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The 2022 WTA season is done and dusted, and it's time to look in the rearview mirror at the year gone by. There were plenty of storylines to be followed throughout the season and players entertained the fans with some thrilling tennis.
Serena Williams returned to action after a lengthy injury hiatus, but there was no fairytale ending for the legend. Her comeback at Wimbledon ended in the first round and she eventually retired following defeat at the US Open, but she didn't go down without a fight.
The sudden retirement of World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty sent shockwaves through the tennis world. But Iga Swiatek quickly established herself as the dominant player following the Australian's departure. While some players failed to live up to expectations, like Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka, others continued their steady rise to the top.
While Swiatek managed to capture most of the big titles, the remaining ones were spread out between first-time winners and tour veterans. Here's a look at this year's victors at all the Grand Slams, WTA 1000 tournaments and WTA Finals.
Australian Open - Ashleigh Barty
Ashleigh Barty gave the home crowd a reason to celebrate as she clinched the Australian Open title. It was her third Major crown and she won the tournament without dropping a set. She defeated first-time finalist Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6(2) in the final.
Barty became the first Australian woman to win the title since Chris O'Neil's triumph in 1978. It would also mark the final tournament of the 26-year-old's career as she would go on to retire in a few weeks.
Qatar Open, BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open - Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek made a fine start to her 2022 season as she made it to the last four in her first couple of events, including the Australian Open. Following an early loss in Dubai, the Pole kicked off a dominant run that would leave the competition far behind.
It all began at the Qatar Open, where Swiatek won her first title of the year by defeating Anett Kontaveit in the final. She then completed the "Sunshine Double" by winning back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami, becoming the fourth woman in history to do so. She ascended to the top of the rankings following the conclusion of the Miami Open.
Madrid Open - Ons Jabeur
After a whirlwind few weeks, Swiatek decided to take a break and opted to skip the Madrid Open. This opened the door for her competitors to scoop up a big title for themselves. The final was contested by Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula, who were among the most consistent players of the past year.
Jabeur came out on top, winning the final 7-5, 0-6, 6-2 to win her maiden WTA 1000 title.
Italian Open - Iga Swiatek
The short break didn't put an end to Swiatek's winning ways as she continued from where she had left off. Jabeur made it to her second straight final and after winning the title in Madrid, a competitive match was expected.
However, Swiatek easily brushed her aside to win 6-2, 6-2, and successfully defend her title. She won the tournament without dropping a set. This marked the first title defense of her career and extended her winning streak to 28 matches.
French Open - Iga Swiatek
Swiatek was the overwhelming favorite to clinch her second French Open title this year, considering her red-hot form. She did just that as she defeated Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 in the final. She dropped just one set en route to winning the title, against Qinwen Zheng in the fourth round.
It extended her unbeaten run to 35 matches, tying the record set by Venus Williams back in 2000. Swiatek also became the youngest player to win multiple Major titles since Maria Sharapova in 2006.
Wimbledon - Elena Rybakina
Wimbledon was the center of controversy this year as tournament organizers imposed a ban on Russian and Belarusian players in light of the atrocities being committed in Ukraine. The ATP and WTA decided not to award any ranking points for the event in retaliation.
Despite grass not being her favored surface, Swiatek was among the contenders for the title at the All England Club. However, her winning streak came to an end at 37 matches as Alize Cornet knocked her out in the third round.
Jabeur and Simona Halep were also among the pre-tournament favorites. While the former made it to her maiden Grand Slam final, the latter was defeated in the semifinals by Elena Rybakina.
A new Major champion was to be crowned. Rybakina staged a comeback from a set down to defeat Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, and to lift her first Grand Slam title.
Canadian Open - Simona Halep
It had been a tough season for Halep up until this point. Despite playing quite well, injuries frequently halted her momentum. She finally laid her hands on a big title by winning the Canadian Open. The Romanian defeated Beatriz Hadda Maia 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to win her 24th career title and her third at the venue.
Western & Southern Open - Caroline Garcia
The resurgence of Caroline Garcia was another storyline that began in the second half of the season. She won a couple of titles and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon. While she had already started to make her way back up the rankings thanks to good results, she still had to compete in the qualifying rounds in Cincinnati.
Garcia would go on to script history as she became the first qualifier to win a WTA 1000 title. She defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in straight sets in the final, which was her third WTA 1000 title following her triumphs in Beijing and Wuhan in 2017.
US Open - Iga Swiatek
Swiatek faded into the background in the lead-up to the US Open. Following her French Open victory, her results were far from impressive, in stark contrast to what she achieved earlier in the season.
But the World No. 1 slowly found her mojo with each match at the US Open. She started off strong with a few straight-set wins but was tested in the latter rounds. She staged an incredible comeback to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in the semifinals.
Jabeur awaited her in the final and Swiatek dashed the Tunisian's hopes of a maiden Grand Slam victory by defeating her 6-2, 7-6(5). The 21-year-old won her third Major trophy and became the first player since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to claim multiple Grand Slam titles in the same season.
Guadalajara Open - Jessica Pegula
After a string of consistent results throughout the season, Pegula's hard work and persistence finally paid off. She defeated Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Guadalajara Open to win the biggest title of her career. Her victory also propelled her to a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in singles.
WTA Finals - Caroline Garcia
Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka and Daria Kasatkina were the eight women who qualified for this year's WTA Finals.
Swiatek was by far the favorite to win the title but was defeated by Sabalenka in three sets in the semifinals. Garica won against Sakkari in the other semifinal. The French player went on to win the title, defeating the Belarusian 7-6(4), 6-4.
Garcia became the second player from France to win the year-end championship, following Amelie Mauresmo's victory in 2005. After her win, she ended the season ranked No. 4, her best-ever finish so far.
