Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance over Zheng Qinwen with victory in her first match of the season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh. 

Sabalenka, who entered the tournament as the new world number one, emerged a 6-3 6-4 victor in just under an hour and a half in Saudi Arabia. 

The Belarusian's triumph saw her claim a 10th win against a top 10 opponent in 2024, surpassing Iga Swiatek (nine), who is in action against Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday. 

Sabalenka also improved her record to 5-0 against the Olympic champion, though acknowledged the difficulties she faced.

"I’m super happy with the win, especially against Qinwen," Sabalenka said.

“It’s always tough matches, tough battles against her, and I'm really, I’m really glad I was able to finish this match in straight sets.”

Having won the Australian Open and US Open this season, Sabalenka said it is her dream to claim a maiden WTA Finals crown. 

"It would mean everything to me. I really worked hard the past years since the very beginning of my career," the 26-year-old said.

"I really hope I'll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day."

In Saturday's other match, Jasmine Paolini marked her WTA Finals debut with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Elena Rybakina.

Paolini became the first Italian to register 40 wins during a single season at WTA events since Sara Errani, who managed 48 Tour-level victories in 2015.

Aryna Sabalenka says she will "do everything I can" to end the year as world number one for the first time in her career.

The winner of this season's Australian Open and US Open, Sabalenka sits top of the WTA summit ahead of Iga Swiatek, with the pair battling it out to be there come the conclusion of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Sabalenka, who has also triumphed in Cincinnati and Wuhan this term, will hold onto top spot by winning all three of her group-stage matches or reaching the final of the event.

The 26-year-old was in a similar position last season when she arrived at the WTA Finals in Cancun, but was subsequently displaced by Swiatek.

And she is desperate not to miss out this time around.

"That's definitely one of the goals," she said. "I've always been saying that, for me, it's about finishing the year as the world number one. I'll do everything I can to finish the year as world number one.

"Any time we come to the tournament, we want to win. That's the first goal. I'm trying to be focused on the first part. Then, if I am able to finish the year as number one, it'll be amazing, and I'll be super happy."

Meanwhile, reigning champion Swiatek must successfully defend the WTA Finals crown - and land her sixth silverware of the campaign - if she is to enter 2025 as world number one.

Following an impressive start to the season, the French Open champion has tailed off and skipped the recent Asian swing due to fatigue, but is determined to seal her return to the summit.

"Obviously, we're both fighting for this spot," she said. "It's been us basically, over the past few years.

"I'm in the tournament. I want to play my best and win. I'm going to focus on my first match and do everything step by step.

"She's a great player. She also deserves to be number one. For sure, I'm going to fight for me to be in that place."

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are once again embroiled in a tussle for the year-end number one spot in the WTA rankings.

Last year, Swiatek finished as the year-end number one, with a flawless display at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun seeing her top Sabalenka, who had been in pole position.

Sabalenka will be out to avoid a similar fate this time around, with the WTA Finals moving to Riyadh.

Here, we preview the key storylines ahead of the tournament.

Sabalenka and Swiatek go head-to-head... again

It has been a fantastic season for both of these players, who have proved their credentials as the standout duo on the WTA Tour.

Sabalenka has scooped two grand slam titles, triumphing at the Australian Open and the US Open.

Swiatek, meanwhile, won the French Open and collected bronze at Roland-Garros at the Paris Olympics. Between them, the pair have won nine Tour-level titles in 2024.

Sabalenka will guarantee her place at the top of the world heading into 2025 should she win her three group-stage matches in Riyadh.

The Belarusian takes on Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, world number five Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, this year's Wimbledon and French Open runner-up, in her group.

Sabalenka is the first player to make successive WTA Finals appearances as the number one since Serena Williams in 2013 and 2014.

The 26-year-old has reeled off 46 match wins across grand slams and WTA 1000 events this year, which is one more than Swiatek (45).

Swiatek, on the other hand, has Coco Gauff, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova to contend with.

Since the reintroduction of the round-robin format in 2003, Swiatek has conceded the fewest games of any player to win the WTA Finals, dropping only 20 games en route to the title last year - breaking Williams' record of 32 from 2012.

Swiatek downed Pegula in last year's final, and dropped just a single game. That made her the player to concede the fewest games in a WTA Finals title match. Martina Navratilova (1983) and Kim Clijsters (2003) previously shared the record, conceding two games in respective finals.

