WTA Finals predictions: Will Sabalenka, Swiatek, or Anisimova dethrone Gauff?
The ‘Elite 8’ is set and the best women’s tennis players in the world are now preparing to do battle at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar.
Defending champion Coco Gauff is back to try and retain her title and will face Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Jasmine Paolini in Group Steffi Graf, while Group Serena Williams pits Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, and Madison Keys up against each other.
There is plenty at stake in the final tournament of the WTA season, but who will be lifting the title come finals day? Here, we make our predictions.
Group Serena Williams
Players: (2) Iga Swiatek, (4) Amanda Anisimova, (6) Elena Rybakina, (7) Madison Keys
A group of four players not known for holding back, expect plenty of firepower to be on display when Swiatek, Anisimova, Rybakina, and Keys take to the court in Riyadh.
Of the four women, only fourth seed Anisimova has never played at the WTA Finals before, but the American will approach with plenty of confidence.
After not winning a single game against Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, she turned the tables on the Pole when they met at the US Open — though she has never played either Keys or Rybakina on tour.
Keys enters as somewhat of an unknown, with the Australian Open champion having not played since losing in the opening round of the US Open, while Rybakina approaches after a strong Asian swing that helped seal her qualification.
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The Kazakh and Keys have split their two 2025 clashes, though the stumbling block for the sixth seed could be Swiatek, whom she has lost to four times this season.
Swiatek was not at her best at the WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan heading into the year-end championships, though the second half of 2025 has largely seen the Wimbledon champion in more consistent form.
Prediction: 1st) Swiatek, 2nd) Anisimova
Group Steffi Graf
Players: (1) Aryna Sabalenka, (3) Coco Gauff, (5) Jessica Pegula, (8) Jasmine Paolini
Having met in the semi-final of the WTA Finals last season, world No 1 Sabalenka and defending champion Gauff will now meet for the first time since the French Open final.
It was third seed Gauff who prevailed at Roland Garros this June, and whom approaches this event with plenty of momentum — after her resurgent run to the Wuhan Open title.
However, it is Sabalenka who has arguably been the class of the WTA field in 2025, and the Belarusian will be hungry for success at a tournament she has never previously won.
Rematches against both Gauff and Pegula, who snapped a four-match losing run to Sabalenka in the Wuhan semi-finals, will be fascinating for the Belarusian — with the match-up against Paolini the only one she will likely enter as a significant favourite.
Having lost her last four meetings to Sabalenka, Paolini will likely need strong results against Gauff and Pegula to progress, and the slower conditions may aid her.
But, those conditions will likely play into both Gauff and Pegula’s hands as well, with the defending champion looking to beat both Pegula and Paolini as she did on her way to the Wuhan title.
Prediction: 1st) Gauff, 2nd) Sabalenka
Semi-final predictions
Anisimova def Gauff
Sabalenka def Swiatek
Final prediction
Anisimova def Sabalenka
