WTA Finals begin in Riyadh with eight top players in round robin

The 2025 WTA Finals begin in Riyadh on Saturday, bringing together the season’s top eight singles players for a weeklong yearend championship that runs through November 8. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, defending champion Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys and Jasmine Paolini will contest roundrobin groups before the semifinals and final, with prize money and up to 1,500 ranking points on offer for an undefeated champion.

The draw placed Sabalenka, Gauff, Pegula and Paolini in the Steffi Graf group, while Świątek, Anisimova, Rybakina and Keys make up the Serena Williams group. The opening match on Saturday will pit Świątek against Keys, followed by Anisimova versus Rybakina. On Sunday Sabalenka opens against Paolini and Gauff faces Pegula. Players will each play three roundrobin matches, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals on November 7 and the singles final set for November 8.

Sabalenka arrives as the world No. 1 after a season that included the U.S. Open title. Gauff is the reigning champion and seeks to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to successfully defend the yearend crown....