Preview WTA Finals Day Five: Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova battle for final semis spot as Rybakina looks to extend winning streak

Day 5 of the WTA Finals will determine the second qualifier for the semi-finals from the Serena Williams Group, which will be decided between the 2023 champion, Iga Swiatek, and the tournament's only debutante, Amanda Anisimova.

On Day Three—the second day of competition for this group—the qualification of Elena Rybakina was confirmed. She remains the only player already assured of her place in the semi-finals, securing the group leadership following wins over Swiatek and Anisimova. In a duel that will not have much relevance, she will face Madison Keys—who finished last in the tournament, while doubts persist about whether she will appear for the final match, or be replaced by Mirra Andreeva.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, has qualified for the semi-finals of the WTA Finals for the first time, after being eliminated in the Round Robin in her two previous appearances. The World No. 6 is currently on an 8-match winning streak, which included winning the title in Ningbo, reaching the semi-finals in Tokyo (withdrew in the semi-finals), and now securing two more wins against Swiatek and Anisimova. The 26-year-old is already assured of the semi-finals after two straight-set wins, meaning regardless of whether Swiatek or Anisimova win the second match of the day, Rybakina will finish first in the group.

Nonetheless, facing Keys to close the group will be a good chance to continue displaying her high level of play and maintain competitive rhythm heading into the semi-finals—where she will face the second-place finisher from the Steffi Graf Group (currently Coco Gauff, pending the final day). Furthermore, the Kazakh has a chance this week to return to the Top 5 if she maintains her form.

On the other side, Keys arrived without much competitive rhythm, as her last tournament was a surprising first-round elimination at the US Open against World No. 82 Renata Zarazúa. The Aussie Open champion is now on a 4-match losing streak and looks far from the level she showed earlier in the year. There are also rumors that she may not show up for the match, as she was reportedly unwell when she faced Anisimova—which might explain the no-handshake after the duel two days ago.

If Keys is unable to play, Mirra Andreeva (first alternate) would potentially take the court, having finished 9th in the WTA Race. If the Russian plays, she will also have no chance of advancing, but she could accumulate 200 important ranking points before the season ends.

Iga Swiatek made a statement in her first Round Robin match, defeating Madison Keys while conceding only three games. In the second match against Rybakina, she appeared to remain in control at a high level, taking a great first set, but then fizzled out and barely won one game in the subsequent two sets (6-3, 1-6, 0-6). The 6-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated in the Round Robin in 2024—despite achieving two victories—but this time, a win will be enough to secure her semi-final spot.

Anisimova, for her part, began her tournament participation with a painful defeat against Rybakina, where she barely won 4 games. In the second duel against Keys, she started a set down but ended up making a comeback and taking the win (4-6, 6-3, 6-2), which also eliminated the 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys from the tournament. The World No. 4 is the only debutante at these WTA Finals, and she will face one of the most experienced players in Swiatek, who already has 5 consecutive appearances and the 2023 title.

The two players have starred in two encounters this year on the biggest stages, with one win for each. The Pole won the Wimbledon final (6-0, 6-0), while Anisimova got revenge in the US Open quarter-finals (6-4, 6-3). With these being their only previous meetings, they face each other again at one of the year's major events, and both are under pressure to win if they want to stay alive in Riyadh.