After a compelling season filled with dominant superstars, the rise of some rising younger gamers and some stunning victors, 2025 was a yr to recollect on the WTA Tour.
But it surely’s not over simply but.
Whereas many gamers have already made their solution to the seashore for some much-deserved (and all too transient) relaxation and rest, the best-of-the-best stay in motion and have their sights firmly set on profitable the yr’s final title on the WTA Finals.
Performed (considerably controversially) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the competitors will get underway with round-robin play on Saturday, and can function the highest eight singles gamers and eight doubles groups — with a complete of $15.5 million {dollars} in prize cash.
After six days, with every participant or duo taking part in three matches, the highest two from their respective teams advance to the semifinals. The occasion concludes on Nov. 8 with the singles champion incomes as much as $5.235 million in prize cash, and the profitable doubles group incomes a most of $1.139 million, and as much as 1,500 in rating factors. (The profitable participant or group can earn the utmost sum of money and factors by profitable all three of their group matches. Each earn much less if they don’t go undefeated.)
Unsure what to anticipate from the yr’s final WTA match? Here is all the pieces you have to know.
Who’s in
Singles
Stefanie Graf Group
1. Aryna Sabalenka
3. Coco Gauff
5. Jessica Pegula
7. Jasmine Paolini
Serena Williams Group
2. Iga Swiatek
4. Amanda Anisimova
6. Madison Keys
8. Elena Rybakina
Doubles
Martina Navratilova Group
1. Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini
4. Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens
6. Su-wei Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko
8. Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs
Liezel Huber Group
2. Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend
3. Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe
5. Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider
7. Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani
Gauff seems to be to repeat
It has been an up-and-down season for Gauff, the world No. 3 and top-ranked American. The 21-year-old received her second main singles title on the French Open, however had some devastatingly low moments, together with struggles together with her serve and altering her teaching group proper earlier than the US Open.
Gauff is again in Riyadh because the defending champion and appears to have rediscovered her type and confidence at simply the precise time. After a difficult summer season hard-court season, which included a fourth-round exit in New York, Gauff spent a number of weeks coaching at dwelling in Florida earlier than heading to China. Whereas she later confessed she had thought-about skipping the Asian swing completely, her laborious work and persistence paid off. Gauff reached the semifinals on the China Open after which received the title at Wuhan earlier this month, defeating Paolini within the semifinals and Pegula within the ultimate. She did not drop a set throughout her run to the 1000-level trophy.
“This undoubtedly offers me much more confidence going into the WTA Finals, after the way in which the mid-part of the season went for me, particularly in New York,” Gauff mentioned after profitable in Wuhan.
“It offers me loads of confidence to attempt to defend that title. Clearly, profitable it final yr, I understand how powerful it’s to do, so I am simply going to take it match by match and hopefully I can find yourself with the trophy.”
Whereas Gauff is actually among the many favorites to win the title, doing so will not be straightforward. Actually, no participant has efficiently defended their title on the year-end occasion since Serena Williams did so in 2013 and 2014.
American dominance
With Anisimova, Pegula and Keys additionally qualifying, People make up half of the singles subject in Saudi Arabia. It is essentially the most People to make the distinguished occasion since 2003 — months earlier than Gauff was born. (And since Serena, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport all withdrew that yr resulting from accidents, that is anticipated to mark the most important American contingent truly competing since 2002, when 16 gamers have been within the subject.)
Anisimova, now ranked a career-high No. 4, will likely be making her debut on the occasion after reaching her first main ultimate at Wimbledon, after which following it up with a ultimate look on the US Open, along with profitable 1000-level titles on the Qatar Open and the China Open.
Pegula certified for the fourth consecutive season and is coming off a robust latter portion of the yr during which she reached the semifinals on the US Open and the China Open and the ultimate in Wuhan. She was a 2023 finalist on the year-end championships.
And Keys, who received her first main title to open the yr on the Australian Open, makes her return to the match for the primary time since 2016. The 30-year-old hasn’t performed since her gorgeous first-round exit on the US Open in August and hasn’t reached one other ultimate since her triumph in Melbourne, however Keys needs to be well-rested and there’s maybe no another able to a shock victory.
The People are effectively represented within the doubles draw as effectively. Townsend is making her second consecutive look after reaching the ultimate in 2024 and Muhammad is making her debut on the occasion. Each have had robust seasons with Townsend profitable the Australian Open with Siniakova and Muhammad having received Indian Wells and Queen’s Membership alongside Schuurs.
