Serena Williams was out on her own as the top women’s player of this decade, but which WTA stars have the best chance of dominating the 2020s?
This decade is drawing to a close after Serena Williams stood head and shoulders above the competition to book her place in the history books over the last 10 years.
Serena won 12 of her total of 23 major singles titles in the 2010s and made another seven Slam finals, while no other player was victorious in more than 3, which was the number achieved by Angelique Kerber in second place.
There were a cluster of players who won two, including Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep.
But with the great Serena Williams now 38 and nearing the end of her tennis career, there will be a new name who is crowned the player of the 2020s a decade from now.
There is some incredible depth in the women’s game, particularly among the younger players, some of whom have already won Grand Slams or competed deep into the second week of those tournaments.
In this article, we put forward some of the top candidates to follow in Serena Williams’ footsteps and win the most Grand Slams over the next decade.
It is a huge projection trying to pick out the best players over a 10-year period when so much can change based on form and injuries in the space of one season, never mind a decade.
We have therefore aimed to select players young enough to continue playing at the highest level for most or all of the next decade to maximise their chances of success. Focus has also been given to those who have shown at least initial signs they could develop into a consistent major winner.
Our first candidate is listed on the next page and we then run through our other selections up to a total of 10. After that, we have attempted the thankless task of trying to predict who the most successful player of the 2020s will be.
We hope you enjoy our list of the top candidates to succeed Serena Williams and become the best player of the next decade.
Coco Gauff
Age during the next decade: 15-25
WTA ranking now: 68
WTA titles: 1
There is no better way to put the rise of Coco Gauff into perspective than looking at the fact she will still only be 25 (!) by the time the 2020s are coming to an end.
She is young enough that, in theory, she will be a candidate to take the honours in the 2030s as well.
Gauff had a remarkable breakthrough on the WTA Tour in the second half of the 2019 season.
The American made history at Wimbledon, becoming the youngest player to qualify for the main draw at just 15 years and 3 months.
Better was to come as she recorded a famous win over Venus Williams in the first round and then, with the eyes of the world on her, tasted victory in two further matches before bowing out to eventual winner Simona Halep in the last 16.
She followed that up with a creditable run to the third round of the US Open where it took defending champion Naomi Osaka to eliminate her, the pair endearing themselves to fans afterwards with a touching post-match exchange.
Coco Gauff still has a way to go, even though the initial signs are very, very promising.
Much of the hype and backing she has received in terms of what she can achieve in the future is based on her potential rather than proven results, despite her amazing start in those most recent two Slams.
She is not, like others on this list, a major winner. She is still climbing the rankings, at 68 to start the year and cannot even play a full Tour schedule yet because of her age, though the restrictions ease slightly when she turns 16 in March.
But fans will rightly believe that if Gauff’s development continues at a pace even half as fast as what she has shown so far, she should be contending for majors inside the next couple of years.
If or when she hopefully reaches that level, the youngster can spend much of the next decade entertaining a new generation of tennis fans in the same way Serena Williams has inspired this one.
Naomi Osaka
Age during the next decade: 22-32
WTA ranking now: 3
Career titles: 5
Naomi Osaka is already the closest WTA challenger to Serena Williams in terms of her profile off the court and she has made a pretty stunning start with her career achievements on it as well.
Currently number 3 in the world, having already enjoyed two spells at 1, the Japanese player is a two-time major winner.
Her 2018 US Open triumph came in controversial circumstances against Serena Williams, but she followed that up with an Australian Open win in 2019 that made her Asia’s first star (male or female) to reach the top of the rankings.
She was the first player since Serena Williams in 2015 to win back-to-back Slams and Jennifer Capriati (2001) was the last to have won her first two majors in consecutive events.
Those historic early career accomplishments were followed up with an up-and-down remainder of the year, but Osaka comes into the new season as one of the front-runners for success once more.
Osaka will be seeking consistency, further Slams and the year-end number one spot in 2020 and is undoubtedly among the favorites to win the top events, starting with the defence of her title in Melbourne.
Regardless of how she fares there, she has the talent and major pedigree to play a big part in the next decade on the WTA Tour.
The notorious final against Serena Williams may well prove to be the beginning of a changing of the guard in women’s tennis.
Bianca Andreescu
Age during the next decade: 19-29
WTA ranking now: 5
Career titles: 3
This time last year, Bianca Andreescu was barely known by any fans outside of the most avid tennis followers.
She was yet to make an impact on the WTA Tour and had struggled with injuries that had been hindering her attempts to qualify for Grand Slams and the other top tournaments.
But the Canadian enters 2020 as a household name, having beaten Serena Williams in the US Open final to win the tournament on her first time playing in the main draw at Flushing Meadows.
Andreescu, the world number five and WTA Newcomer of the Year, embarked on a remarkable winning streak in 2019 where she did not lose a completed match between her defeats on March 2 and October 4.
She has stated her “ultimate goal” is to reach world number one. Her results, along with her calmness and ability to rise to the occasion under pressure in big moments during her breakout year suggest she is capable as long as her injury demons do not strike.
