The 2024 WTA season through up plenty of epic matches, and some well and truly stood out.
With the season now over, we’ve gone back through the season to rank our nine greatest women’s matches of 2024.
9) Australian Open Round 2: Anna Blinkova def Elena Rybakina 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(20)
One of the biggest – if not the biggest – upsets of 2024 saw the unheralded Blinkova stun title favourite Rybakina in an extraordinary match in Melbourne.
The Russian appeared to have missed her chance of a huge upset after twice failing to serve out the contest, but saved five match points in an epic 42-point, 30-minute long tiebreak to prevail.
8) US Open QF: Zheng Qinwen def Donna Vekic 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-2
Just weeks after their Olympic final, which Qinwen had won easily, the Chinese star and Vekic contested one of the best matches of the US Open late into the night on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After losing a tight opening set, Vekic fought back to force a decider, though Qinwen battled through in the decider to win a war of attrition in New York.
7) Madrid Open SF: Aryna Sabalenka def Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5)
What looked to be a fairly straightforward match turned into one of the best contests of the whole season as Sabalenka roared back to down Rybakina and reach her third Madrid final.
Rybakina was a set and a break up and served for the match in the second set, only for the Belarusian to claw her way back into the contest and triumph following a thrilling final set.
6) Olympics QF: Zheng Qinwen def Angelique Kerber 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(6)
Former world No 1 and three-time major winner Kerber went down swinging in Paris as her career came to a close following an epic battle against eventual gold medallist Qinwen.
The Chinese found herself down a set to the tennis great and was 4-1 down in the deciding set, but rallied in a high-quality encounter to prevail in a dramatic final-set tiebreak.
5) US Open Final: Aryna Sabalenka def Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5
The only straight-sets match on this list, Sabalenka and Pegula crammed enough drama, quality, and intensity into this final to make it one of the best contests of 2024.
After falling down a set and a break, home favourite Pegula nearly forced a decider, only for her opponent to hold firm and seal her third major title following a thrilling championship match.
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4) Wimbledon SF: Jasmine Paolini def Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(8)
The longest Wimbledon women’s semi-final in SW19 history saw Paolini and Vekic battle for almost three hours in front of an enthralled Centre Court crowd.
Vekic was a set up and twice a break up in the deciding set, only for Paolini – the surprise package of 2024 – to rally and prevail in a final set breaker to reach her second Grand Slam singles final of 2024.
3) WTA Finals Final: Coco Gauff def Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2)
One of the best matches of 2024 was saved until the very last match of the season, with world No 3 Gauff summoning all her trademark grit to win one of the biggest titles of her career in Riyadh.
The American was a set down and a break down in the second and third sets, with Qinwen serving for the title in the decider, though Gauff remained firm and battled back to dominate the final-set tiebreak.
2) Roland Garros Round 2: Iga Swiatek def Naomi Osaka 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5
In one of the most impressive comebacks of her career, Swiatek battled from the brink of defeat to down a resurgent Osaka in arguably the best Grand Slam match of the season.
Former world No 1 Osaka looked set to pick up a stunning win, surging to a 5-2 lead in the decider after bouncing back from losing a narrow first set.
Reigning champion Swiatek had other ideas, and reeled off five straight games – and saved a match point – to triumph in a high-quality contest, and later win her fourth French Open title.
1) Madrid Open Final: Iga Swiatek def Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7)
A clear No 1 on our list, Swiatek and Sabalenka duelled for over three hours in the longest final of 2024 on the WTA Tour – and a match that is unlikely to be forgotten for some time.
Sabalenka had prevailed in a high-quality final 12 months before, and it looked as if the Belarusian would triumph again after rallying to force a decider.
However, searching for her first Madrid title, Swiatek dug deep and saved three championship points during the closing stages to seal a dramatic victory over her biggest rival.