The race for No. 1
After Swiatek received Wimbledon, and even after her quarterfinal exit on the US Open, it regarded as if she may need an opportunity to reclaim her No. 1 rating from Sabalenka by yr’s finish. When she claimed the title on the Korea Open in September and Sabalenka took a break from competitors, that regarded much more potential as Swiatek lessened the hole to underneath 3,000 factors for the primary time all season. Whereas she mentioned it wasn’t her “most important focus” forward of the China Open, she hasn’t denied how a lot getting the highest rating would imply to her.
However after a Spherical of 16 exit in Beijing, and a quarterfinal loss in Wuhan (and a semifinal run by Sabalenka in her first match again since profitable the US Open), there’s a 1,675-point deficit between the 2, making it mathematically unattainable for Swiatek to surpass Sabalenka. It doesn’t matter what occurs in Riyadh, Sabalenka will finish the season because the yr finish No. 1 for the second straight season — and has held the highest spot for the complete season.
Nonetheless, regardless of already having that wrapped up, the 27-year-old Sabalenka is in quest of her first WTA Finals crown. This marks her fifth consecutive look, and she or he reached the ultimate in 2022, however has by no means managed to seize the elusive title. There’s maybe no another constant within the greatest occasions lately — she reached the finals on the Australian Open and the French Open and the semifinals at Wimbledon this yr along with her victory in New York — and she or he may be hungrier than ever for it.
However in fact, Swiatek, the 2023 champion, can even look to shut out her season in an enormous manner — and put Sabalenka on excessive alert going into 2026.
It is not the way you begin
Whereas gamers like Sabalenka and Swiatek secured their berths in the summertime, Paolini and Rybakina wanted late surges to assert the ultimate spots.
Paolini, who had already certified for the doubles draw, punched her ticket after reaching back-to-back semifinals in Beijing and Wuhan. She had beforehand received the title on the Italian Open within the spring and reached the ultimate in Cincinnati. She is the one participant to make each attracts in Riyadh.
And Rybakina grabbed the ultimate spot simply final week, narrowly edging out Andreeva, after profitable the title in Ningbo and reaching the semifinals on the Japan Open. Rybakina had trailed Andreeva by over 400 factors forward of Ningbo, however Andreeva misplaced her opening-round match at that occasion and did not play once more — and Rybakina took benefit. It has been a difficult season for the 2022 Wimbledon champion, personally and professionally, however she appears to be peaking on the proper time.
Whereas neither Rybakina nor Paolini may have a lot downtime earlier than the match begins, they each convey helpful momentum, confidence and rhythm. Might or not it’s sufficient to propel both of them to the yr’s ultimate title?
Two for one
Dabrowski and Routliffe are the defending doubles champions and arrive to Saudi Arabia having received the ultimate main of the yr on the US Open. Like Gauff, they’re going to be seeking to reclaim their title however they do not fairly have the identical momentum on their aspect. They’ve performed collectively in only one match since, in Beijing, and misplaced within the first spherical. Individually, they have not fared significantly better. Routliffe, a one-time doubles accomplice of Gauff’s, reached the second spherical in Wuhan with Leylah Fernandez, and Dabrowski fell within the quarterfinals with Sofia Kenin in Tokyo simply final week.
As it’s in singles, repeating because the champion is tough and it hasn’t been carried out since Babos and Kristina Mladenovic did so in 2018 and 2019. Babos additionally received the title in 2017 alongside Andrea Hlavackova and can now be seeking to win her fourth title with a 3rd accomplice in Stefani. The pair have been among the many final to qualify after reaching their fourth ultimate of the season at Ningbo earlier this month.
However the title would possibly come all the way down to the 2 favorites and top-ranked pairs: Italian duo Errani and Paolini and the dominant Siniakova and Townsend. Errani and Paolini received the French Open title in June, in addition to three 1000-level titles this yr, together with on the China Open this month.
Siniakova received the WTA Finals trophy in 2021 with fellow Czech compatriot Barbora Krejcikova. She and Townsend have received two titles collectively since their victory in Melbourne, together with on the 1000-level Dubai, and reached the ultimate on the US Open. For Townsend — who captured the world No. 1 doubles rating in July for the primary time — it might be a becoming finish for a breakout yr, which noticed her turn out to be a fan favourite in reaching the fourth spherical on the US Open in singles, making the French Open blended doubles ultimate, and win 4 titles in six ultimate appearances.