Maya Joint’s 2025 season began with a breakout and finished with success in national colours, an exclamation mark on her biggest year yet.
From relying on wildcards to gain entry into tournaments throughout the Australian summer to becoming Australia’s No.1 women’s singles player, Joint progressed in leaps and bounds.
Following her second-round appearance at the Brisbane International in January where she pushed former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka to three sets, Joint found success in Hobart where the 19-year-old reached her first of five WTA semifinals for the year in Hobart, beating top-100 opponents Olga Danilovic, Magda Linette and Sofia Kenin to progress.
A semifinal run at a Cancun WTA 125 tournament preceded a quarterfinal appearance at the Merida WTA 500 event in Mexico, which saw the teenager make her top-100 debut in March.
> READ MORE: Top 100 debut places Hon among Australia's best
Her fast start to the year warranted a Culture Amp Australian BJK Cup debut in the Qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Colombia in Brisbane in April. Despite losing to Yulia Putintseva in her opening match, Joint rallied to record her first victory against Yuliana Monroy two days later.
From there, Joint’s confidence continued to climb. She claimed her maiden WTA title on clay in Rabat, Morocco and prevailed on grass at Eastbourne, UK on the eve of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, respectively.
Joint’s Eastbourne triumph was her most character-defining win of the season, in which she saved four match points to defeat Alexandra Eala in the final 6-4 1-6 7-6(10).
The win lifted her inside the top 50 as a result and set her up for a strong finish to the year. Joint advanced to the semifinals in Seoul – where she recorded her biggest win of the season against world No.12 Clara Tauson – and Hong Kong, before she was again selected to represent the Culture Amp Australian BJK Cup team in November.
The world No.32 helped Australia return to the Qualifiers following Play-off wins against Brazil and Portugal in Hobart. She saved match point in her Brazilian singles rubber against Laura Pigossi to storm home 2-6 7-5 6-1 and secure Australia's passage.
READ: Australia reigns supreme in Hobart
Joint finished the season with 54 wins across all tours and added two doubles titles – Cancun WTA 125 and Rabat WTA 250 – to her two singles trophies, which helped earn her first Newcombe Medal nomination.
“I feel extremely honoured to be nominated for the Newcombe Medal,” Joint said. “I remember going to the Newcombe Medal last year, and it was such a fun event. I didn’t think me being nominated would happen any time soon, so it’s a huge honour and I can’t wait to celebrate on the 8th.”
Newcombe Medal history
In her first full season since turning pro in December 2024, Joint is targeting her first Newcombe Medal. She was a joint winner of the Female Junior Athlete of the Year award in 2024 with Emerson Jones.
The Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards will be held on Monday 8 December at Melbourne's Palladium Ballroom.
Follow along on Tennis Australia's social channels as the evening unfolds using the hashtag #Newks25.
Find out more about the awards, including award categories and previous recipients.