Andreescu has acknowledged she and her team must find a way to reduce the chances of her being struck down by regular injuries, which at the moment are her biggest barrier to success.
At just 19, Andreescu should have plenty of peak years ahead of her and is ideally placed in the race to win the most majors in the 2020s given she is already competitive at the top of the game right from the moment the new decade begins.
Her hard court form, which also included big tournament wins at the Indian Wells Open and the Rogers Cup this year, makes her a top contender for the upcoming Australian Open.
The Australian Open and US Open both take place on that surface, which is also a boost to her hopes of long-term success in majors, though she is yet to have a proper chance to prove herself on clay and grass either.
If she shines at the French Open or Wimbledon in addition to what she has shown on hard courts so far, her rivals in the 2020s would have reason for major concern.
Sofia Kenin
Age during the next decade: 21-31
WTA ranking now: 14
Career titles: 3
American Sofia Kenin has not yet won a major but could be peaking at the perfect time in terms of the battle to be named player of the decade.
The world number 14 won the WTA award for Most Improved Player in 2019 and has shown enough over the past 12 months to suggest she is among the top candidates to move into the Grand Slam mix and challenge the leading players as early as next year.
Kenin had finished 2018 outside the top 50 and at the end of 2017 she was still outside of the top 100, so she has made swift progress towards the top.
The 21-year-old won three WTA Tour titles and made the final of another event in the 2019 season, having never reached a showpiece match before this year.
She stunned Serena Williams in the third round of the French Open and it took eventual winner Ash Barty to knock her out at the next stage in a three-set battle.
Kenin has WTA Tour wins over Barty and Naomi Osaka to her name in 2019, providing further supporting evidence about the level of her game and temperament.
The one reservation would be that, up to now, her major best was that last-16 run at Roland Garros in this campaign, with no quarterfinal appearance yet.
But if Kenin does make that jump in 2020, the timing would put her in a great spot to have a shot at building a strong Slam tally in the decade of the 2020s, which would make up her prime years from 21 to 31.
An ascendant player at just the right age, making that first breakthrough may be all Sofia Kenin needs in order to kick on and enjoy a decade to remember.
Amanda Anisimova
Age during the next decade: 18-28
WTA ranking now: 24
Career titles: 1
Another American teenager who has not had the same hype as Coco Gauff but may have just as much chance of success in the years ahead is Amanda Anisimova.
Reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open got 2019 off to an ideal start for the teenager.
Anisimova then went on to shock the field at the French Open shortly after winning her first WTA Tour title at the Copa Colsanitas.
She stormed through to the semifinals in Paris, losing in three sets to eventual winner Ash Barty, having knocked out defending champion Simona Halep and Aryna Sabalenka, who she also conquered in Melbourne, along the way.
Misfortune meant Anisimova, who was US Open girls champion in 2017 after beating Gauff in the final, could not capitalise on the momentum she had generated at Roland Garros.
After a second-round exit at Wimbledon, she then had to withdraw from the US Open after the shock death of her father, who was also her coach.
A back injury also hindered her in the second half of the season and she played only three matches after August 3 until the end of the year, also recently withdrawing from the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
Despite all that, she ended the year at 24 in the world, highlighting how strong her results were in the first half of the campaign.
Anisimova is widely regarded as a spectacular talent and if she can get a full year under her belt, 2020 could lay the foundation for a decade at the top of women’s tennis.
Iga Swiatek
Age during the next decade: 18-28
WTA ranking now: 60
Career titles: 0
Iga Swiatek is yet to win a WTA Tour title, but the youngster from Poland is another player generating significant buzz as she attempts to establish herself.
The Wimbledon junior champion in 2018, she burst into the top 100 this year and stormed up the rankings, as she ended 2019 at number 60.
Like Coco Gauff, she may not be challenging the likes of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka for majors instantly.
But the 18-year-old does look like one of the top prospects on the rise and a potential star of the 2020s.
She is one of only four players aged 18 and under in the top 100, the others being Anisimova, Gauff and Anastasia Potapova.
Her first career WTA final appearance at the Ladies Open Lugano in April was a big step forward.
It was at the French Open, though, where she really made her mark, reaching the fourth round at which stage it took defending champion Simona Halep to eliminate her.
Swiatek also made the last 16 of the Rogers Cup before going down to a competitive defeat against Osaka.
She may still be a year or two away, but the women’s game has seen young stars make significant Grand Slam runs quicker than has proven possible on the ATP Tour.
Swiatek’s fans will be hoping there is much more to come from her as the new stars of the next decade begin to take shape in the race to succeed Serena Williams.
Dayana Yastremska
Age during the next decade: 19-29
WTA ranking now: 22
Career titles: 3
Dayana Yastremska could be ready to compete in the Grand Slams as early as the 2020 season.
In the last two years, Yastremska has increased her year-end ranking from 189 to 22 and already looks poised to progress further next year, with Andreescu the only teenager ranked higher than her on the WTA Tour.
