By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday October 16, 2024
The WTA’s elite eight have been set for the WTA Finals in Riyadh as Barbora Krejcikova and Zheng Qinwen claimed the final two singles spots on offer.
Krejcikova, this year’s Wimbledon champion, and Zheng, this year’s Olympic gold medalist in Paris, join Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini in a talented field that will lead the field from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with $15 million in prizes on the line.
Scroll down for more on the eight qualifiers:
Iga Swiatek
2024 Record: 54-7
Titles: 5 (Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, Roland-Garros)
Defending champion Swiatek leads the tournament in titles in 2024 but has not lifted a trophy since Roland-Garros. She won this title last year without losing a match.
Aryna Sabalenka
2024 census: 54-12
Titles: 4 (Australian Open, Cincinnati, US Open, Wuhan)
The 26-year-old will battle Swiatek for the No.1 ranking after winning two championships in the same season for the first time. Sabalenka is seeking her first WTA Finals title – she reached the final in 2022 and bowed out to Swiatek in the semi-finals last year.
Coco Gauff
2024 census: 48-15
Titles: 2 (Auckland and Beijing)
Gauff recently won the title in Beijing and she is making her third appearance at the WTA Finals. Gauff reached the WTA semifinals last year.
Jasmine Paolini
2024 Record: 37-17
Titles: 1 (Dubai)
Paolini is in the midst of a season that has seen him reach major finals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. She makes her WTA finals debut.
Elena Rybakina
2024 census: 41-9
Titles: 3 (Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart)
Rybakina is making her second WTA Finals appearance. She has only played three matches since Wimbledon.
Jessica Pegula
2024 Census: 38-13
Titles: 2 (Berlin, Toronto)
Pegula reached her first major final at the US Open. The American lost last year’s WTA Finals title match to Iga Swiatek and is making her third WTA Finals appearance.
Zheng Qinwen
2024 census: 37-16
Titles: 2 (Palermo, Paris Olympics)
This year’s Olympic gold medalist (and Australian Open runner-up) will make her WTA Finals debut in Riyadh.
Barbora Krejcikova
2024 Record: 15-12
Titles: 1 (wimbledon)
Krejcikova qualifies on the strength of her Wimbledon title. She had to finish in the Top 20 to do so, and will be making her second WTA Finals appearance.
