The women’s tennis season reaches its climax and all eyes turn to Riyadh, where the 2025 WTA Finals kicks off on November 1 and run through November 8. The 8 top players have already arrived in Saudi Arabia warming up with various ceremonies and promo events.
Backed by a record prize pool of US $15.5 million and hosted for the second straight year in Riyadh, the Finals bring together the top 8 singles players and top 8 doubles teams of the season. Matches will be held on indoor hard courts at the King Saud University Indoor Arena.
The tournament uses a round-robin format in two groups of four. Each player faces the other three in her group; the top two advance to the semifinals, leading into the final match on November 8th.
The winner of the singles event can also earn a maximum of 1,500 points in addition to the money prizes. Players earn 125 points per round-robin match and 160 points for each round-robin victory.
Coco Gauff is the defending singles champion after she defeated Zheng Qinwen in the final last year.
Who’s in – And what’s new?
The qualified singles roster reads: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini and finally Elena Rybakina who clinched the final spot by reaching the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Read more about Rybakina’s racquet.
This will be Rybakina’s third straight appearance at the WTA Finals. Earlier, Amanda Anisimova earned her first-ever Finals berth, while Madison Keys returns to the event after a long absence since 2016.
The draw is set in Riyadh! ?
— wta (@WTA) October 28, 2025
Who will be crowned the WTA Finals champion this year?@WTAFinalsRiyadh | #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/09nTxjEmWm
The Draw and Groups
The singles field has been split into these two groups:
Stefanie Graf Group: Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini
Serena Williams Group: Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina
The official draw ceremony and gala took place earlier this week in Riyadh, with players like Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova in attendance. Iga Swiatek also participated in community events, adding extra visibility to the Finals build-up.
Predictions and Contenders
Aryna Sabalenka enters as world No. 1 and arguably the most consistent player of 2025. Despite never having won the WTA Finals before, she’s still the odds favorite this year.
Iga Swiatek is a past WTA Finals champion and could well reclaim that crown. She has shown this year that she can master all court surfaces and it will be interesting to see what she can do at these indoor courts.
Coco Gauff arrives as the defending champion and in good form. That momentum and confidence will matter. However, nobody has defended their title since Serena Williams won three in a row, over 10 years ago.
Surprises?
Amanda Anisimova has had a career-best season, including a WTA 1000 title and two Grand Slam final appearances. If she can get that important consistency, she can be dangerous.
Madison Keys is one of the most rested players, having cut back her schedule after the US Open. Her form on hard courts (24–6 in 2025) suggests she could spring a surprise, but it’s unlikely.
Elena Rybakina has won multiple titles this year, including WTA 500s in Strasbourg and Ningbo. In previous WTA Finals appearances she’s struggled to get past group play though.
Some warm-up sessions below, form looking good! :)
Will Sabalenka earn her first Finals title? Can Gauff defend her trophy? Or might one of the challengers emerge and create a new ending to the 2025 story? Let us know your predictions for this years finale.
Follow WTA on X.com for more updates on the event.
