WTA Finals 2025 on Sky Sports Tennis - all you need to know

Sabalenka tops the eight-player WTA Finals field in Riyadh alongside Swiatek and defending champion Gauff. Betting angle: back Sabalenka or Swiatek as favourites for the title, consider Gauff for match-value and Anisimova as a high-upside outsider in outrights and group bets.

WTA Finals 2025: Top Eight Head to Riyadh for Season-Ending Showdown

The 2025 WTA season culminates in Riyadh as the elite eight singles players prepare to battle for the WTA Finals crown from November 1–8. The event uses a round-robin format before progressing to semi-finals and a single-match final, setting up a week of tactical matchups and high-stakes encounters.

Confirmed Qualifiers

1. Aryna Sabalenka 2. Iga Swiatek (POL) 3. Coco Gauff (USA) 4. Amanda Anisimova (USA) 5. Jessica Pegula (USA) 6. Madison Keys (USA) 7. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 8. Jasmine Paolini (ITA)

How Each Player Booked Their Spot

Aryna Sabalenka was the first to clinch qualification, sealing her place with a Wimbledon quarter-final win and entering as the world No.1 seed after a prolific title and point haul. Iga Swiatek confirmed her spot after a run to the Cincinnati final and heads to Riyadh aiming for a fifth consecutive Finals appearance. Coco Gauff extended her streak with a fourth consecutive qualification after strong late-season results. Amanda Anisimova makes her Finals debut following her best season to date, highlighted by a WTA 1000 title. Madison Keys returns to the year-end event for the first time since 2016 after a season that included a Grand Slam breakthrough. Jessica Pegula completed a rare quartet of Americans qualifying for the Finals, while Jasmine Paolini secured back-to-back Finals singles qualifications and also ranks high in doubles. Elena Rybakina grabbed the final slot after late-season form pushed her into contention.

Defending Champion and Recent Form

Coco Gauff arrives as the defending champion after a gripping 2024 final in which she edged Quinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), becoming the youngest winner in the tournament’s history. Her blend of power and court craft makes her a natural contender to repeat, but the depth of this year’s field ensures no player will have an easy path.

Format, Groups and Progression

The eight players are divided into two groups of four for round-robin play, with each athlete meeting the other three players in her group. The top two from each group advance to the semi-finals, where the group winner meets the runner-up from the opposite group. Semi-final winners contest the championship match. Group compositions and order of play are to be confirmed.

Venue and Prize Money

Riyadh hosts the WTA Finals under a multi-year agreement that boosts the tournament’s prize fund significantly; prize money for the event has been raised to $15.25 million, reflecting the tour’s push to elevate the season-ending showcase.

Betting Implications and Tactical Angles

With Sabalenka entering as the top seed, she and Swiatek present the clearest favourites for outrights; punters should weigh current form, head-to-head histories and late-season fatigue. Gauff offers strong match-value as defending champion and is worth consideration for individual matches and group-winning bets. Anisimova and Paolini represent attractive dark-horse options for outrights given breakthrough seasons, while the American quartet’s depth makes multiple head-to-head markets and prop bets worthwhile. Round-robin structure rewards match-by-match strategies—look for value in individual group ties and semi-final qualification markets rather than longshot futures alone.

Schedule

Order of play and detailed schedule: To be confirmed.

The 2025 WTA Tour season will come to a crescendo in Riyadh, with the top eight women this year going head-to-head in the WTA Finals between November 1 and 8, live on Sky Sports Tennis.

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