Another player whose age puts her in good shape for a strong full decade of play, Yastremska has plenty to build on after winning two titles on different surfaces this year, adding to her debut success in Hong Kong back in October 2018.
Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka and Caroline Wozniacki were among the top players she defeated in 2019.
At the Slams, Serena Williams beat her in round three of the Australian Open before she bounced back from a poor opening round loss at the French Open by reaching the last 16 of Wimbledon after a run that saw her beat Sofia Kenin.
Yastremska made the third round of the US Open, where fellow Ukranian Elina Svitolina defeated her.
All in all, it was a solid return from a player who had not won a match at a major prior to this year.
The addition of Sascha Bajin, who helped Naomi Osaka to her two majors, as coach, appears to be a shrewd move in her bid to convert her top-25 ranking into a top-10 position in 2020 as well as compete for the all important majors.
Marketa Vondrousova
Age during the next decade: 20-30
WTA ranking now: 16
Career titles: 1
Another youthful talent to make a shock run at a major tournament this year was Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.
Like Amanda Anisimova and Iga Swiatek it was at the French Open where she made her mark, though she went one better than the American by going all the way to the final.
In a remarkable run, Vondrousova did not drop a single set in her first six matches, though she was ultimately overwhelmed by Ash Barty in the Roland Garros showpiece.
That success was a surprise, but not completely out of the blue in terms of her 2019 results.
Vondrousova reached the quarterfinals in the Indian Wells and Miami Premier Mandatory events before again making the last eight at the Premier 5 event in Rome, beating Simona Halep on two of those occasions.
She had also made two International finals earlier in the year, all of which was why she finished the year ranked at 16 despite missing the second half of the season having undergone wrist surgery after her early exit at Wimbledon. A knee problem had also forced her to miss time earlier in the campaign.
After becoming the first teenager in 10 years to make a Slam final, Vondrousova, now 20, has shown what she is capable of when fully fit ahead of a new decade on the WTA Tour, with her best tennis still ahead of her.
Ash Barty
Age during the next decade: 23-33
WTA ranking now: 1
Career titles: 7
While picking through the best young and emerging talent on the WTA Tour, do not forget the current world number one, Ash Barty, is only 23 and will have designs on significant success in the 2020s.
The WTA Player of the Year for 2019, Barty won her first Grand Slam at the French Open and also took the honours at the WTA Finals, adding to titles in Miami and Birmingham.
Barty’s career total of seven WTA titles is the highest of anyone on this list, a factor that should not be overlooked regardless of how her style contrasts with the other contenders.
Consistency is also key. Barty has made the last 16 for five consecutive major tournaments and has not missed a single Grand Slam in the last three years having returned to tennis after a stint playing Cricket.
Prior to her breakout 2019 season, she had two straight years finishing in the top 20 as well and it looks like the Australian will always be there or thereabouts.
Barty has the mentality, as well as the game, to battle through the more difficult moments which inevitably arise during a two-week Slam campaign.
Serena Williams is seeking a major record over the course of 2020 but will see Barty as one of her top rivals, starting with the Australian Open where the world number one will be playing on home soil.
And once Serena has left the stage, Barty is among a host of WTA stars looking to become the next leading figure of the women’s game.
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.
Naomi Osaka can emerge to succeed Serena Williams
First, let’s qualify this: trying to pick out one name to win the most majors over the next 10 years is a particularly challenging task.
So much depends on form and injuries. There is a big element of luck when it comes to tournament draws, while the progress and quality of rivals in a particular era are among other factors that can impact upon a player’s development too.
We have seen in 2019 alone how quickly a star can rise to the top or alternatively fall out of contention, and many of the players we will be watching compete for Grand Slams in 2029 are not even playing on the senior Tour yet.
But because you have stayed with us for throughout our list of 10 candidates and as it has been an enjoyable piece to put together, we will have a go!
Naomi Osaka is the prediction to be the player of the 2020s, just edging out the likes of Bianca Andreescu and Coco Gauff, who also have compelling cases.
Osaka is young enough to remain prominent throughout the next decade but also has a good level of experience and success under her belt already, with two majors to her name.
That means she should be competitive right away in the new decade, giving her a head start on some of the other players featured as well as those who arrive on the scene later in the 2020s.
The Japanese star has the power and skill to remain a force over the long term and her best surface (hard) is used for two of the four Grand Slams.
Naomi Osaka fits the age criteria of likely being around for the duration of the decade, which will contain 40 major opportunities, fitness permitting. So even if she does not end up on top, we would expect her to win further Slams and at least be in the running for the most successful women’s player of the next 10 years.
Whatever happens, it looks like an exciting decade is in store with so many credible candidates for glory in the bid to succeed Serena Williams’ success of the last 10 years by winning the most Grand Slams over the 2020s.
Serena Williams also came out on top in the 2000s and she will still be around for the start of a new era of women’s tennis, so her impact will continue to be felt on the WTA Tour for now.
We hope the best player of the next decade proves to be one of the 10 suggestions in this list. This article will be kept in this website’s ‘all-time lists’ section, so feel free to check back in the years ahead and we will see how accurate it proves to be!