2025 WTA Finals

The 2025 WTA Finals was a year-end championship tennis tournament held by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for the eight best singles players and eight best doubles teams of the 2025 WTA Tour. The tournament took place from November 1 to November 8, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the second consecutive year. It marked the 54th edition of the singles event and the 49th edition of the doubles competition.

Champions

Singles

Elena Rybakina wrapped up her 2025 season in style, taking down Aryna Sabalenka 6–3, 7–6(7–0) to claim the WTA Finals singles title. It’s her 11th career trophy on the WTA Tour—and a special one, as she became the first player from Kazakhstan ever to lift the prestigious year-end title.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, continued to make history in her own way. She was the top seed for the third year in a row—a feat only legends like Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert had done before. She also became the first player since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to reach the finals of three Grand Slams and the WTA Finals in the same season.

Last year’s champion, Coco Gauff, couldn’t repeat her magic this time—she was knocked out in the round-robin stage. The tournament did see some fresh faces, though: Amanda Anisimova made her WTA Finals debut, and Ekaterina Alexandrova joined the singles lineup as an alternate. Interestingly, this was the first time since 2002 that four American women made the cut for singles—proof that U.S. women’s tennis is still thriving.

Unfortunately, Madison Keys had to pull out before her last group match due to illness, with Alexandrova stepping in as her replacement. First alternate Mirra Andreeva decided to skip the call-up. And just like last year, Jasmine Paolini managed to qualify for both singles and doubles—a rare double-duty achievement.

Doubles

Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens claimed the doubles crown at the 2025 WTA Finals after defeating Tímea Babos and Luisa Stefani 7–6(7–4), 6–1 in the championship match. The win marked their second title together and their first since 2022. Along the way, they pulled off a dramatic escape in the semifinals, saving a match point against Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend.

Defending champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe couldn’t repeat their success this year, bowing out during the round-robin stage.

The tournament also saw several new faces in the doubles field, with Mirra Andreeva, Diana Shnaider, Luisa Stefani, and Asia Muhammad all making their debuts. For the second straight year, Jasmine Paolini stood out as the only player to qualify for both singles and doubles.

Kateřina Siniaková capped off her season by securing the year-end WTA No. 1 doubles ranking for a record-tying fifth time, clinched after Sara Errani and Paolini’s early exit. Errani, who was chasing the rare Career Super Slam in women’s doubles, saw that dream end with their elimination in the group stage.

Venue

The 2025 WTA Finals is hosted at the King Saud University Indoor Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is played on an indoor hard court surface. This is the second year in a row that Riyadh has hosted the prestigious season-ending tournament.

Qualification

The eight singles players and eight doubles teams that qualify for the WTA Finals are determined by the “PIF WTA Race to the Finals,” a season-long points race. Players earn points at all WTA-sanctioned tournaments, including the four Grand Slams. Singles Qualification Criteria:

• The top seven singles players on the leaderboard at the conclusion of the regular WTA season automatically qualify.
• The eighth spot is awarded to the highest-ranked current-year Grand Slam winner who is ranked between 8th and 20th in the standings. If no player meets this criterion, the eighth-ranked player in the race qualifies.

The points for a player’s race ranking are calculated from their results in 18 tournaments, including:

• The four Grand Slam events.
• The best six results from the seven combined WTA 1000 tournaments (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, and Beijing).
• The best result from the three non-combined WTA 1000 tournaments (Doha, Dubai, and Wuhan).
• The best seven results from all other non-WTA 125 tournaments.

Doubles Qualification Criteria:

• Similar to singles, the top seven doubles teams on the leaderboard automatically qualify.
• The eighth spot is awarded to the highest-ranked current-year Grand Slam winning team ranked from 8th to 20th. If no team meets this criterion, the eighth-ranked team in the race qualifies.

For doubles, the point totals are based on the team’s 12 best results from any of the non-WTA 125 WTA tournaments and Grand Slams throughout the season. The previous article section on the tournament format needs to be updated to include the specific group stage draw, which was conducted on October 28, 2025, in Riyadh. The groups are named in honor of WTA legends who have held the World No. 1 ranking for the most weeks, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the PIF WTA Rankings.

Qualified Players

Singles

The singles line-up features the best of the best, including a major title winner from the USA and the final qualifier who clinched her spot in the final possible event. The Confirmed Singles Eight:

• Aryna Sabalenka: Secured her spot early in the season (July 8th), solidifying her place as the world No. 1. She is the reigning US Open champion and a consistent threat in the Finals.
• Iga Świątek: Qualified after a dominant season, highlighted by her Wimbledon victory, sealing her spot in August.
• Coco Gauff: The American secured her return to Riyadh, aiming to be the first player since Serena Williams to defend the title after winning the French Open in 2025.
• Amanda Anisimova: Making her WTA Finals debut, Anisimova qualified in October after a phenomenal breakout season. She reached two Grand Slam finals, Wimbledon and the US Open, and captured her first WTA 1000 title in Doha.
• Madison Keys: The 2025 Australian Open champion, Keys returns to the WTA Finals for the first time since 2016 after a triumphant start to the year.
• Jessica Pegula: An established presence at the year-end event, Pegula secured her berth after a strong run to the Wuhan WTA 1000 final.
• Jasmine Paolini: The Italian star qualified in October, adding her consistency to the top group.
• Elena Rybakina: Clinched the final spot in dramatic fashion at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. This marks her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals, with two WTA 500 titles this season.

