Clara Tauson in action in the 2025 Wuhan Open | Image Credits : IMAGO / VCG
Denmark’s Clara Tauson is one of the most promising youngsters, steadily building a successful tennis career on the WTA circuit.
Tauson is on the cusp of breaking into the top 10 as she gears up for her season opener at the Brisbane International. Seeded eighth, she will begin against Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Round of 32 on January 7.
Last year, the Dane started at the ASB Classic, where her campaign ended on a bittersweet note. She powered past Lucrezia Stefani, Sofia Kenin, Robin Montgomery and top seed Madison Keys but received a walkover in the final.
Her opponent in the title clash, Naomi Osaka, was forced to retire with an injury after the Japanese claimed a fiercely contested first set 4-6.
Tauson, however, did not dwell on the circumstances surrounding her Auckland title but built on the outcome. Placed outside the top 40 before the Kiwi tournament, she climbed up to World No. 12 by year’s end.
She reached fourth round at Wimbledon, and third round at the Australian Open and French Open. She crashed in her opener at the US Open but still posted an improved Grand Slam season, finishing with a 7-4 record compared to 5-4 in 2024, her first full year on the major stage.
Moreover, the former junior World No. 1 was able to register her first win at SW19 in the season gone by. She also reached the final in Dubai, and the semifinals in Linz and Montreal.
"I don't know if I did anything different," Tauson told Sportshadow exclusively while comparing her seasons.
"I was just trying to become more comfortable on grass and I was happy to get my first win at Wimbledon and make it into the fourth round. Overall, I am extremely grateful and pleased about my 2025. I think I had great runs in both the first and the second halves of this season.
"It was a wonderful experience visiting Auckland and Montreal too, for the first time. It was for sure interesting and I will never forget the ceremonies in Auckland. So different but very genuine, authentic and sweet. I felt so welcome. I am extremely grateful and pleased about my 2025."
Tauson's decision to not defend her ASB Classic title, coupled with the tennis tournaments starting a week later than last year, has seen her drop two places in the first ranking update of this year. She is now ranked 14th but will have the chance to recoup the lost 250 points in Brisbane.
The 23-year-old, however, has chosen not to define any goals ahead of the new season.
"My goal was always to be able to play professional tennis, make a living and be a good role model for kids all over the world. I hope to encourage kids to follow their dreams and passions, whatever they may be, not necessarily in tennis, but in all walks of life. This is more or less a dream that has not changed."
Clara Tauson congratulates Naomi Osaka after their match | Image Credits : IMAGO / Imagn Images
Clara Tauson picked up a thigh injury during her penultimate tournament of 2025 in Wuhan and went on to lose in the first round of the subsequent event in Ningbo. She did not play another match thereafter, entering the pre-season early.
She officially wrapped up her training block on December 30, after having celebrated her 23rd birthday and Christmas with family back at home in Denmark, and most importantly, improved her fitness.
"My regular day during off-season included morning fitness for a couple of hours, tennis, lunch, relaxation and then back to either the gym or the tennis courts with some hitting or both. I ended my days with a cool-down and a physio treatment before I headed home to cook dinner. After dinner, I foam rolled and did a bit of yoga and then, straight to bed."
Although she turned pro in 2019, the Dane has been playing tennis since she was six. Moreover, she grew up in a household steeped in sports.
Her father, Søren, was a professional ice hockey player. Her mother, Tine Lindgaard, played handball at the elite level, and her uncle, Michael Tauson, was World No. 101 in tennis.
This makes family gatherings anything but ordinary, as she was reminded on Christmas during this past off-season.
"I enjoy spending time with my family, having a great meal, singing carols when we dance around the Christmas tree. The presents are not that important, but the board games we play later in the evening, where sport is typically the topic, are very important. We all want to be on the winning team, coming from a crazy sports family. We all have rather big know-how within all kinds of sports, from handball, football to Formula 1 and darts.
"On Christmas Eve, my sisters and I decorate the tree. It always takes us down memory lane as we have ornaments from all over the world. We share fond memories from holidays and tennis travels while decorating with ornaments from Miami, NYC, Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona, Helsinki. We have a lot of funny things on our tree, the ornament from Miami is Santa riding a dolphin, from Helsinki it is a Moomin ornament."