She is also one of only two players, along with Williams, to win the tournament without dropping a set since the tournament's format was altered 21 years ago.

Swiatek could become the first player to win the WTA Finals on consecutive occasions as the second seed. Among this year's qualifiers, the 23-year-old (75%, 9-3) holds the highest winning percentage at the WTA Finals.

Since 2003, the Pole is, however, the only top seed to win all three group matches and not reach the final at that year's WTA Finals, losing to Sabalenka in their semi-final in 2022.

The key insights for the other contenders

Since 2003, Gauff (2022-2024) is only the second player to reach three consecutive editions of the WTA Finals before turning 21, after Maria Sharapova (2004-2007). 

Gauff is aiming to become the fourth American to win the WTA Finals before turning 21 after Chris Evert (1972, 1973 and 1975), Tracy Austin (1980) and Williams (2001).

Paolini has had a fine year, and will become only the fourth Italian to appear at the WTA Finals after Francesca Schiavone (2010), Sara Errani (2012, 2013) and Flavia Pennetta (2015).

At the age of 28 years and 303 days, she will become the second-oldest player to make their maiden WTA Finals appearance as a top-five ranked player, after Li Na (29 years and 241 days) in 2011 – since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975. Paolini (18) won the joint-most matches at grand slam events in 2024, along with Sabalenka. 

Meanwhile, only Swiatek (five) and Sabalenka (four) have won more WTA-level titles in 2024 than Rybakina (three).

At the age of 30 years and 258 days on the day of the final, Pegula could become the oldest maiden-winner of the WTA Finals since the event’s inauguration in 1972, surpassing Jana Novotna (29 years and 52 days) in 1997.

In Cancun last year, Pegula became the first player to face the WTA's top four players at a single event, since the rankings were first published in 1975.

Since the event's inauguration in 1972, Zheng will become only the second player from China to appear at the WTA Finals after Li Na (2011-2013).

Excluding alternates, Krejcikova (13) will be the first player ranked outside the WTA's top 10 to appear at the WTA Finals since Vera Zvonareva (11) in 2004.

Zheng Qinwen was delighted to atone for her 2022 Tokyo Open final defeat as she overcame Sofia Kenin to capture the title on Sunday.

Zheng won her third WTA title of the year by beating wild-card entrant Kenin 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes in the Japanese capital.

The Chinese number one, who won gold at the Paris Olympic Games and successfully defended her Palermo title during the clay-court season, was featuring in her second Tokyo final after finishing as runner-up to Liudmila Samsonova two years ago.

Speaking after her victory, Zheng said: "I really appreciate that I'm able to fight through and be the champion in Tokyo. 

"This is the one I wanted to get when I was 19 years old. I fought so hard, but I didn't, I lost in the final. So this year, I'm just really happy."

Zheng will now look to continue her momentum when she makes her WTA Finals debut in Riyadh next week, but she knows the competition in Saudi Arabia will be fierce. 

"All the players are really tough to beat," Zheng said. "From the first match, I'll need to be focused. It's the first time for me in the WTA Finals. I am so motivated but let’s see what's going to happen."

Data Debrief: Zheng flying in Asia

Zheng now boasts a 28-4 record since the end of Wimbledon, and her form through the Asian Swing has been nothing short of magnificent.

She went 12-2 through the Asian events, and her career win-loss record in Tokyo now stands at 8-1.

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open due to a foot injury as she races to be fit for the Billie Jean King Cup next month. 

Raducanu has not played since retiring midway through her quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina in the Korea Open last month.

The Briton revealed she had sprained ligaments in her foot and has subsequently missed four tournaments, including the China and Wuhan Open. 

Raducanu was targeting a return at next week's WTA 250 event in Hong Kong, but has pulled out of the event after confirming she would not be fit to feature.

"I'm sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week. Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit," she wrote on X.

"I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future! In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC [Billie Jean King Cup]."

But the world number 55's latest withdrawal has raised concerns about her chances of competing for Great Britain at the Billie Jean Cup. 

Raducanu is in Great Britain's squad of five players for the competition, joining Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls. 

Anne Keothavong's side take on Germany on November 15 in Spain, though Raducanu faces an uphill battle to be fit. 

Naomi Osaka apologised after a troublesome back injury forced her to withdraw from the Hong Kong Open and cut her comeback season short.

