section_path: Career/2020: Three tour titles, top 10
section_name: 2020: Three tour titles, top 10
paragraph_text: 2020: Three tour titles, top 10
  
  Sabalenka continued her late-season surge by reaching the semifinals in Adelaide. She came back from a final set deficit against Hsieh Su-wei before sliding past Bernarda Pera and shocking second seed Simona Halep, whom she had never won a set against before, in straight sets. She then lost in straight sets to eventual runner-up Dayana Yastremska. Despite her excellent start to the season, she was upset by Carla Suárez Navarro in two tie-breakers in the first round of the Australian Open. She enjoyed moderate success in doubles, with Mertens reaching the quarterfinals before losing to the Chan sisters. Her next tournament was the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she made the quarterfinals with wins over Maria Sakkari and doubles partner Mertens. There she faced Simona Halep. Despite taking the first set, she could not repeat her earlier upset, falling to the eventual champion in three sets. She rebounded at the Qatar Open, reaching the final with wins over Anett Kontaveit, Maria Sakkari, Zheng Saisai and Svetlana Kuznetsova. In the final, she defeated Petra Kvitová in straight sets to claim her third Premier-5 title. After tennis resumed in August due to COVID-19, she was the second seed in Lexington, where she survived Madison Brengle in three sets but then fell in a three set thriller to 16-year-old Coco Gauff. Her results continued to disappoint as she seeded fifth and crashed out in the second round of Cincinnati and New York to Jessica Pegula and a resurgent Victoria Azarenka. She had moderate success in doubles, reaching the quarterfinals of both events. Her results in singles began to improve on clay as she reached the semifinals in Strasbourg and the third round of the French Open losing to Elina Svitolina and Ons Jabeur, respectively. That was Sabalenka's last loss of the season. In Ostrava, she came from behind in the decider down to avenge her Lexington loss to Gauff and lost the first ten games of her quarterfinal match against Sara Sorribes Tormo before winning the next twelve to win. In the final, she avenged her US Open loss to Azarenka, defeating her compatriot in straight sets. She then also took the Linz title by beating Elise Mertens in the final. This gave Sabalenka the first year-end top-10 finish in her career.
  
  Sabalenka continued her late-season surge by reaching the semifinals in Adelaide. She came back from a final set deficit against Hsieh Su-wei before sliding past Bernarda Pera and shocking second seed Simona Halep, whom she had never won a set against before, in straight sets. She then lost in straight sets to eventual runner-up Dayana Yastremska. Despite her excellent start to the season, she was upset by Carla Suárez Navarro in two tie-breakers in the first round of the Australian Open. She enjoyed moderate success in doubles, with Mertens reaching the quarterfinals before losing to the Chan sisters. Her next tournament was the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she made the quarterfinals with wins over Maria Sakkari and doubles partner Mertens. There she faced Simona Halep. Despite taking the first set, she could not repeat her earlier upset, falling to the eventual champion in three sets. She rebounded at the Qatar Open, reaching the final with wins over Anett Kontaveit, Maria Sakkari, Zheng Saisai and Svetlana Kuznetsova. In the final, she defeated Petra Kvitová in straight sets to claim her third Premier-5 title. After tennis resumed in August due to COVID-19, she was the second seed in Lexington, where she survived Madison Brengle in three sets but then fell in a three set thriller to 16-year-old Coco Gauff. Her results continued to disappoint as she seeded fifth and crashed out in the second round of Cincinnati and New York to Jessica Pegula and a resurgent Victoria Azarenka. She had moderate success in doubles, reaching the quarterfinals of both events. Her results in singles began to improve on clay as she reached the semifinals in Strasbourg and the third round of the French Open losing to Elina Svitolina and Ons Jabeur, respectively. That was Sabalenka's last loss of the season. In Ostrava, she came from behind in the decider down to avenge her Lexington loss to Gauff and lost the first ten games of her quarterfinal match against Sara Sorribes Tormo before winning the next twelve to win. In the final, she avenged her US Open loss to Azarenka, defeating her compatriot in straight sets. She then also took the Linz title by beating Elise Mertens in the final. This gave Sabalenka the first year-end top-10 finish in her career.