Monday, November 10, 2025

Rybakina crashes the party--let the 2026 preparations begin

Just over a week before the start of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Elena Rybakina hadn't made it into the top 8, but she did make it--just in time--and then went on to run over the field and win the event. The 2022 Wimbledon champion hasn't had an easy time of it lately, but--other than having a bit of a problem with her shoulder--you wouldn't have known it last week. Among her accomplishments were: defeating Amanda Anisiova in straight sets, allowing Iga Swiatek only seven games (and delivering a bagel, usually Swiatek's signature), and defeating world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets (and delivering a mini bagel in the second set tiebreak) in the final.

Rybankina had been dealing with some health issues, which went away, but now they've returned, so she'll be getting some health checks done during the off-season. We can only imagine what she'll play like when she's 100% healthy. A healthy Rybakina is a threat at all times.

Sabalenka, Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Rybakina have all had an interesting season. The world number 1 sneaked a major victory in toward the end of the season, at the U.S. Open, at which she was the defending champion, but fell short in finals at the Australian Open (at which she was also the defending champion), the French Open, and the WTA finals.  Overlooked is the fact that Sabalenka made it the final in Paris, an achievement that was probably not expected by many fans and observers. Sabalenka also won Brisbane, Miami and Madrid, and ended the year as the top-ranked player in the world for the second consecutive time. 

Former world number 1 Swiatek had a most unusual year. After parting ways with long-time coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and hiring Wim Fissette, she went through much of 2025 without winning a title, and that losing run included her failure to win a fifth French Open title (she was the defending champion). Then she did what hardly anyone was expecting--she won Wimbledon, The Polish star would go on to win both Cincinnati and Seoul. 

Coco Gauff won the French Open, and she also reached the finals of both Madrid and Rome. She would go on to win Wuhan, a 1000 event, in October. Gauff was the defending champion at the WTA Finals, but did not make it out of her round robin group after losing to both Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka.  The world number 3 has continued to struggle with her serve.

Of course, in 2026, tennis fans will also be looking at Zheng Qinwen, Mirra Andreeva and Jasmine Paolini to continue to add to their trophy collections. Paolini didn't have the kind of season that she had in 2024, in which her singles break-out was dramatic, but Fighting Italians are nothing, if not determined and scrappy. It will also be interesting to keep an eye on Ekaterina Alexandrova, who--at age 30, joined the top 10 for the first time in the career. And then there's Jessica Pegula, known as Ms. Consistency, and the remarkable Amanda Anisimova, who took the long road to get into elite section of the WTA, but who is now number 4 in the world.  

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Thursday, November 6, 2025

Down to four

Today, world number 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka booked her spot in the WTA Finals in Riyahd when she defeated defending champion Coco Gauff 7-6, 6-2. Gauff led through most of the first set, but Sabalenka caught up and took the set in a tiebreak.

Also advancing to the semifinals today was 5th seed Jessica Pegula, who defeated 8th seed Jasmine Paolini  6-2, 6-3. Paolini, along with Madison Keys and Mirra Andreeva, have has been dealing with a viral illness all week. Keys, in fact, withdrew yesterday from what was, for her, a dead rubber. And Andreeva--a competitor in doubles but an alternate in singles--passed on her chance to play singles when Keys withdrew. The scores in both singles and doubles reflect--at least to some extent--how bad these players were feeling.

Here are the final round robin stats:

Stefanie Graf Group
Aryna Sabalenk (1): 3-0
Jessica Pegula (5): 2-1
Coco Gauff (3): 1-2
Jasmine Paolini (8): 0-3

Serena Williams Group
Elena Rybakina (6): 2-0 (3-0 in terms of winning all matches)
Amanda Anisimova (4): 2-1
Iga Swiatek (2): 1-2
Madison Keys (7): 0-2

Here is the semifinal draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Amanda Anisimova (4)
Jessica Pegula (5) v. Elena Rybakina (6)

U.S. players comprised 50% of the total draw, and they comprise 50% of the semifinal draw.

Here are the final doubles round robin stats:

Martina Navratilova Group
Hsieh/Ostapenko (6): 3-0
Kudermetova/Mertens (4): 2-1
Errani/Paolini (1): 1-2
Muhammad/Schuurs (8): 03

Liezel Huber Group
Siniakova/Townsend (2): 3-0
Babos/Stefanie (7): 2-1
Dabrowski/Routliffe (3): 1-2
Andreeva/Shnaider (5): 0-3 

Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are the defending champions. 

Here is the doubles semifinal draw:

Hsieh/Ostapenko (6) v. Babos/Stefanie (7)
Kudermetova/Mertens (4) v. Siniakova/Townsend (2) 

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Tuesday, November 4, 2025

WTA Finals--Rybakina into the semifinals, Sabalenka is close

I enjoy the WTA Finals round robin play. This is the only time during the season that we get to see round robin competition, and it's a nice change. The third round is approaching, and here are the current singles group stats:

Stefanie Graff Group
Aryna Sabalenka (1): 2-0
Coco Gauff (3): 1-1
Jessica Pegula (5): 1-1
Jasmine Paolini (8): 0-2

Serena Williams Group
Elena Rybakina (6): 2-0
Iga Swiatek (2): 1-1
Amanda Anisimova (4): 1-1
Madison Keys (7): 0-2

Rybakina advanced to the semifinals yesterday, and--if Sabalenka had beaten Pegula in straight sets today--she, too, would have advanced. But Pegula took a set off of her, so the battle continues. Rybakina plays Keys tomorrow--more significant--Swiatek plays Anisimova. The winner of that match will advance to the semifinals. 

In doubles, here are the current group stats:

Martina Navratilova Group:
Hsieh/Ostapenko (6): 2-0
Kudermetova/Mertens (4): 1-1
Errani/Paolini (1): 1-1
Muhammad/Schuurs: 0-2

Liezel Huber Group:
Siniakova/Townsend (2): 2-0
Dabrowski/Routliffe (3): 1-1
Andreeva/Shnaider (5): 0-2 

Hsieh Su-wei and Aļona Ostapenko have advanced to the semfinals.  

Coco Gauff is the defending champion in singles, and Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are the defending champions in doubles. 

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Saturday, November 1, 2025

WTA Finals--Bosses boss on day 1

Both 2023 champion Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina came out in peak fighting mode in Riyadh today, as round robin play commenced. 2nd seed  Swiatek defeated 7th seed Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2. Swiatek had a first serve win percentage of 82, which pretty much says it all. The match was finished in just over an hour. And 6th seed Rybakina, facing Amanda Anisimova for the first time, defeated the 4th seed in just under an hour.

In doubles, top seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini defeated 8th seeds Asia Muhammad and Demi Shuurs 6-3, 6-3. And 6th seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Alona Ostapenko defeated 4th seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens 1-6, 7-5, 10-5.

Former WTA stars Daniela Hantuchova, Martina Hingis and Garbine Muguruza were on hand for the ceremonial part of the proceedings. Both Hingis and Muguruza won the WTA Finals, and Hingus won it in both singles and doubles (twice). Last year, Muguruza was named Tournament Director of the Finals. 

I wasn't that comfortable seeing Hantuchova there. She and Laura Robson were my favorite commentating team (they were terribly funny, and brought out the best in each other), but after Hantuchova's remarks about the WTA, it seems to e that a more appropriate representative (an advocate, for example) could be found. 

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