Eight of the WTA Tour's best players gather in Saudi Arabia from Saturday for the final top-level event of the 2024 season, the WTA Finals at Riyadh's King Saud University Arena.
Having bounced around various locations over the last few years, the season-ending event takes place in Riyadh for the first time with a draw comprising the top seven on the WTA's season-long rankings plus Barbora Krejcikova, the highest-ranked and only Grand Slam winner from those ranked eighth to 20th.
As has been the case since 2003, the eight players are divided into two groups of four. Each player will play three round-robin matches before the top two in each group advance to the semi-finals.
Aryna Sabalenka, on a run of 20 wins from her last 21 matches, is the top seed in the Purple Group which also includes Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina and Qinwen Zheng, while Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Krejcikova make up the Orange Group.
- QINWEN ZHENG TO WIN WTA FINALS
- COCO GAUFF TO WIN ORANGE GROUP
Zheng Can Cap Superb Season With Finals Triumph
With doubts over the form of Swiatek, who hasn't played since the US Open, Sabalenka is the deserving favourite with the indoor conditions in Riyadh expected to suit her power-packed style of play.
However, the round-robin format enhances the chances of Zheng, who has looked equally impressive recently and could advance to the semi-final stage even if she loses out to her nemesis Sabalenka in her tournament opener.
The 22-year-old Chinese player, crowned Olympic champion at the beginning of August, has subsequently reached the semis of the China Open and the final of the Wuhan Open before winning the Japan Open on her last start.
While she could again find Sabalenka too hot to handle, Zheng should beat Paolini, who has dropped her level in recent months, while Rybakina is an unknown quantity who has spent most of the season battling illness.
If Zheng qualifies for the semi-finals, she looks capable of making the final, where she will hope she doesn't have to face Sabalenka for a second time.
QINWEN ZHENG TO WIN WTA FINALS
In-Form Gauff To Upstage Orange Group Rivals
For a second wager, consider backing Gauff to top the Orange Group at the expense of her undercooked and out-of-form rivals.
The American has shown plenty of promise since splitting with coach Brad Gilbert, winning the China Open then losing out to Sabalenka in a Wuhan semi-final which she would have won were it not for her struggles on serve from the midpoint of the second set onwards.
Gauff's head-to-head record against both Swiatek and Pegula is a concern but the American should appreciate these conditions more than her rivals, who do not arrive in Saudi Arabia in anything like the same form.
Swiatek has not played in almost two months while Pegula exited at the last-16 stage in both Beijing and Wuhan. Krejcikova, a shock Wimbledon champion in July, has struggled since and was forced to retire in Ningbo on her most recent appearance.
COCO GAUFF TO WIN ORANGE GROUP
