The WTA Finals, the season-ending tournament for the top eight women’s tennis players, is not just about the title. This year, the year-end No. 1 ranking is also on the line, with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek vying for the top spot.
Sabalenka holds a 1,046-point advantage over Swiatek, but the Pole has a chance to overtake her in Riyadh. The WTA Finals offers up to 1,500 points for an undefeated champion, which is more than enough for Swiatek to close the gap.
Swiatek can clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking if she wins the title undefeated, or if she wins the title with a 2-1 or 1-2 round-robin record, provided Sabalenka’s results are limited.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, can secure the top spot by winning all three of her round-robin matches, or by winning two round-robin matches and reaching the final, or even by winning one round-robin match and reaching the final.
The scenario is reminiscent of last year’s WTA Finals, where Swiatek pulled off a similar feat, winning the title undefeated while Sabalenka went 2-1 in the round robin and lost in the semifinals.
If Swiatek finishes as year-end No. 1, she will become the first woman to achieve the feat for three consecutive years since Ashleigh Barty did so from 2019 to 2021.