The four-time major champion was expected to feature in the final WTA 500 event of the year but has pulled out, still citing an injury she suffered in the China Open against Coco Gauff this month.

Osaka has posted a 22-17 record since returning from maternity leave, but her comeback campaign was confirmed to have hit an abrupt end on Monday.

"I'm really sorry that I have had to withdraw from competing at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open and the rest of this tennis season," said Osaka.

"I love visiting the tournament and, despite the obvious disappointment of not being able to play, I want to reassure all my wonderful Hong Kong fans that I will still be attending the event.

"I am very much looking forward to meeting you all.  

"There is a wonderful line-up of world-class players coming to the tournament and I want to wish them all the best of luck in this exciting event."

Osaka racked up six victories over top-20 opponents this year, including her first win over a top-10 opponent in two years by beating Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the US Open.

Peter Johnston, the director of International Events at the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, offered his well-wishes to Osaka despite her withdrawal.

"We are obviously very disappointed that Naomi has had to withdraw from competing, and we sincerely hope that she makes a speedy recovery from her injuries," he said.

"We are nevertheless confident that we have a stellar field of world-class players to enthuse and excite Hong Kong tennis fans."

Aryna Sabalenka has ended Iga Swiatek 11-month reign at the summit of the world rankings ahead of the WTA finals.

Sabalenka previously held the top spot for eight weeks from September to November last year, and has returned once again after a sensational run of form. 

The Belarusian has compiled a record of 20-1 since mid-August, during which she claimed her third grand slam title at the US Open after beating home favourite Jessica Pegula. 

Sabalenka also recently claimed the Cincinnati Open and Wuhan Open titles, while she also started the year with a major triumph at the Australian Open. 

She is the player with the most wins in 2024 with 46, including the women's singles grand slam and WTA-1000 events, one more than Swiatek who is in second. 

The next chance for Swiatek to return to number one is the season-ending WTA Finals next month in Riyadh. 

Iga Swiatek has confirmed Wim Fissette as her new coach as she continues to prepare for next month's WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Swiatek parted ways with Tomasz Wiktorowski earlier this month after three successful years with the Pole, which included four grand slam titles. 

Fissette has previously coached five world number one players.

The 44-year-old had stints with Kim Clijsters, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerber and, most recently, Naomi Osaka.

Fissette has coached Osaka in two matches against Swiatek, with the Japanese losing in the 2022 Miami final and in the second round at Roland-Garros earlier this year. 

"I'm happy to announce that Wim Fissette is joining our team," Swiatek posted on social media.

"As you know, I'm preparing for the WTA Finals but my perspective is, as always, long-term, not short-term.

"I said many times that my career is a marathon for me, not a sprint and I'm working, operating and making decisions with this approach.

"I want to say that I'm very excited and looking forward to working with Wim. He seems to have a great attitude, vision and huge experience at a very top level of tennis.

"It's always crucial to try and get to know each other better but we're off to a good start and I can't wait to compete soon."

Swiatek has not competed since her quarter-final loss to Jessica Pegula at the US Open, pulling out of the China Open, where she was defending champion, due to "personal reasons". 

She now faces a battle to remain at the summit of the WTA rankings, having seen Aryna Sabalenka close the gap following her successes at the US and Wuhan Open. 

Aryna Sabalenka is not thinking about claiming the world number one ranking after her Wuhan Open triumph on Sunday. 

Sabalenka downed home favourite and reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwhen, prevailing 6-3 5-7 6-3 to claim her fifth title on Chinese soil. 

The Belarusian became the player with the most main draw wins at the Wuhan Open since the tournament's inception in 2014, with this victory her 17th in as many matches at the competition.

Sabalenka is also only the second player, after Serena Williams at Miami (2013 to 2015) to win a WTA 1000 tournament in three consecutive editions, but faces a stern test in toppling Iga Swiatek at the summit of the WTA rankings ahead of the end of the season. 

"Really tight ranking right now," Sabalenka said. "Really nice to see. I always say, of course, it's one of my goals, but I prefer to focus on myself and just keep working hard.

"We'll see after the [WTA Finals] if I was good enough this season to become world number one."

Sabalenka (28) and Swiatek (30) are now the pair with the most WTA 1000 wins combined (58) in a single season, surpassing Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013 (57).

But Sabalenka did not have it all her own way in Sunday's showdown with Zheng, who fought back in the second set to force a decider.

