World number one Aryna Sabalenka has been named WTA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after spending the entire year at the top of the rankings.
The WTA has backed players' demands for greater privacy at tournaments after footage of Coco Gauff smashing her racket off court at the Australian Open sparked debate over camera use in player areas.
While off-court battles over pay and governance rumbled on, opportunities were scarce beyond the duopoly at the top of the men's game, leaving Djokovic to provide the year's standout moments for the chasing pack.
After successfully defending her Australian Open trophy in January, Aryna Sabalenka won the US Open crown in September for her third Grand Slam title.
Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens picked up the Doubles Team of the Year award, China's Zheng Qinwen was named Most Improved Player while Russian Mirra Andreeva won Newcomer of the Year.
British number two Katie Boulter has received death threats to herself and members of her family after matches as players are increasingly subjected to online abuse through direct messages.
Germany's Tatjana Maria was named the Comeback Player of the Year after reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon after missing three majors last year due to the birth of her second daughter.
Under the plan, players will have access to grants for fertility treatment and other benefits. It is the first time that maternity benefits are available to self-employed athletes.
The Australian won a tour-leading five titles this year including her second Grand Slam.
Other nominees for the prize are Angelique Kerber (Germany), Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic and Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark).
Becoming the WTA number one in the world is a dream come true'
World number one Serena Williams was named WTA Player of the Year for a second time at a tour ceremony on Thursday. Williams, who did not attend the event, won the US Open last year and reached the Wimbledon final. She also claimed a gold medal with sister Venus in the doubles at the Beijing Olympics. In her career, the American has claimed ten Grand Slam titles and she was also the WTA Player of the Year in 2002.
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was voted WTA's Player of the Year on Monday following a season in which she claimed her debut Grand Slam title, steered the Czech Republic to Fed Cup glory and shot up 32 places in the world rankings.
World Number one Simona Halep and Japan's Naomi Osaka are among the players nominated for the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Player of the Year award.
Serena Williams, who won the Australian and Wimbledon Grand Slam titles last year, was voted the WTA Tour 2009 Player of the Year for a second successive season, at a ceremony in Miami on Wednesday.
Kvitova and Vekic had played twice on Saturday after a rain delay on Friday but it was the Czech who did not drop a set in the entire tournament.
2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon winner Amelie Mauresmo has been honoured as the Player of the Year in a media vote.
Belgian Kim Clijsters sealed a glittering comeback with the Women's Tennis Association award for player of the year and swiftly paid tribute to her fellow competitors, the WTA announced on Wednesday.
Azarenka, who sits on the eight-person WTA players council, said that combating abuse was the group's top priority.
American great Billie Jean King had called for a unified governing body for men and women years ago but the 29-year-old Johanna Konta feels Federer's comments have brought attention back to the topic.
Coco Gauff, who shared an emotional on-court interview with Osaka after falling to her at the 2019 US Open, echoed Stephens's comments.
Kenin, who was seeded 14th last year, came back from a set down to beat Spain's twice Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza in the Australian Open final.
She has never defended a Grand Slam title before and that has made Sofia Kenin edgy.
The professional tennis circuit, which requires players to jet around the world, was forced into shutdown in early March as countries went into lockdown and closed their borders to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Rafael Nadal is tied with Roger Federer as the player with the most men's singles majors and the Spaniard can now overtake his great rival who has skipped the Australian Open.
Roger Federer called for a merger between the two governing bodies last month, with both Simon and ATP Tour Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi welcoming the suggestion. But some top WTA players have said they want an equal standing for the women players in a combined body.
The list of players who have been defaulted from a tour-level match for on-field misconduct.
Penpix of the top women's contenders at the 2021 Australian Open
Madison Keys put her hand up for a place on the WTA Players' Council at the Australian Open on Tuesday
Twitter lit up with reactions after Naomi Osaka defeated the American in a stormy final on Saturday:
The WTA Tour indefinitely suspended its two-year experiment with on-court coaching.It will evaluate the results of the testing period and make a decision as to whether to adopt on-court coaching or not.
Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova is an antithesis to the petite, pony-tailed generation of women's tennis players.
Roger Federer's proposal to merge the tours gets thumbs up from top players.
Gabriel Urpi will help Sania in her campaign at the French Open starting on Sunday.
IMAGES from the matches played on Day 10 of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, on Wednesday
The top-seeded Serb, who had not dropped a set in four matches since the round of 16 at the Australian Open in January, looked out-of-sorts throughout the 98-minute contest.
Flavia Pennetta, Italy's newly-crowned US Open women's singles champion, will represent Mumbai Masters in this year's Champions Tennis League along with 1996 Wimbledon men's champion Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands following the players' draft, in Mumbai, on Wednesday. The second edition of the Champions Tennis League, the brainchild of former India Davis Cup captain Vijay Amritraj, will be played from November 23 to December 6, an increase of four days from last year's ten-day duration, announced Amritraj at a media conference after the players' draft.
World No 1 Serena Williams was handed the best possible draw for her WTA Finals title defence with the 33-year-old American grouped with two injury doubts and avoiding the in-form players.
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