Players have arrived in Riyadh for the 53rd edition of the Hologic WTA Tour’s crown-jewel event. Let’s take a look at the practice photos captured by Jimmie48 and the draw for this prestigious tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, November 2.
Aryna Sabalenka leads the Purple Group as the top seed, vying to maintain her position as world No. 1 in the year-end WTA rankings. Despite the controversy surrounding the event’s location in Saudi Arabia, Sabalenka appears at ease as she practices in form-fitting shorts at the King Saud University Sports Arena.
Second seed Iga Swiatek, donning her ombre On apparel, practiced alongside her new coach, Wim Fissette. This tournament marks her first competition since the US Open and her loss of the No. 1 ranking to Sabalenka.
Twenty-year-old Coco Gauff is the youngest player in the draw. On her debut in 2022, the American struggled in the group stage, losing all three matches, but showed significant progress last year by reaching the semifinals.
Dressed in a simple black Asics t-shirt and white tennis shorts, Jasmine Paolini practiced in Riyadh on Tuesday. The Italian is making her debut at the WTA Finals and stands out as the only player competing in both the singles and doubles draws this year.
Elena Rybakina was spotted practicing in Riyadh on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The former Wimbledon champion, who made history last year as Kazakhstan’s first singles qualifier, was all smiles during her training sessions, despite a recent turbulent period involving her now-former coach, Stefano Vukov.
Jessica Pegula is making her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals. The American stepped onto the practice courts in a relaxed, loose-fitting black Adidas tank and shorts, accented with vibrant blue stripes along the sides.
Zheng Qinwen has qualified for the season-ending championships for the first time. The Chinese player, who most recently won her fifth career title in Tokyo, hit the practice courts in her fresh pink Nike Fall Advantage Top and matching shorts.
Barbora Krejcikova, the eighth singles qualifier, has yet to arrive in Riyadh. Her preparation for the season’s final tournament was disrupted by a back injury sustained at the Ningbo Open in China. Recently, the Czech player has resumed training in Prague as she works to regain her form.
The WTA Finals singles draw is split into two groups, Purple and Orange. The top two players from each group will advance to the semifinals on Friday, November 8, with the winners moving on to the final on Saturday, November 9. Top-seeded Sabalenka and the Purple Group will kick off the action on Saturday, followed by the Orange Group starting on Sunday.
Singles draw
Purple Group
[1] Aryna Sabalenka
[4] Jasmine Paolini
[5] Elena Rybakina
[7] Zheng Qinwen
Orange Group
[2] Iga Swiatek
[3] Coco Gauff
[6] Jessica Pegula
[8] Barbora Krejcikova
Doubles draw
Green Group
[1] Lyudmyla Kichenok & Jelena Ostapenko
[3] Hsieh Su-Wei & Elise Mertens
[6] Nicole Melichar-Martinez & Ellen Perez
[8] Katerina Siniakova & Taylor Townsend
White Group
[2] Gabriela Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe
[4] Sara Errani & Jasmine Paolini
[5] Caroline Dolehide & Desirae Krawczyk
[7] Chan Hao-Ching & Veronika Kudermetova
