Here are the five most surprising WTA victories of 2025

Although the concept of ‘surprise’ has been losing strength in the WTA circuit over the years, the truth is that we can still find a few examples of unexpected victories in this 2025 season.

Honestly, it was hard for me to find good examples of major surprises in this 2025 season that has been so predictable in women’s tennis. With a completely consolidated trident and a top 10 that becomes harder to break into every day, there were some matches that kept me in doubt until the last moment. Because what Mirra Andreeva did in the months of February and March was crazy at that time, although today it doesn’t sound so unbelievable considering her real level. After much debate, here are my five most surprising victories of the season.

Bouzas Shows Her Best Version

I definitely needed to include a Spanish touch in this article, but I haven’t forced it too much. In the first round of Roland Garros, Jessica Bouzas arrived with the thorn of never having won a match at this Grand Slam, and this time the draw didn’t make it easy for her. Emma Navarro as her first opponent, a current top 10 player, a former junior tournament finalist. And what happened? The Galician rose once again against the best on a big stage, but this time showcasing a version we had never seen before. A day that was close to perfection, just look at the score: 6-0, 6-1. The American is still trying to figure out how the balls passed her by.

Venus Williams Keeps Smiling at 45

We get nostalgic every time we talk about Venus Williams knowing that the end is getting closer, yet she continues to give us some glorious afternoons. This season’s highlight happened in Washington, her first professional tournament in the last 14 months. On the other side, Peyton Stearns, a compatriot and one of the season’s revelations. The odds were against the Californian legend, prematurely counted out by many. And what happened? Once again, we learned how dangerous it is to doubt the legends. At 45, the older Williams sister drew from her own elixir to win an official match (6-3, 6-4) at an age where many would have retired a decade ago.

Eala Upsets Swiatek

It’s impossible to forget all the emotions that the recent Miami WTA 1000 brought us, even if the outcome was quite logical and expected. What was illogical was the path there, where Alexandra Eala won over the hearts of the American crowd with a series of victories that mark her as a promise already fulfilled. Beating Ostapenko and Keys wasn’t enough for the Filipina, so she had to raise the bar higher by stopping Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. And without dropping a set! (6-2, 7-5). It’s the perfect introduction for a player who, at 20 years old, is already on the verge of breaking into the top fifty in the world. If she plays again like that week in Florida, it wouldn’t be surprising if the top 50 feels small for her.

Boisson, a Miracle in Paris

One of the great stories of the season was written by Loïs Boisson at Roland Garros, where fans had been waiting for so long for a local champion to end years of curse. In the women’s singles, the wait wasn’t as long, but no one could have imagined that the world #358 would provide so much joy during that fortnight. Her victory over Pegula in the round of 16 already raised eyebrows, affirming that her style of play was tailor-made for the clay. The big revelation came in the following round, where the French player didn’t hesitate to stop Mirra Andreeva in her tracks (7-6, 6-3). This is how a virtually unknown player made it to the semifinals of a Grand Slam, highlighting the work and talent that exist beyond the top echelon of the circuit.

Mboko Reaches the Sky at Home

But if you’re looking for a miracle, it’s hard to find a bigger one than Victoria Mboko’s at the Montreal WTA 1000. As a Canadian, it was fitting for one of the wildcards to fall into her hands, although no one could have imagined what would transpire in that final. At 18 years old and ranked #88, Mboko defeated the likes of Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina, but the biggest explosion was saved for the last day. With a prestigious title at stake and Naomi Osaka on the other side of the net, the young Canadian girl showed her true colors (2-6, 6-4, 6-1). It’s just one match’s difference, but the contrast between reaching a final and winning it is immense. Victoria became one of the revelations of the season just for that week, finishing the year within the top 20 and earning the title of the brightest gem on the women’s circuit.

BONUS: Madison Keys, capable of anything

It was difficult for me to leave out Madison Keys, perhaps because the American deserved to be mentioned more than once in this article. First in a positive sense, capturing the first Grand Slam title of her career at the age of 30 in the Australian Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka (6-3, 2-6, 7-5) and surprising both fans and bookmakers alike. But we all know the nature of the Boca Raton player, capable of the best and the worst. The downside came in the last Grand Slam of the season, the US Open where she narrowly missed victory almost a decade ago. There, where expectations were highest, she stumbled in the first round against Renata Zarazúa (6-7, 7-6, 7-5), confirming that she continues to have a double-edged sword every time she steps onto the court. Madison deserved to be mentioned before closing the list.

What do you think? What was the biggest surprise of the season for you?

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Estas son las cinco victorias WTA más sorprendentes de 2025