WTA Finals: Who's qualified? What are the year-end No. 1 scenarios for Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek?
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Published 11/10/2023 at 08:08 GMT
When and where are the 2023 WTA Finals? Who has qualified? Will Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek finish as year-end No. 1? We run through all you need to know ahead of the season finale. Sabalenka is set to be world No. 1 heading into the tournament, which will see the eight top singles players and doubles teams across the year compete for the last big trophy of the season.
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The finish line is in sight for the WTA season.
The last WTA 1000 event of 2023 saw Iga Swiatek claim victory at the China Open as she beat Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets in the final.
Swiatek and the rest of the leading WTA Tour players will now turn their attentions to the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun, where not only will the prestigious trophy be up for grabs, but also the world No. 1 ranking.
With the line-up set, we run through everything you need to know about the 2023 WTA Finals.
What are the WTA Finals?
The WTA Finals is the season-ending tournament which features the top eight-ranked singles players and doubles teams across the year.
Qualification is determined by points accrued throughout the calendar year, rather than the traditional rankings which are done across a 12-month period.
The eight singles players are drawn into two groups and face each other in a round-robin format. The top two players in each group advance to the semi-finals and the singles champion wins the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy.
When and where are the WTA Finals?
The WTA Finals will take place from October 29 to November 5.
They will be held in Cancun, Mexico.
Who has qualified for the WTA Finals?
The eight singles players to have qualified for the WTA Finals are:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Iga Swiatek
- Coco Gauff
- Elena Rybakina
- Jessica Pegula
- Marketa Vondrousova
- Karolina Muchova
- Ons Jabeur
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The line-up features all four of the Grand Slam winners in 2023: Australian Open champion Sabalenka, French Open winner Swiatek, Wimbledon champion Vondrousova and US Open winner Gauff.
Rybakina, Vondrousova and Muchova will be making their debuts at the WTA Finals.
Maria Sakkari won the 2022 WTA Finals but will not be back to defend her title.
WTA chairman Steve Simon said: “The GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun promises to be another outstanding showpiece of women’s professional tennis and we are delighted to bring the event back to Mexico after such an exciting edition was held there in 2021.
“My congratulations to everyone who has qualified, and I along with the WTA’s global fanbase can’t wait to see how the action unfolds in Cancun.”
What are the year-end No. 1 scenarios?
The winner of the WTA Finals will not only get the trophy, but also 1,500 ranking points.
For Sabalenka or Swiatek that could be decisive in finishing as WTA year-end No. 1.
Sabalenka ended Swiatek’s 75-week streak as world No. 1 after the US Open, but has seen her advantage at the top cut following Swiatek’s China Open win.
Swiatek now trails Sabalenka by just 590 points.
Sabalenka will be defending 955 points in Cancun after reaching the final last year, while Swiatek will be defending 750 points as she lost in the semis in 2022.
With her points advantage heading into the tournament, Sabalenka will be the strong favourite to finish as year-end No. 1. Swiatek will probably at least need to reach the final to have a chance of getting back to No. 1, and will likely have to win the trophy.
Gauff, Rybakina, Muchova out of Zhengzhou
Rest and recovery now appears the priority for most of those competing at the WTA Finals.
Gauff, Rybakina and Muchova were due to play the Zhengzhou Open this week, but all three withdrew due to injuries.
US Open champion Gauff suffered a shoulder problem at the China Open and had to take a medical timeout during her semi-final defeat to Swiatek.
Speaking about the issue, Gauff said: “It's definitely a new experience. I'm not used to playing with pain in general. It's not like a terrible injury from what I'm told. Just with some rest, it will be fine.”
Rybakina withdrew from Zhengzhou with a back issue and Muchova due to a wrist injury.
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Coco Gauff, Beijing 2023
Image credit: Getty Images
Jabeur is the top seed in Zhengzhou while Pegula is leading the field at the Korea Open.
Swiatek said after the China Open that she plans to head back to Poland before travelling to Cancun.
“I'm happy that I can come back home again and be home for two weeks. It's something, that for sure, we kind of miss at the end of the season, so it's good that we have time to do that right now.
“We have to wait for the finals for two weeks. Maybe it's not like the best scenario because then the pre-season is a little bit shorter, but for sure, I'm going to take all the positive sides from it.”
Swiatek and Gauff have also withdrawn from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which take place after the WTA Finals.
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