Sabalenka eventually halted Zheng's hopes of becoming just the second Chinese player to claim a WTA 1000 title after Li Na in 2012, but it was a tough test for the 26-year-old.

"First of all, I would say the conditions are probably a little bit better for her here," Sabalenka said.

"It's much slower and the ball's getting heavier. She has more things to do on the court when it's slower.

"Honestly, I felt like I just lost a little bit of focus and I let her come back in the match. I got a little bit frustrated there.

"It became a three-set match. Balls are getting heavier, in the third set, [it was] a bit emotional."

Aryna Sabalenka overcame home favourite Zheng Qinwen 6-3 5-7 6-3 to claim a third straight crown at the Wuhan Open.

US Open champion Sabalenka has an immaculate record at the WTA 1000 event, where she extended her dominance on Sunday.

The showdown was a rematch of this year's Australian Open final, in which Sabalenka also came out on top.

She is now unbeaten in four matches against Zheng, this year's Olympic champion. 

Having required just 38 minutes to take the first set, Sabalenka was pegged back in the second, eventually succumbing after saving four break points.

Yet the Belarusian regained the impetus in the decider, swiftly taking a double-break lead and hardly looking back from there.

Data Debrief: Queen of Wuhan does the three-peat

What a year it has been for Sabalenka, and after previously winning in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, the world number two completed a hat-trick of trophies in style. She has played 17 times at the tournament and is yet to lose a match.

Sabalenka, who has won four trophies this year, is the second player, after Serena Williams at Miami (2013 to 2015), to win a WTA 1000 event in three consecutive editions of the tournament.

China is something of a home away from home for the 26-year-old, too. She is now the player to have won the most WTA-level titles on Chinese soil in the Open Era (five).

Meanwhile, Sabalenka and world number one Iga Swiatek are the pair with the most combined wins at WTA 1000 events (58) in a single season, surpassing Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013 (57).

Zheng Qinwen is through to the Wuhan Open final after a straight-sets win over Wang Xinyu.

In a historic, first-ever all-Chinese semi-final at a WTA 1000 event, Zheng reached her first such final, prevailing 6-3 6-4.

There was little to separate the two in the opening exchanges – just as Zheng edged in front with the first break in the fourth game, Wang responded, levelling the scores back at 3-3.

However, Zheng rallied, successfully defending a break point on her way to winning the last three games in a row to take the first set.

Wang faced 12 break points throughout the match, but failed to defend one in the second-set opener, before protecting three as she took a 2-1 lead.

Despite her fight, the Olympic gold medallist dug deep once more, getting two back-to-back breaks in order to clinch clinching the match.

She will face Aryna Sabalenka, who has never lost a match in Wuhan, in the final on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Home favourite

It has been a banner year for Zheng, who is also still in with a chance of qualifying for the WTA finals. Including the Olympics, she has reached the final of four events during 2024, the most she has managed during a single season. 

Only Qiang Wang and Shuai Peng (four each) have made more WTA level finals on Chinese soil than Zheng (three, Zhengzhou and Zhuhai in 2023 and Wuhan in 2024) among Chinese players in the Open Era.

In fact, Zheng is just the second Chinese player to reach the final of a WTA 1000 event since the introduction of the format in 2009, after Li Na.

Aryna Sabalenka produced a stunning comeback to reach the Wuhan Open final, coming from a set and a break down to end Coco Gauff's nine-match winning run.

In a repeat of their Australian Open semi-final clash in January, Sabalenka again emerged victorious, winning 1-6 6-4 6-4 in two hours and 28 minutes. 

Gauff wasted no time in stamping her authority on the contest, breaking Sabalenka's serve in consecutive games to race into a comfortable 5-0 lead in the opening set.

Sabalenka eventually get her first point on the board in the sixth game, but the damage had already been done, with Gauff claiming the early advantage, dropping just 13 points in doing so.

The second set saw both players fail to hold serve, with the first five games seeing consecutive break points before Gauff took control, only for Sabalenka to win the next two games on the spin and hold on to take the encounter the distance.

Sabalenka started brightly in the decider, taking an early 3-0 lead, with the third game seeing 19 points contested before the Belarusian hammered home her advantage. 

The American managed to claw her way back into the contest, though, winning three games on the spin. But Sabalenka broke one final time, with Gauff striking her 21st double fault to seal Sabalenka's progression to the final.

