WTA Finals alternates look set – but will there be more withdrawals?
The WTA Finals alternates are officially set – but could there yet be more changes in Riyadh?
With the Race to Riyadh officially over, and the Finals getting underway this week, Daria Kasatkina and Danielle Collins – ninth and 10th in the race respectively – are set to be alternates at the championships.
Initially, world No 8 Emma Navarro, who sits eighth in the WTA Race, was first in line to be the first alternate, though has now withdrawn.
The 23-year-old was in a strong position to qualify for the finals after the US Open, with her run to the semi-finals in New York pushing her up to seventh in the WTA Race.
However, a disappointing Asian swing saw her lose in her opening matches in Beijing and Wuhan, and ultimately slip behind a surging Zheng Qinwen.
Eighth would have been enough in the past to seal Finals qualification, but new rules introduced in 2024 mean that a 12th-place finish for Barbora Krejcikova is enough for her to qualify – thanks to her Wimbledon victory.
Ultimately, Navarro has decided to withdraw from her alternate position due to a recent illness, pushing Kasatkina up to first alternate, and allowing Collins to enter the fray.
However, the world No 10 – who recently announced she was calling off her impending retirement – is also a doubt for the event.
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Collins lost in the opening round of the US Open and has played just one match since then, losing in the opening round of the Guadalajara Open.
The 30-year-old, champion at the Miami and Charleston Open this spring, skipped the Asian swing due to illness and, while officially still an alternate, she has not yet confirmed she will be in Riyadh.
That means that the quest to find another alternate could extend even further down the WTA Race.
Paula Badosa, who sits in 11th, has officially ended her season, and with 12th-placed Krejcikova already in the draw, Anna Kalinskaya – who sits in 13th – could well be in line to occupy one of the places.
Are alternates important?
It is not unprecedented for alternates to be needed at the WTA Finals.
Just last year, Karolina Muchova was forced to withdraw pre-tournament due to injury, with Maria Sakarri stepping in to replace her.
Krejcikova became the first alternate on that occasion, with no second alternate officially called up.
However, in 2019, both tournament alternates were needed.
With Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu withdrawing during the group stages, Kiki Bertens and Sofia Kenin stepped in to replace them.
