Going against the odds, Capriati also scalped Hingis to win her first ever Slam title and re-entered the top 10 in the rankings after a near-eight year absence, a record gap.

The Pacific Life Open saw an all-teen battle commence in its championship match, with 19-year-old Serena Williams reclaiming the title she first won in 1999 by beating 17-year-old Kim Clijsters in the final.

Moving on to the red clay courts, Venus Williams showed devastating form at the Betty Barclay Cup, losing just 12 games en route to the title.

The two upsets blew the bottom half of the draw wide open, allowing Kim Clijsters to reach her first major final, knocking out compatriot Justine Henin in the first all-Belgian semifinal in Grand Slam history.

After being two points from defeat on numerous occasions, she eventually triumphed over Clijsters in a 12–10 third set to continue her faultless 14–0 record in Grand Slam play that year.

Lindsay Davenport had returned to action on the grass after missing the entire clay season due to a right knee bone bruise, and instantly established herself as a threat with a title run at the Britannic Asset Championships.

On the other side of the draw, Henin snapped Capriati's Grand Slam win streak to become the second straight Belgian player to compete in a major final.

That year's US Open provided the first ever all-Williams final between sisters Venus and Serena, after both upset the world's top two players in their respective semifinals, Hingis and Capriati.

Davenport proved to be the standout player during the indoor season, winning three tournaments in consecutive weeks: the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the Swisscom Challenge and the Generali Ladies Linz, repeating the achievement she also did in 1998.

In her absence, sister Serena won the title despite not playing since her U.S. Open final loss to Venus, becoming the first player to win the year-ending championship in their debut appearance.