Sabalenka will face the winner of the first all-Chinese semi-final at a WTA 1000 event between Qinwen Zheng and Xinyu Wang's on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Super Sabalenka

Sabalenka hit 31 winners during the contest, becoming the first player to hit 1000 winners in WTA-1000 since Opta collects this data in 2021.

The Belarusian also became the player with the joint most finals reached in WTA events held in China in the Open Era (six), level with Alison Riske & Jelena Jankovic.

She is now the player with the most main draw wins at the Wuhan Open since the tournament's inception in 2014, equalling Petra Kvitova's total of 16. 

Only Jannik Sinner (eight, including Shanghai) has made more Tour level finals than Sabalenka in 2024 (seven, including Wuhan).

World number seven Zheng Qinwen will face Wang Xinyu in the first all-Chinese semi-final at a WTA 1000 event on Saturday, following the duo's quarter-final victories on Friday.

Zheng overcame Wimbledon and French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the last eight of the Wuhan Open, teasing several errors out of the Italian in the deciding set of a big-hitting encounter.

She has now won more matches since the end of Wimbledon (23) than any other player on the WTA Tour, and her next opponent will be compatriot Wang.

Wang came through a gruelling encounter with Ekaterina Alexandrova earlier on Friday, saving two match points en route to a 4-6 6-4 7-6 (8-6) victory.

Making her first WTA 1000 semi-final, the world number 51 is the second-lowest ranked player to ever reach that stage in Wuhan.

The winner of Saturday's tie will take on either Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff in the final, with both players bidding to become the first Chinese player to go all the way at the tournament.

Data Debrief: Rare home contest in the offing

Since the inception of WTA 1000 events in 2009, only two local pairs have met in a semi-final match in the format, ahead of Zheng and Wang becoming the third this weekend.

Serena and Venus Williams faced off in Miami in 2009, while Madison Keys and Sofia Kenin battled it out in the final four of the 2019 Cincinnati Open.

Aryna Sabalenka continued her Wuhan Open dominance as she reached her third consecutive semi-final at the competition with a straight sets victory over Magdalena Frech.

Sabalenka needed just over an hour to down her Polish opponent, emerging a 6-2 6-2 victor in a largely one-sided contest. 

The Belarusian laid down a marker of her intentions early on, serving a love game in the opener before quickly racing into a 4-0 lead. 

Frech would get her first point on the board in the fifth game, but the damage had been done in the opening exchanges as Sabalenka saw out her serve to take the advantage. 

The world number two threatened to end the contest in double quick time after she claimed a 3-0 lead in the second set, only for Frech to respond and close to within one game. 

However, Sabalenka held firm to secure the win, sealing the triumph with her third match point as she extended her winning streak to 15 matches in Wuhan. 

Sabalenka will now face Coco Gauff for a place in the final in what will be the pair's first encounter since the Belarusian's semi-final win at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Data Debrief: Sabalenka continues Wuhan love story

Sabalenka is only the second player after Ashleigh Barty to reach the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open in all their first three appearances at this tournament.

Only Serena Williams (21 in Rome, 20 in Miami and 19 in Madrid) has won more consecutive matches in a single city hosting a WTA-1000 event than Sabalenka in Wuhan (15) since the format’s introduction in 2009.

Coco Gauff recorded her 50th WTA Tour-level win of the season as the American stormed into the semi-final of the Wuhan Open.

Poland's Magda Linette was no match for Gauff on Friday, as the world number four won 6-0 6-4.

Gauff was in top form throughout the contest, as she saved all five break points she faced and completed the victory in under 90 minutes.

"I'm really happy with how I played," Gauff said.

"Obviously a smooth first set. Had chances to maybe close it out in the 5-3 game in the second, but happy I was able to close it out on my serve."

Data Debrief: Home away from home

Among current players to have played more than 10 WTA matches in a single country, only Iga Swiatek in France (94.6%), Caroline Wozniacki in Denmark and Simona Halep in Romania (93.3% each) have a higher winning percentage than Gauff in China (92.9%).

Gauff is the second-youngest player to make the semi-final of the Wuhan Open and China Open during the same season, after Jelena Ostapenko in 2017.

She also became the third player to claim 50+ WTA main draw wins in 2024, after Swiatek and Sabalenka. They are the first trio to secure this milestone for consecutive seasons since 2008-2009.