As the WTA season races toward its grand finale, the spotlight now shifts to Riyadh, where the WTA Finals promise a spectacle of power, poise, and purpose. The world’s best will clash for one last shot at glory, but beyond the athletic brilliance lies something deeper: the tournament’s ability to inspire and create social impact. Yet, before the ultimate showdown begins, the WTA dropped its final rankings of the year, and the tennis world is buzzing. The question now burns bright: who has conquered the climb and reached the summit of women’s tennis supremacy?

The final update of the 2025 WTA Rankings has arrived, and the numbers tell a familiar story: Aryna Sabalenka reigns supreme once again. Despite late-season points deductions, the Belarusian powerhouse holds her throne and officially secures the coveted year-end No. 1 spot for the second consecutive year. It’s not just a ranking; it’s a statement, one that cements Sabalenka’s iron grip on women’s tennis.

Sabalenka has sat atop the WTA rankings since October 20, 2024, and while her status at the summit had been mathematically confirmed weeks ago, the final adjustments were still due. The WTA has now applied its seasonal points penalties, and both Sabalenka and her fiercest rival, Iga Swiatek, have taken hits for failing to meet the minimum WTA 500 event requirements. For the second straight week, both stars were docked points, 120 for Sabalenka (from the Dubai Tennis Championships) and 108 for Swiatek (from Stuttgart).

That wasn’t the only blow. Both players also dropped 400 points each from their results at the 2024 WTA Finals. When the dust settled, Sabalenka had shed a total of 520 points and Swiatek 508, but crucially, the gap between them remained significant. Sabalenka still leads by a commanding 1,675 points, sitting at 9,870, while Swiatek trails with 8,195. For Swiatek, the math no longer works; even an undefeated run at the upcoming WTA Finals in Riyadh (worth a maximum of 1,500 points) wouldn’t be enough to overtake Sabalenka.

That means one thing is now official: Aryna Sabalenka has clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for the second consecutive year. It’s a feat achieved by only six women before her, and it underscores her dominance since ascending to the top in October 2024. With her trademark grit and booming groundstrokes, Sabalenka has not only conquered her competition but also joined the elite few who have maintained No. 1 status across a full calendar year.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek remains firmly in second place, her consistency and clay-court brilliance still unmatched by most. Coco Gauff, sitting 1,632 points behind Swiatek, secures the third spot in the rankings and continues to rise as the American torchbearer. Gauff’s breakthrough season, highlighted by her French Open triumph and deep hard-court runs, solidified her status as one of the sport’s new era leaders.

Coco Gauff, however, faced no penalties this week. Despite losing 1,300 points from her 2024 WTA Finals triumph, the defending champion holds steady in third. The young American remains ahead of Anisimova in the race to end the year as the top-ranked American woman, though the margin is close. For Anisimova to overtake her, she would need at least a semifinal appearance in Riyadh, while Gauff’s consistency throughout the season gives her the upper hand.

The year’s final event, the WTA Finals in Riyadh, now awaits. For most, it’s one last chance at glory. But for Sabalenka, it’s more of a coronation. For Gauff, it’s about defending her crown. And for Swiatek, it’s one last opportunity to end her season on a high.

Elena Rybakina, meanwhile, continues her upward surge. The Kazakhstani star confirmed her spot at the WTA Finals after reaching the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open, though she withdrew afterward due to fitness management. Her consistency and composure have paid off, pushing her up to sixth in the world rankings, ahead of Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. Rybakina’s calm intensity and fearless baseline power make her a dark horse threat in Riyadh, and she’s arriving in form at just the right moment.

Belinda Bencic also made headlines after completing a remarkable comeback season. The Swiss star, who began the year outside the top 400 after maternity leave, clinched the Tokyo WTA 500 title by defeating Linda Noskova in straight sets. Her resurgence has been one of the feel-good stories of the year. With her Tokyo title, Bencic leaped two places to No. 11, a stunning rise for a player once unsure of her return to peak form.

Noskova, the runner-up in Tokyo, also reaped the rewards of her deep run, continuing her steady climb up the WTA ladder. However, not all stories this week were celebratory. Zheng Qinwen, last year’s WTA Finals runner-up, suffered a brutal rankings drop. Unable to defend her Tokyo points and last year’s 2024 WTA Finals haul, she plummeted 13 spots to No. 24, losing 800 crucial points in the process.

Elsewhere, the Guangzhou Open brought joy to two rising names. American Ann Li captured the title, defeating Lulu Sun in the final, marking one of the most emotional victories of her young career. The win propelled Li up 11 places to a career-high No. 33, while Sun’s runner-up finish saw her leap an impressive 28 spots to No. 88, a breakout moment for the Swiss-born player.

But as always, the rankings giveth and taketh away. Two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova endured one of the biggest falls of the week, tumbling 28 places to No. 64 after failing to defend points from last season. Similarly, American veterans Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys both suffered minor setbacks, dropping 27 and 60 points respectively, though they remain within striking distance of the top 10.

Jessica Pegula still holds a faint mathematical chance to finish as American No. 1, but the path is steep. She would need to win the WTA Finals undefeated while hoping Gauff exits early without a single round-robin victory. Given that each group-stage win earns 200 points, the odds are stacked against her, yet Pegula’s relentless spirit ensures she’ll make her presence felt.

In a quieter but significant storyline, Filipino rising star Alexandra “Alex” Eala continues her steady ascent. The 20-year-old reached a new career-high ranking of No. 51 after a two-place rise this week, ahead of her upcoming appearance at the Hong Kong Open. She retained her 1,131 ranking points, indicating that her rise came not from new results but from other players losing points, a testament to her growing consistency and stability on tour.

And so, the table is set. The 2025 WTA Finals will run from November 1–8 in Riyadh, gathering the year’s best eight players under one dazzling roof. With Coco Gauff returning as the defending champion after her epic win over Zheng Qinwen last year, and Aryna Sabalenka arriving as the undisputed world No. 1, the stage is perfectly poised.

Now, all eyes turn to the Saudi capital: a battleground of champions, where power, poise, and pride will decide the last chapter of the 2025 WTA season. 

Will Sabalenka complete her dominant reign with one final roar? Will Swiatek strike back with vengeance? Or will Coco Gauff script another piece of history? 

The answers await under Riyadh’s lights, where the season’s final notes promise to echo long after the curtain falls.