Serena Williams won the 2010s, who will dominate the next WTA decade?
By Chris Myson
Aryna Sabalenka
Age during the next decade: 21-31
WTA ranking now: 11
Career titles: 5
Aryna Sabalenka can be easy to overlook given she is yet to make a huge impact at a major tournament and does not have the same profile of the likes of Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Coco Gauff.
But she is still only 21 and has been a consistent performer on the WTA Tour.
After breaking into the top 100 in 2017, Sabalenka has finished the last two seasons ranked at number 11 on each occasion.
She peaked at nine in February of this year and has a useful habit of converting her stronger weeks into appearances in finals, having reached nine since October 2017 and going on to win five of her most recent six.
Sabalenka is already a back-to-back winner of the Wuhan Open, a Premier 5 event, having beaten Barty in the semifinals on her way to the 2019 title.
The youngster from Belarus also took the honours at the WTA Elite Trophy to end this season on a significant high, coming out on top of a field that included Kiki Bertens and Sofia Kenin.
Sabalenka’s key area to improve, as mentioned, comes with the Slams. Her best performance up to now was a fourth-round berth at the 2018 US Open, where she narrowly lost to eventual champion Osaka.
An Australian Open third-round appearance was the best she could manage in 2019, Anisimova beating her there and at Roland Garros (R2), but her performances in other WTA events suggest she has the required talent.
Aryna Sabalenka has tasted major success in the doubles arena, winning the US Open this year with partner Elise Mertens.
She is ranked five in doubles and that versatility can only help her all-round game as she looks to move to the next level in 2020 and beyond.