this loss, she fell in the WTA ranking to No. 3.
  
  Sabalenka suffered a right shoulder injury that forced her to retire during her quarterfinal match against Anna Kalinskaya at the Berlin Ladies Open in June and she withdrew from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, having failed to recover in time to play. She won the Cincinnati Open in August, with victories over Iga Świątek in the semifinals and Jessica Pegula in the final.
  
  In September, Sabalenka won the US Open, overcoming qualifier Priscilla Hon, Lucia Bronzetti, 29th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, former doubles partner Elise Mertens, Olympic champion and seventh seed Zheng Qinwen and 13th seed Emma Navarro, before defeating sixth seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the final to claim her third major title.
  
  Sabalenka continued her great form at the China Open in Beijing, where she defeated Mananchaya Sawangkaew, Ashlyn Krueger and Madison Keys all in straight sets to increase her winning streak to 15 matches. Sabalenka lost in the quarterfinals to Karolína Muchová in three sets.
  
  At the Wuhan Open, where she won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023, Sabalenka defeated Kateřina Siniaková in straight sets in her opening match. In the next round, she came back from a set down against Yulia Putintseva to advance to the quarterfinals, where she defeated Magdalena Fręch. Sabalenka faced fourth seed Coco Gauff in the semifinals, mounting a comeback from a set and a break down to the reach final for the third time. In the final, she defeated fifth seed Zheng Qinwen in three sets to lift her third Wuhan Open title and her second WTA 1000 for the 2024 season.
  
  After 11 months off the top in October, she regained the WTA world No.1 ranking. Following wins against Zheng Qinwen and Jasmine Paolini in her first two group matches at the WTA Finals, combined with Świątek's loss to Coco Gauff, Sabalenka for the first time would finish the year as No. 1. Sabalenka lost her last group match to Elena Rybakina and was defeated by Gauff in the semifinals.
  
  In December, Sabalenka was named WTA Player of the Year.
  
  In January, Sabalenka reached the final of the Brisbane International, defeating Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals, before losing the championship match to Elena Rybakina.
  
  Sabalenka won the Australian Open without losing a set and became the first woman to defend her title there since Victoria Azarenka in 2013. She defeated 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in the final, having overcome Ella Seidel, Brenda Fruhvirtová, 28th seed Lesia Tsurenko, Amanda Anisimova, ninth seed Barbora Krejčíková and fourth seed Coco Gauff in the earlier rounds.
  
  She reached the quarterfinals at Stuttgart, where she was eliminated by Markéta Vondroušová. As the defending champion in Madrid, she defeated Magda Linette, Robin Montgomery, Danielle Collins and Mirra Andreeva, before edging an epic three-set semifinal victory over world No. 4, Elena Rybakina. In total, she played four three-set matches to reach the final, dropping 60 games in the process, the most to reach the women's singles final in Madrid. In a rematch of the previous year's final, she faced Iga Świątek. Sabalenka had three championship points during the match, but eventually lost. In Rome, she saved three match points in her fourth-round match against Elina Svitolina and endured a lower-back injury before defeating her opponent in three sets. In the quarterfinal, she earned her third WTA top-10 win of the year by defeating Jeļena Ostapenko. It was followed by a semifinal victory over Danielle Collins, before Sabalenka fell again to Iga Świątek in the final, this time in straight sets.
  
  She entered the French Open as the second seed, and defeated Erika Andreeva, Moyuka Uchijima, Paula Badosa and 22nd seed Emma Navarro in straight sets. In the quarterfinal, she was hampered by stomach issues and lost to Mirra Andreeva in three sets. With this loss, she fell in the WTA ranking to No. 3.
  
  Sabalenka suffered a right shoulder injury that forced her to retire during her quarterfinal match against Anna Kalinskaya at the Berlin Ladies Open in June and she withdrew from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, having failed to recover in time to play. She won the Cincinnati Open in August, with victories over Iga Świątek in the semifinals and Jessica Pegula in the final.
  
  In September, Sabalenka won the US Open, overcoming qualifier Priscilla Hon, Lucia Bronzetti, 29th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, former doubles partner Elise Mertens, Olympic champion and seventh seed Zheng Qinwen and 13th seed Emma Navarro, before defeating sixth seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the final to claim her third major title.
  
  Sabalenka continued her great form at the China Open in Beijing, where she defeated Mananchaya Sawangkaew, Ashlyn Krueger and Madison Keys all in straight sets to increase her winning streak to 15 matches. Sabalenka lost in the quarterfinals to Karolína Muchová in three sets.
  
  At the Wuhan Open, where she won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, before the tournament was suspended due to COVID-19 from 2020 until 2023, Sabalenka defeated Kateřina Siniaková in straight sets in her opening match. In the next round, she came back from a set down against Yulia Putintseva to advance to the quarterfinals, where she defeated Magdalena Fręch. Sabalenka faced fourth seed Coco Gauff in the semifinals, mounting a comeback from a set and a break down to the reach final for the third time. In the final, she defeated fifth seed Zheng Qinwen in three sets to lift her third Wuhan Open title and her second WTA 1000 for the 2024 season.
  
  After 11 months off the top in October, she regained the WTA world No.1 ranking. Following wins against Zheng Qinwen and Jasmine Paolini in her first two group matches at the WTA Finals, combined with Świątek's loss to Coco Gauff, Sabalenka for the first time would finish the year as No. 1. Sabalenka lost her last group match to Elena Rybakina and was defeated by Gauff in the semifinals.
  
  In December, Sabalenka was named WTA Player of the Year.