The draw for the WTA Finals in Riyadh is out. Purple Group 💜 Aryna Sabalenka Jasmine Paolini Elena Rybakina Qinwen Zheng Orange Group 🧡 Iga Swiatek Coco Gauff Jessica Pegula Barbora Krejcikova Let’s go, ladies.
Draw WTA Finals 2024: Fates sealed for Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff and Rybakina in Riyadh
WTATuesday, 29 October 2024 at 23:43
The draw has been confirmed for the 2024 WTA Finals which takes place in Riyadh between 2-9 November, 2024 and will be the 53rd edition of the singles tournament. It is also the first that will take place in Saudi Arabia.
The tournament is contested by the eight highest ranked singles players and doubles teams of the WTA Tour. It is the fifth consecutive time that the tournament will have a new home in a row with Shenzhen in 2019, Guadalajara in 2021, Fort Worth in 2022 and Cancun in 2023 all being held in different places.
Aryna Sabalenka is top seed and leads the Purple Group with the draw gala being concluded on Tuesday afternoon. Iga Swiatek as World No.2 and second seed leads the Orange Group.
Over the first six days, each player meets the other three players in her group. The top two advance to the semi-finals. The first placed meets the second in the other group and vice versa. The winners of each semi-final meet in the Championship Match.
Also with it being Round Robin, there are caveats in place in case of players being tied by the end of the week. Those being:
- Greatest number of match wins
- Greatest number of matches played
- Head-to-head results if only two players are tied, or if three players are tied then:
a. If three players each have the same number of wins, a player having played less than all three matches is automatically eliminated and the player advancing to the single-elimination competition is the winner of the match-up of the two remaining tied players.b. Highest percentage of sets wonc. Highest percentage of games won
In terms of the groups, Sabalenka who will be looking to stay as World No.1 merely with a few early wins in Riyadh has it tougher. She faces Jasmine Paolini who is a two-time Grand Slam finalist this year. While Elena Rybakina hasn't played for some months but is back in Saudi Arabia all smiles and is dangerous usually when she's not unwell. As well as Qinwen Zheng who has been the player of the moment.
A real standout star of the Asian Hard Court swing, she cemented her qualification and only lost twice and has only lost four times since Wimbledon. So if Sabalenka is to do it, it will be the hard way.
While Swiatek perhaps has it simpler with Coco Gauff who she has an incredible record over. As well as Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova, two players who can pose issues but also aren't surefire bets especially Krejcikova. So she will be favourite to win through. Will there be any shocks on the table?
Purple Group
Aryna Sabalenka
Jasmine Paolini
Elena Rybakina
Zheng Qinwen
Orange Group
Iga Swiatek
Coco Gauff
Jessica Pegula
Barbora Krejcikova
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