WTA Finals: Elena Rybakina ends season strong, defeats World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in Riyadh

Elena Rybakina may be out of the running at the WTA Finals but this is often when players are at their most dangerous with the freedom to play their best. That was the case as she saw off World No.1, Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Rybakina ends her season on a good note. it has not been the easiest five months or so for the prodigious former Wimbledon champion who showed to start 2024 that when she is at her best, she is so good.

But with issues with injuries and illness off the court as well as her highly publicised split with Stefano Vukov who was accused by tennis insiders of an abusive relationship with his protege, Rybakina wasn't seen for many months since the US Open.

After time away though, she has returned and took her spot in Riyadh albeit in a super tough group and one that she tasted defeat in against Jasmine Paolini and Qinwen Zheng with the latter moving through to the semi-finals after an emphatic 6-1, 6-1 win earlier today.

Rybakina ends 2024 above 5,000 points. But she needs a favour from whoever faces Qinwen Zheng in order to stay there with the Chinese ace if she wins usurping her if so. Given the form she is in at the moment, it may be an uphill task.

But despite going out early, Rybakina has shown that there is life yet. She will team up with Goran Ivanisevic in the close season in a highly publicised link-up with the former Novak Djokovic coach and fellow ex Wimbledon champion. So while she has had a tough few months, it is looking up going into a part of the year in early 2025 that she enjoys as evidenced by her form this season that got her a spot in Riyadh.

Sabalenka is through come what may anyway to the latter stages so it matters very little and she will sit in the first quarter having topped the group and could yet face Zheng Qinwen again in the final with Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff likely to join her.