With the 2025 season complete, we’re looking back at all the incredible matches and picking the top shots from each of the swings. Next up is the Middle East swing.
In Doha and Dubai, respectively, Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva won their first WTA 1000 titles while Belinda Bencic and Ekaterina Alexandrova won 500 titles in Abu Dhabi and Linz. Plus, Elise Mertens and Anastasia Potapova were victorious in Singapore and Cluj-Napoca, both 250 events.
We’ve narrowed it down to our five favorite shots from the swing. Which do you think was the best? Check them out below and vote for your top pick at the bottom.
Vote: What was the best shot of the Australian swing?
Note: We’ve only selected shots from WTA 1000, 500 and 250 events.
Karolina Muchova’s incredible tweener-lob
Karolina Muchova makes the most insane shots look so easy.
After Muchova made a dashing effort to dig Clara Tauson’s drop shot, Tauson thought she had an easy lob. But Muchova thought otherwise. She sprinted all the way back to the baseline and delivered a masterclass tweener-lob shot to win the point.
Ultimately, Tauson won the match in three sets to advance to the final in Dubai, but Muchova’s winner earned February Shot of the Month honors.
Karolina Muchova hits unimaginable tweener in Dubai semifinal
Mirra Andreeva’s cross-court forehand winner
From one Dubai semifinal to the other, our next nominee comes from the eventual champion, Andreeva, who became the youngest WTA 1000 champion at 17 years old.
Andreeva’s court coverage during this rally is flawless. Elena Rybakina had the teenager all over the court, but Andreeva won the point — and game — with a cross-court forehand winner that Rybakina couldn’t reach despite being at the net.
Andreeva won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to secure her first career win over Rybakina.
Mirra Andreeva’s court coverage sets up forehand winner vs. Rybakina
Aryna Sabalenka wins slice battle at the net
This point in Doha between Aryna Sabalenka and Alexandrova is a textbook display of footwork and play at the net.
Both players traded multiple cross-court slice shots at the net, sparking a crowd reaction in the middle of the rally. Though Sabalenka, leading 3-1 in the first set at the time, would win this remarkable point, Alexandrova secured the upset over the top seed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.
Aryna Sabalenka wins incredible point at the net in Doha
Leylah Fernandez’s quick reaction saves point
This is one of the quickest reactions at net we’ve ever seen.
After Ashlyn Krueger hit a drop shot from the baseline, Leylah Fernandez stormed to the net and played a drop shot back. Fernandez’s return allowed Krueger to potentially hit a clean winner, but instead, Krueger’s forehand went straight toward Fernandez, whose quick reaction to hold her racquet saved the point.
Though the Canadian won the point, Krueger won the quarterfinal match in Abu Dhabi 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
Leylah Fernandez’s quick reaction saves point vs. Ashlyn Krueger
Rebecca Sramkova’s sliding down-the-line winner
Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova was inching closer to a first-round victory over Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto in Linz. Just two points away from the win, Sramkova certainly had to work for each point.
In this remarkable 16-shot rally, Sramkova and Cocciaretto traded powerful forehand and backhand shots, but Sramkova’s court coverage and sliding forehand winner down the line set up double match point. Sramkova capitalized, winning 7-5, 7-5.
Rebecca Sramkova caps off 16-shot rally with forehand winner