The 2017 season was a year that saw many surprises on the WTA tour. Serena Williams won the Australian Open while she was pregnant, 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko bashed her way to the French Open title, and three different players reached No. 1 for the first time.
But the biggest surprise of all was Sloane Stephen' meteoric rise from No. 957 to No. 13. She fought her way back into competitive action in June after being sidelined for 10 months with a foot injury. Less than three months later she was a US Open champion.