Aryna Sabalenka isn’t holding back. Not anymore! After a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Amanda Anisimova, the world number one reached the WTA Finals for the first time in three years. But it seems she’s already looking ahead, sending a clear warning to Elena Rybakina before the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

The match against Anisimova was far from easy. From the first point, both players made it clear they wouldn’t give up. Anisimova matched Sabalenka’s pace and aggression, but the top seed stayed calm in the key moments and finally closed out the deciding set after 2 hours and 21 minutes.  After the win, Aryna Sabalenka made her intentions clear to Elena Rybakina.

“Yeah, it’s going to be another powerful game. I feel like today was a great preparation for Elena. I’m looking forward to leaving everything I have in the last match of the season and fighting for this beautiful trophy. I’ll definitely go out there tomorrow and fight for every point.” Well, she made Anisimova earn every single point today. And if she says it, you know it’s going to be intense. This match already showed what she’s made of.

The first set was competitive from the start. Aryna Sabalenka used heavy forehands and precise serves, while Anisimova fired back with aggressive baseline shots. Early games went to multiple deuces as both players traded winners and tested each other’s consistency. Sabalenka saved several break points with strong serves and well-placed shots. She broke Anisimova in the middle of the set and closed it 6-3. But could Anisimova find a way to turn things around in the second set?

And she did. Anisimova came out strong in the second set, breaking Sabalenka early and racing to a 4-0 lead. Using sharp returns and confident baseline play, she forced Sabalenka into errors and held her serve to take the set 6-3. With the match now even, would the decider be just as dramatic?

The third set was a back-and-forth battle. Both players held early serves while keeping rallies intense. At 4-3, Sabalenka broke Anisimova. Sure, Anisimova fought to stay in the match, even facing two match points on her serve, but Aryna Sabalenka stayed calm. She closed the set 6-3, winning a total of 106 points to Anisimova’s 103. Can she carry this composure into the final?

Rybakina’s shoulder could be Sabalenka’s only edge in Riyadh showdown

Aryna Sabalenka has been unstoppable in Riyadh. She won all her round-robin matches, beating Jasmine Paolini and Coco Gauff in straight sets. Only Jessica Pegula pushed her to three sets. Even her semifinal against Amanda Anisimova was tough. Sabalenka loves hard courts and has three of her four Grand Slam titles on this surface. Can she keep this form against Rybakina?

Elena Rybakina has also been impressive. Her serve is powerful, and she takes the ball early, making it hard for opponents to react. She played well in the round-robin and won her semifinal comfortably. On Riyadh’s fast, hard courts, her timing and strong shots make her a serious threat. If she plays like this in the final, she can make Sabalenka work hard for every point.

They have played thirteen times before, all on hard courts, and Aryna Sabalenka leads 8-5. Rybakina won most of their early matches, but recently Sabalenka has won the important points with her movement, variety, and experience. But still, is there anything that could actually give Sabalenka the edge this time?

That one thing? Rybakina’s shoulder injury flared up during her warm-up before her third group-stage match against Ekaterina Alexandrova. Even so, she won 6-4, 6-4 to finish the round-robin 3-0. Even she said, “Well, hopefully I can recover for tomorrow. Of course, it was a lot of matches. I also served big, so I had to adjust a little bit. And for now, I’m pushing myself. I know now it’s one last match left, so I will try to do everything possible with the team to recover.”

If that shoulder gives her trouble in the final, it might be Aryna Sabalenka’s only real chance to take the trophy.