It’s that time of year again! The 2025 WTA Finals will take place from November 1 to 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the second year in a row that the final women’s championship of the season will be held in the Kingdom. It will be the 54th edition of the singles event and the 49th edition of the doubles event, with a record prize money of $15.5 million.
Some key talking points:
- This year’s finals mark a return to American dominance – four Americans have qualified for the first time since 2002, when six American women (Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport and Chanda Rubin) all made the field.
- There’s a WTA Finals debutant – 24-year-old Amanda Anisimova.
- And there is a doubles player – Jasmine Paolini, who will play doubles with Sara Errani.
- The average age of the field is 26.5 with Pegula the oldest at 31 and Gauff the youngest at 18, and there are thirty-two in the field (Pegula, 31 and Keys, 30).
The qualifiers, based on their current positions in the race, are:
- 1 Aryna Sabalenka
- 2 Ig Swiate
- 3 Coco Gauff
- 4 Amanda Anisimova
- 5 Jessica Pegula
- 6. Madison Keys
- 7 Elena Rybakina
- 8 Jasmine Paolini
Now more about this year’s randomly selected elite eight…
Coco Gauff
The reigning champion returns to Riyadh as the youngest WTA Finals winner in 20 years. Now 21, Gauff will be making her fourth straight appearance and will attempt to become the first player since Serena Williams (2012–2014) to successfully defend the title. She has had a great season, winning her second major at Roland-Garros and most recently taking the Wuhan title without dropping a set.
Amanda Anisimova
Thanks to a superb season that saw her reach two major finals, Anisimova will make her debut at the prestigious year-end event. The 23-year-old American has enjoyed a career-best season, breaking into the Top 10 and earning her first WTA Finals qualification thanks to consistent deep runs on all surfaces. Can she become the first player to win the event on her debut since Ash Barty in 2019?
Madison Keys
The 2024 Australian Open champion is back in the final for the first time in nine years, having last qualified in 2016. The 30-year-old American started the season on an all-time high, winning her first major title in Australia in stunning fashion. For Madi, the WTA Finals title would be the perfect booking for a magical 2025.
Jessica Pegula
They call it JPEG, but we also like MRS CONSISTENCY. Pegula, the 2023 WTA Finals runner-up, returns for her fourth appearance at the event. One of the tour’s most consistent performers, Pegula is still thriving, with 50 wins to her name in 2025 and three singles titles on the year.
Iga Swiatek
2023 WTA Finals champion Swiatek has qualified for the fifth consecutive year. The world number 2 captured the title two years ago without dropping a set and comes into the event at the end of a season which saw her win her sixth major title at Wimbledon.
Aryna Sabalenka
The world number 1 booked her place in July and will be making her fifth consecutive finals appearance. The 2022 runner-up is also a two-time semi-finalist (2023 and 2024), Sabalenka has her eyes on a long-awaited maiden title in Riyadh. Sabalenka started the season at No. 1 and she is looking to run the table and lock down her second No. 1 ranking of the year. She opens with a significant lead over Swiatek in the rankings.
Jasmine Paolini
Paolini reached her second consecutive WTA Finals berth with a late-season surge that included a semifinal run in Ningbo. The 29-year-old Italian will also compete in the doubles draw alongside Sara Errani for the second consecutive year, making her the only player to compete in both disciplines.
Elena Rybakina
Better late than never? The 2022 Wimbledon champion sealed the bottom spot in dramatic fashion with her run in Tokyo, beating Canada’s Victoria Mboko to overtake Mirra Andreeva in the rankings. It is Rybakina’s third consecutive appearance in the finals, although she has yet to make it past the group stage.
