The WTA Finals will take place between November 8 and 15 and will be the 55th edition of the year-end championships. It is set to be played in Indian Wells for the first time.
It was originally scheduled to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 7 to 14 for the third consecutive year but due to safety concerns over the 2026 Iron War. It was moved to the United States after the contract ended early.
Elena Rybakina is defending champion. Iga Swiatek won't be involved this year for the first time in a long while. But Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Linda Noskova, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Elina Svitolina and Linda Noskova are also involved.
Field WTA Finals 2026
| # | Player | Ctry |
| 1 | Elena Rybakina | KAZ |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | BLR |
| 3 | Mirra Andreeva | RUS |
| 4 | Jessica Pegula | USA |
| 5 | Coco Gauff | USA |
| 6 | Elina Svitolina | UKR |
| 7 | Karolína Muchová | CZE |
| 9 | Linda Nosková | CZE |
When is the draw confirmed for WTA Finals?
The draw will be confirmed this upcoming Tuesday at 3pm local time.
When is the schedule confirmed for the WTA Finals?
The schedule will be confirmed before the tournament begins. It will be set with round robin on opposing days before the latter half.
Prize Money WTA Finals 2026
The prize money has not been confirmed yet, but here are the 2025 efforts.
| 2025 | Prize Money: USD |
| Alternate | $150,000 |
| Participation Fee* | $340,000 |
| Round-robin Match Win | $355,000 |
| Semi-final Match Win | $1,290,000 |
| Final Win | $2,540,000 |
| Undefeated Champion | $5,235,000 |
Format
| Stage | Format |
| Group Stage | Eight players/teams compete in a round-robin format, split into two groups of four. |
| Round Robin | Over the first six days, each player/team faces the other three players/teams in their group. |
| Qualification | The top two players/teams from each group advance to the semifinals. |
| Semifinals | The first-placed player/team in one group faces the second-placed player/team in the other group, and vice versa. |
| Final | The winners of the two semifinals meet in the championship match. |
History WTA Finals
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1972 | Chris Evert (1/4) | Kerry Melville | 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1973 | Chris Evert (2/4) | Nancy Richey Gunter | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1974 | Evonne Goolagong (1/2) | Chris Evert | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1975 | Chris Evert (3/4) | Martina Navratilova | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1976 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley (2/2) | Chris Evert | 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 1977 | Chris Evert ( 4/4) | Sue Barker | 2–6, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1978 | Martina Navratilova (1/8) | Evonne Goolagong Cawley | 7–6(7–2), 6–4 |
| 1979 | Martina Navratilova (2/8) | Tracy Austin | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1980 | Tracy Austin (1/1) | Martina Navratilova | 6–2, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 1981 | Martina Navratilova (3/8) | Andrea Jaeger | 6–3, 7–6 (7–3) |
| 1982 | Sylvia Hanika (1/1) | Martina Navratilova | 1–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1983 | Martina Navratilova (4/8) | Chris Evert | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 1984‡ | Martina Navratilova (5/8) | Chris Evert | 6–3, 7–5, 6–1 |
| 1985‡ | Martina Navratilova (6/8) | Helena Suková | 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1986 (Mar.)‡ | Martina Navratilova (7/8) | Hana Mandlíková | 6–2, 6–0, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 1986 (Nov.)‡ | Martina Navratilova (8/8) | Steffi Graf | 7–6(8–6), 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1987‡ | Steffi Graf (1/5) | Gabriela Sabatini | 4–6, 6–4, 6–0, 6–4 |
| 1988‡ | Gabriela Sabatini (1/2) | Pam Shriver | 7–5, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1989‡ | Steffi Graf (2/5) | Martina Navratilova | 6–4, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 1990‡ | Monica Seles (1/3) | Gabriela Sabatini | 6–4, 5–7, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1991‡ | Monica Seles (2/3) | Martina Navratilova | 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 6–0 |
| 1992‡ | Monica Seles (3/3) | Martina Navratilova | 7–5, 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1993‡ | Steffi Graf (3/5) | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 1994‡ | Gabriela Sabatini (2/2) | Lindsay Davenport | 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1995‡ | Steffi Graf (4/5) | Anke Huber | 6–1, 2–6, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1996‡ | Steffi Graf (5/5) | Martina Hingis | 6–3, 4–6, 6–0, 4–6, 6–0 |
| 1997‡ | Jana Novotná (1/1) | Mary Pierce | 7–6(7–4), 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1998‡ | Martina Hingis (1/2) | Lindsay Davenport | 7–5, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |
| 1999 | Lindsay Davenport (1/1) | Martina Hingis | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2000 | Martina Hingis (2/2) | Monica Seles | 6–7 (5–7), 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2001 | Serena Williams (1/5) | Lindsay Davenport | walkover |
| 2002 | Kim Clijsters (1/3) | Serena Williams | 7–5, 6–3 |
| 2003 | Kim Clijsters (2/3) | Amélie Mauresmo | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 2004 | Maria Sharapova (1/1) | Serena Williams | 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 2005 | Amélie Mauresmo (1/1) | Mary Pierce | 5–7, 7–6 (7–3), 6–4 |
| 2006 | Justine Henin (1/2) | Amélie Mauresmo | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2007 | Justine Henin (2/2) | Maria Sharapova | 5–7, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 2008 | Venus Williams (1/1) | Vera Zvonareva | 6–7 (5–7), 6–0, 6–2 |
| 2009 | Serena Williams (2/5) | Venus Williams | 6–2, 7–6 (7–4) |
| 2010 | Kim Clijsters (3/3) | Caroline Wozniacki | 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 2011 | Petra Kvitová (1/1) | Victoria Azarenka | 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 2012 | Serena Williams (3/5) | Maria Sharapova | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2013 | Serena Williams (4/5) | Li Na | 2–6, 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2014 | Serena Williams (5/5) | Simona Halep | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2015 | Agnieszka Radwańska (1/1) | Petra Kvitová | 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 2016 | Dominika Cibulková (1/1) | Angelique Kerber | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2017 | Caroline Wozniacki (1/1) | Venus Williams | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2018 | Elina Svitolina (1/1) | Sloane Stephens | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 2019 | Ashleigh Barty (1/1) | Elina Svitolina | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2020 | No competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | Garbiñe Muguruza (1/1) | Anett Kontaveit | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 2022 | Caroline Garcia (1/1) | Aryna Sabalenka [a] | 7–6(7–4), 6–4 |
| 2023 | Iga Świątek (1/1) | Jessica Pegula | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 2024 | Coco Gauff (1/1) | Zheng Qinwen | 3–6, 6–4, 7–6 (7–2) |
| 2025 | Elena Rybakina (1/1) | Aryna Sabalenka [a] | 6–3, 7–6 (7–0) |
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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