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 Clay-Court swing.
Coco Gauff won her second career Grand Slam with a title at Roland Garros. At the WTA 1000s, Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian to win her country’s premier event — Internazionali BNL d’Italia — in four decades, and Aryna Sabalenka was victorious in Madrid.
Jessica Pegula, Jelena Ostapenko and Elena Rybakina won 500-level titles at Charleston, Stuttgart and Strasbourg, respectively.
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.
Note: We’ve only selected shots from WTA 1000, 500 and 250 events.
Routliffe, Ostapenko win 20-shot frenzy
We start off the nominees with this spectacular, all-around doubles point.
Though Erin Routliffe and Jelena Ostapenko win this 20-shot rally in Charleston, Viktoriya Tomova and Katie Volynets made some incredible returns to keep the point alive.
After a mixture of backhands, volleys and shots at the net, Routliffe secured the point with a volley at the net, and kickstarted their comeback. Despite dropping the first set and trailing 2-1 in the second, top-seeded Routliffe-Ostapenko won the match 2-6, 6-3, [10-8].
Erin Routliffe and Jelena Ostapenko win crazy doubles point in Charleston
Liudmila Samsonova’s wizardry
Up 4-3 at 30-0 in the first set vs. Paula Badosa in the Strasbourg quarterfinals, Samsonova deceived not just her opponent, but the entire crowd too.
What appeared to be Samsonova preparing a routine backhand return turned out to be wizardry. Initially disguising her swing with much power, Samsonova crafted a sorcerous drop shot with so much spin that the ball landed on Badosa’s side before coming back to her own side.
Samsonova defeated Badosa 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, where she would eventually reach the final.
Liudmila Samsonova’s sorcerous drop shot deceives opponent
Jessica Pegula’s clever drop shot steals point
Midway through the third set in her first match in Strasbourg, Pegula and Anna Kalinskaya found themselves in a deep 20-shot rally.
Kalinskaya had multiple opportunities to capture the point, constantly moving Pegula from side-to-side and hitting smash volleys, but Pegula wouldn’t give the point up.
Instead, after noticing Kalinskaya flat-footed on the baseline, Pegula hit a perfect drop shot that Kalinskaya applauded. The effort earned the American May’s Shot of the Month honors.
Jessica Pegula plays brilliant drop shot to steal point in Strasbourg
Coco Gauff overcomes net cord to save break point
What a shot — and match — this was in the Rome semifinals.
Facing break point in the third set vs. Zheng Qinwen, Gauff went back-and-forth with Zheng, before trying a drop shot. Then, chaos ensued.
Zheng’s drop shot returned hit the net cord and started a series of rapid shots around the net. Gauff had the final say in the point and later overcame a 5-3 deficit in the third set to win 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (4) in the three-hour and 32-minute match.
Coco Gauff overcomes net cord and wins chaotic point in Rome
Aryna Sabalenka’s roaring forehand in Rome
There’s nothing quite like the Sabalenka roar.
At the Round of 16 in Rome, Marta Kostyuk had a set point, leading 7-6 in the second tiebreak, one point away from forcing a third set vs. the World No. 1.
Sabalenka hit every one of her shots in the rally with pace, and after moving Kostyuk side-to-side, it set Sabalenka up with a roaring forehand winner to save the set. She capitalized on the crucial point, and won the match 6-1, 7-6 (8) a few points later.
Aryna Sabalenka saves pivotal set point in Rome vs. Marta Kostyuk