The climax to the 2024 WTA Tour season arrives in November within the form of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, reside on Sky Sports activities Tennis.
Between November 2 and 9 the highest eight girls’s gamers on the earth will face off in Saudi Arabia, trying to finish their seasons on a excessive.
Learn beneath for all it’s worthwhile to know…
What’s the format of the ATP Finals?
The singles and doubles competitors on the WTA Finals is performed in a round-robin format. Gamers and groups are drawn into two separate teams and the highest two finishers from every group advance to the semi-finals.
The highest finisher from every group will face the runner-up from the opposite. The semi-finals and ultimate are then performed in a regular knockout format.
As with the ATP Finals in Turin, the WTA Finals hosts the highest eight gamers from this calendar yr.
Which gamers are certified?
Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka are the one two gamers who’ve certified for the WTA Finals at current, leaving six spots open to be determined within the ultimate months of the season.
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Sabalenka battled previous Jessica Pegula in straight units as she received the US Open for the primary time in her profession
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Martina Navratilova believes US Open champion Sabalenka is able to usurping Swiatek as world No 1
Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini and the USA’s Jessica Pegula personal a major lead on the No 3, No 4 and No 5 spots on the Race to WTA Finals leaderboard, holding a 1,200-plus level cushion over anybody outdoors the Prime 7.
American duo Coco Gauff and Emma Navarro at present maintain the No 6 and No 7 spots on the leaderboard, with compatriot Danielle Collins behind them at No 8.
China’s Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng is ranked at No 9 at present.
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Highlights of Swiatek towards Sabalenka from the Rome ultimate
For the Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova – at present ranked at No 11 – eventualities for qualification for the WTA Finals look barely totally different. As a Grand Slam winner, the Wimbledon champion wants solely to safe a Prime 20 leaderboard end to punch her ticket to Riyadh.
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova wants solely to complete inside the highest 20 rankings this yr to e-book her place
That is the primary yr such a situation is a qualification rule for the WTA, the place the very best ranked Grand Slam champion ranked No 8-20 secures a spot, leaving Krejcikova an excellent probability of creating it to Saudi Arabia.
Who’s the defending champion?
In 2023, Iga Swiatek dominated Jessica Pegula 6-1 6-0 to win the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun and regain her world No 1 rating from Aryna Sabalenka.
Poland’s Swiatek is the defending champion, having crushed Jessica Pegula within the 2023 WTA Finals
The four-time Grand Slam winner broke Pegula 5 instances and saved the one break level she confronted en path to her first WTA Finals trophy in a match delayed a day because of rain.
The Pole went 5-0 on the WTA tour’s season-closing championship, successful all 10 units she performed and ceding a complete of simply 20 video games.
Such type was the fewest by the event’s winner since 2003, when it returned to a round-robin format. The earlier low in that point was the 34 video games dropped by Justine Henin in 2007.
The place is it being hosted?
Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh will host the WTA Finals for the highest eight singles gamers and high eight doubles groups for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 tournaments.
The ladies’s skilled tennis tour introduced the three-year deal will see prize cash for this November’s event raised to $15.25m (£12m), a 70-per-cent improve from 2023.
Earlier hosts have been Cancun (2023), Fort Value (2022), Guadalajara (2021), Shenzhen (2019), Singapore (2014-2018), Istanbul (2011-2013), Doha (2008-2010), Madrid (2006-2007), Los Angeles (2002-2005, 1974-1976), Munich (2001), New York (1979-2000, 1977), Oakland (1978), Boca Raton (1972-1973).
Which main occasions are left earlier than it begins?
By way of the foremost WTA Tour occasions which might be left earlier than the ultimate WTA Finals qualifiers are confirmed, the WTA Masters 1000 China Open takes place between September 25 and October 6.
The ultimate main occasion is then the WTA Masters 1000 Wuhan Open between October 7-October 13.
What’s on Sky Sports activities Tennis in September?
- Japan Open – ATP 500 (September 25-October 1)
- China Open – ATP 500 (September 26-October 2)
- China Open – WTA 1000 (September 25-October 6)
Sky Sports activities+ has formally launched and will likely be built-in into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra reside sport this yr at no further price. Discover out extra right here.
