Salaam - Top Eight Women’s Players Head to Riyadh for the WTA Season Finale
As-salamu alaykum - For the second year running, the WTA season finale returns to Riyadh, where the world’s top eight singles players and eight doubles teams will gather. Elena Rybakina’s run to the Tokyo semi-finals last week secured the eighth and final singles spot, edging out Mirra Andreeva.
Riyadh has a three-year agreement to host the WTA Finals, after the event made its debut in Saudi Arabia last season.
Coco Gauff, the American world No. 3, won the Riyadh title last year and took home a record prize. This year the unbeaten singles champion will earn around $5.235 million.
Below is a friendly look at the eight singles qualifiers for the WTA Finals (November 1–8).
1) Aryna Sabalenka - World No. 1
2025: 59-11, 4 titles (Brisbane, Miami, Madrid, US Open), 11-4 vs top-10
Sabalenka would probably call 2025 a season of growth. Painful, narrow losses in the Australian Open and Roland Garros finals and criticism after Paris were turning points for her. She admitted mistakes, learned, and made sure to defend her US Open crown. Across the year she reached at least 13 quarter-finals from 15 events, extended her weeks at No. 1, and added more variety to her powerful game. The 27-year-old has now qualified for her fifth straight Finals and will chase her first title at the season-ender.
Key stat: She once won 19 straight tiebreaks between February and September.
2) Iga Swiatek - World No. 2
2025: 61-15, 3 titles (Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Seoul), 8-6 vs top-10
After a long title drought that frustrated her and the Polish media, Swiatek flipped the script. She went on a great run on grass to win Wimbledon and improved her serve and aggression with coach Wim Fissette. No player has more match wins on tour this year. The 24-year-old makes her fifth straight Finals appearance and will chase a second Finals trophy.
Key stat: First woman this century to record 60+ wins in four straight seasons.
3) Coco Gauff - World No. 3
2025: 47-14, 2 titles (French Open, Wuhan), 9-5 vs top-10
Gauff faced heavy pressure this year and had serving problems, but she still enjoyed an outstanding clay swing with a Roland Garros win. She changed her coaching setup before the US Open, adding a biomechanics specialist, and that helped her later results in Asia - including winning Wuhan. She arrives in Riyadh looking to defend her title.
Key stat: She’s 9-0 in hard-court finals after the Wuhan win - the first woman to start 9-0 on hard-court finals.
4) Amanda Anisimova - World No. 4
2025: 45-16, 2 titles (Doha, Beijing), 8-3 vs top-10
Anisimova’s comeback is one of the year’s best stories. After stepping away in 2023 for her mental health, she returned and climbed from a low ranking to a career-high No. 4, with Grand Slam finals and big wins along the way. She’ll make her Finals debut next week.
Key stat: First woman born in the 2000s to reach the Wimbledon semis.
5) Jessica Pegula - World No. 5
2025: 51-21, 3 titles (Austin, Charleston, Bad Homburg), 3-5 vs top-10
The steady presence in the draw, Pegula has won titles on all three surfaces and made a deep run at the US Open. She’s qualified for her fourth consecutive Finals and remains a consistent threat.
Key stat: Posted 50+ wins in a season for the second time in her career.
6) Elena Rybakina - World No. 6
2025: 54-19, 2 titles (Strasbourg, Ningbo), 6-6 vs top-10
In a challenging year that included her coach’s suspension, Rybakina reached the Tokyo semi-finals to clinch the final Finals spot. The former Wimbledon champion will make her third Finals appearance, arriving with plenty of big-serving form.
Key stat: She leads the tour with 468 aces this season.
7) Madison Keys - World No. 7
2025: 37-13, 2 titles (Adelaide, Australian Open), 5-4 vs top-10
Nine years after her first Finals appearance, Keys is back at the season-ender after winning her first Grand Slam in January at the Australian Open. She’s had mixed results afterward and has been off the tour since a surprise early US Open exit, so she may feel rusty, but she’s a player who can heat up quickly in big matches.
Key stat: Holds the record for the longest gap between first two Finals appearances - nine years.
8) Jasmine Paolini - World No. 8
2025: 46-18, 1 title (Rome), 5-7 vs top-10
Paolini’s smile and steady baseline game made 2025 another strong year. She won the Italian Open - the first Italian woman to win in Rome in 40 years - and helped Italy claim the Billie Jean King Cup. She’s qualified in singles and doubles again.
Key stat: The only player to qualify for the Finals in both singles and doubles in each of the last two seasons.
May this event be safe and enjoyable for everyone attending. Wishing all the players success and a reminder to take care of health, faith, and family while travelling. Allahuma barik - may it be a good and fair competition.
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