Maria Sakkari has pulled out of the HUAFA Technology WTA Elite Trophy as she banks on a withdrawal to give her a place at the WTA Finals in Cancun, meaning Madison Keys now leads the field.
The qualifiers for the 2023 WTA Finals, which will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from October 29-5, were announced in recent weeks. World No. 6 Sakkari qualified for the tournament in both 2021 and 2022 but just missed out this year.
The Greek player was having a difficult time on the Tour, including a first-round exit at the US Open, but returned to form at the Guadalajara Open in September. Sakkari defeated Caroline Dolehide in the final to win her first-ever WTA 1000 title, putting her in with a chance of making the prestigious season-ending championships for the third consecutive year.
Sakkari, Kvitova, and Bencic all withdraw
However, Sakkari ended up just missing out on the Top 8 after a quarter-final defeat at the China Open. Instead, the qualifiers were made up of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, Marketa Vondrousova, and Karolina Muchova.
Therefore, Sakkari was set to compete at the WTA Elite Trophy, which brings together the Top 12 players who did not qualify for the Finals. It is set to take place from October 24-29 in Zhuhai, China. Eleven players qualify based on their season performance while the twelfth is awarded by invitation.
Now, it has been revealed that three players - Sakkari, Petra Kvitova, and Belinda Bencic - have decided not to compete at the tournament, with Sakkari banking on a withdrawal from one of the Top 8 players which would see her enter the WTA Finals.
This means that Keys, a 2023 US Open semi-finalist, will lead the field in Zhuhai, with Daria Kasatkina, Barbora Krejcikova, and Jelena Ostapenko among the other qualifiers.
Last year's WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia will also be present there after an up-and-down season saw her finish twentieth in the race to Cancun. Meanwhile, home player Qinwen Zheng ensured her qualification to the Elite Trophy, with Xinyu Wang receiving the wildcard.
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