Doubles

The doubles field is stacked with Grand Slam winners and former champions, showcasing incredible partnership synergy. The Confirmed Doubles Eight:

• Kateřina Siniaková / Taylor Townsend: The first team to qualify, they kicked off the season by winning their second major together at the Australian Open and also claimed the WTA 1000 title in Dubai.
• Sara Errani / Jasmine Paolini: Qualified in September, this Olympic gold-medal-winning duo added the Roland Garros title to their resume in 2025.
• Gabriela Dabrowski / Erin Routliffe: The 2024 WTA Finals champions secured their spot to defend their title after winning the US Open.
• Veronika Kudermetova / Elise Mertens: Qualified after a standout season highlighted by winning The Championships, Wimbledon.
• Mirra Andreeva / Diana Shnaider: The young Russian pair will make their WTA Finals debut after winning their first major titles together, including the WTA 1000 Miami Open and the WTA 500 Brisbane International.
• Hsieh Su-Wei / Jelena Ostapenko: This experienced pairing reached multiple finals throughout the year, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals.
• Timea Babos / Luisa Stefani: Qualified after securing three titles this season, with Babos bringing her three-time championship pedigree.
• Asia Muhammad / Demi Schuurs: The team earned their place with hard-court success, winning the WTA 1000 Indian Wells and the WTA 500 HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club.

Tournament Format and Group Stage Draw

Both the singles and doubles events follow a round-robin format, with the eight players/teams divided into two groups of four. Over the first six days of the tournament, each player/team competes against the other three in their respective group once. The top two players/teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, consisting of the semifinals on Friday, November 7, and the championship matches on Saturday, November 8. In the semifinals, the first-placed player/team from one group plays against the second-placed player/team from the other group. Tie-breaking methods for the round-robin groups include:

1. Greatest number of match wins.
2. Head-to-head result if only two players/teams are tied.
3. If three players/teams are tied:
   • If one player has played fewer than all three matches, they are automatically eliminated. The remaining two players’ head-to-head result determines who advances.
   • If all three players have completed their matches, the tie is broken by the highest percentage of sets won, followed by the highest percentage of games won.

2025 Group Stage Draw

The draw ceremony was conducted on October 28, 2025, with Tournament Director and 2021 WTA Finals champion Garbiñe Muguruza officiating alongside defending champion Coco Gauff, and past doubles winners Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the PIF WTA Rankings, the groups have been named after WTA legends who held the No. 1 ranking for the most weeks.

Singles Groups

Group Name (Legend)	Seeded Players Included
Stefanie Graf Group	[1] Aryna Sabalenka, [3] Coco Gauff, [5] Jessica Pegula, [8] Jasmine Paolini
Serena Williams Group	[2] Iga Świątek, [4] Amanda Anisimova, [6] Elena Rybakina, [7] Madison Keys

Doubles Groups

Group Name (Legend)	Seeded Teams Included
Martina Navratilova Group	[1] Sara Errani & Jasmine Paolini, [4] Veronika Kudermetova & Elise Mertens, [6] Hsieh Su-Wei & Jelena Ostapenko, [8] Asia Muhammad & Demi Schuurs
Liezel Huber Group	[2] Kateřina Siniaková & Taylor Townsend, [3] Gabriela Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe, [5] Mirra Andreeva & Diana Shnaider, [7] Timea Babos & Luisa Stefani

Prize Money

Main article: WTA Finals 2025 Prize Money and Points on Offer

The total prize money for the 2025 WTA Finals is a record-breaking $15.5 million, a significant increase from previous years. The prize money is distributed based on performance, with an undefeated singles champion standing to earn over $5 million, and an undefeated doubles team earning over $950,000. The prize money breakdown is structured to reward success at every stage of the tournament, from participation to winning the title.

Past Champions

The WTA Finals has a rich history of legendary champions. The list of past winners includes some of the greatest names in women’s tennis, highlighting the tournament’s importance as a pinnacle of the tennis season. Singles:

• Martina Navratilova: The most successful player in the tournament’s history with eight singles titles.
• Steffi Graf and Serena Williams: Tied for second with five titles each.
• Chris Evert: The inaugural winner and a four-time champion.
• Monica Seles and Kim Clijsters: Both three-time champions.
• Coco Gauff: The defending singles champion from the 2024 event in Riyadh.

Doubles:

• Martina Navratilova: Holds the record for most doubles titles with 13.
• Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe: The defending champions from 2024.

The WTA Finals continues to be a showcase of the best talent in women’s tennis, providing a fitting conclusion to the season and a platform for the sport’s biggest stars to compete for one of its most prestigious titles.