It’s that time of the year again! The WTA Finals are here, and the heat is on to see which of the top eight will take the crown this time. After a long, hard-fought season, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, and Elena Rybakina are set to hit the court in Riyadh. Gauff is the defending champion after taking down Qinwen Zheng in last year’s final. But this time, the spotlight is on Sabalenka, who’s gunning for her maiden title. The pressure’s high, and the field looks sharp. All eight bring momentum, though one in particular might just shake up the top ranks.

On October 31, during the Australian Open TV show on YouTube, Luke Saville, who reached the 2020 Australian Open doubles final, joined Jaimee Fourlis, the 2022 mixed doubles finalist, to share their thoughts on who might shine this year at the WTA Finals. Saville kept it simple, saying, “[Elena] Rybakina coming in at the sixth player. I think she was out before winning that last event so.” Fourlis added, “The last couple of weeks she’s done really well.” True to their words, the Kazakh star has turned heads during the Asian swing.

After early exits in New York and at the China Open, Rybakina made a strong comeback in Wuhan, reaching the quarterfinals. She lost to Aryna Sabalenka there, but quickly bounced back in Ningbo to claim the title. She defeated second seed Paolini in the semis and Ekaterina Alexandrova in the finals, dropping only two sets throughout the week. Before the Japan Open, she pulled out ahead of her semifinal due to back pain, choosing recovery over risk. Meanwhile, Aryna and Coco have put together stellar seasons of their own.

Sabalenka still holds firm as World No.1 and collected four titles, including the US Open, where she defended her crown in straight sets for her fourth Grand Slam win. She closed the year with a 59–11 record and dominant serving stats. Coco Gauff, on the other hand, picked up her second Grand Slam at Roland Garros after beating Sabalenka in the final. She also lifted the Wuhan Open trophy, finishing with a 47–14 record as the top-ranked American. Sabalenka ruled the hard courts, while the American shone on both clay and hard surfaces.

Still, the World No.6 stands tall heading into the WTA Finals. The surface suits her game perfectly. As Luke Saville noted, “She’s come back in and I mean, she’s dangerous on indoors as well. Very interesting to see.” Could she trouble the World No.1, who’s hunting her first Finals crown, or the defending champion, who’s chasing a Serena-like streak by winning back-to-back titles as Williams did in 2009 and 2010? Only time will tell. For now, all eyes are on Sabalenka to back her reputation with power and poise. As one ex-pro put it, she’s the “most hunted” player at this year’s event.

WTA ex-pros speak about Aryna Sabalenka’s chances at the WTA Finals

On October 30, Tennis Channel’s Instagram clip sparked the perfect pre-WTA Finals buzz. Coco Vandeweghe was asked a question about Sabalenka: Was the WTA Finals trophy the one she simply couldn’t afford to lose? Coco didn’t blink. “Let’s put it in perspective. She’s world number one, she has won the last grand slam, so to me, yeah, she’s the hunted,” she said. “She’s got the biggest target on her back, and she has led the gear with the idea, that mentality of you guys better level up your game to me, I am not getting to your level.” That line alone captured Sabalenka’s entire vibe this season.

There’s really no debate about it anymore. Aryna Sabalenka’s US Open win didn’t just bring another trophy home, it cemeted her place at the top of the rankings! The numbers tell the story: 70 matches played, winning 84 percent of them, and going deep at almost every stop. Out of 15 tournaments, she made 13 quarterfinals and won four titles in Brisbane, Miami, Madrid, and New York. With 21 career titles now, she’s in a league of her own.

Yet one mountain still stands, the WTA Finals crown. It’s been the elusive piece of her dazzling résumé. Since her debut run, Sabalenka has flirted with the trophy but never sealed it: a group-stage exit in 2021, runner-up in 2022, then back-to-back semifinals in 2023 and 2024. Her closest chance came three seasons ago when she stormed back from a loss to Maria Sakkari and took down Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, and Iga Swiatek before falling short against Caroline Garcia in the final.

Even Martina Navratilova believes this might finally be the Belarusian’s year. Calling her “the woman to beat in Riyadh,” the tennis legend praised her 2025 consistency. “She peaked well for all the majors,” Navratilova said. “She’s still rueing the French Open more than anything. She could have won that match against Coco Gauff. But she bounced back and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, where she was beaten by Amanda Anisimova rather than beating herself. Then she won the US Open pretty decisively.” She added that Sabalenka thrives on hard courts, where her power hits clean and her timing shines.

Now it’s all eyes on Riyadh, where Sabalenka faces Jasmine Paolini on Sunday, November 2. Gauff meets Jessica Pegula, while Elena Rybakina opens her campaign against Amanda Anisimova on Saturday, November 1. The big question: who’s making the deeper run?