The Voters' Thoughts
👉 Ten voters from the TENNIS.com editorial team each selected five players for our 2023 WTA Player of the Year vote. Each voters' first-place selection was worth 5 points, second-place vote 4 points, and so forth. Selected commentary from voters will be included in each 2023 WTA Player of the Year write-up.
👉 👉 Each of the voters below gave Sabalenka a first-place vote.
I believe we will look back on the 2023 season as one where Sabalenka finally made good on her vast and obvious potential, not only achieving career milestones by becoming a Grand Slam champion and world No. 1, but also deepened a rivalry with Iga Swiatek that will hopefully entertain us for years to come.—David Kane
She was 1-2 against Swiatek this season, and was on the wrong side of those numbers in the year-end rankings too. But a major breakthrough in Melbourne, and semifinal-or-better showings at every Slam puts Sabalenka over the top in my assessment.—Ed McGrogan
Sabalenka was the best at the Slams, and the best across surfaces; aside from a trashed racquet, she took her tough losses in admirable stride.—Steve Tignor
By slaying her nerve demons at the Australian Open and reaching No. 1, Sabalenka changed the narrative of her career. As the only player to make the semis of all four Slams, she displayed the highest level of excellence and consistency.—Megan Fernandez
Respect for achieving the Grand Slam dream, and for bringing her off-court personality to light. Because Sabalenka's game style and personality on the court is very aggressive, she doesn’t always come across as personable. With her groundbreaking career achievements, we’re getting to know her better—and can root for her all the more.—Liya Davidov