Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina or Coco Gauff? The Sky Sports tennis panel make their predictions ahead of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The top eight singles players will converge on the King Saud University Sports Arena from Saturday to battle for the prestigious season-ending championship – live on Sky Sports.
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff will all be vying for glory, while the year-end world No 1 ranking will also be up for grabs.
Purple Group: (1) Aryna Sabalenka, (4) Jasmine Paolini, (5) Elena Rybakina, (7) Zheng Qinwen
Orange Group: (2) Iga Swiatek, (3) Coco Gauff, (6) Jessica Pegula, (8) Barbora Krejcikova
The panel have spoken! Gigi Salmon, Laura Robson, Tim Henman and Jonathan Overend are on hand with their predictions and surprise package ahead of this year’s extravaganza.
Gigi Salmon’s predictions
Winner: Sabalenka is the best player in the world right now as the rankings show and she is also the best player in the world on hard courts right now – she is in great form and will want to secure the year-end No 1 spot.
Gauff, still so young and has made changes in her coaching team after parting ways with Brad Gilbert, but it didn’t affect her going on to win Beijing.
Surprise Package: Rybakina could be a surprise because we haven’t see her on a match court since she lost in the second round of the US Open. She parted ways with her long-time coach and has had health issues. It’s a surprise to see her in Riyadh – but on her day and with her game she can beat anyone!
Jonathan Overend’s predictions
Winner: The only thing I’m willing to predict is that everyone else will have gone for Aryna Sabalenka as the winner. So for that reason, and that reason alone, I’m going for Iga Swiatek as champion.
However, it won’t be enough to reclaim No 1. Sabalenka will make the final (which will be another classic) and end the season on top of the world. Much as I dislike following the crowd, I’ve tried to make a case for the other six to beat the big two, and failed. Iga-Aryna it is, then!
Surprise Package: How quickly we all forget Rybakina was the form player from February to April and, based on the first half of the season, was a potential challenger for top spot herself.
We’re told injuries derailed her year but detail has been lacking. Sometimes players need to take time away. Perhaps she’s had her ‘off-season’ and will return in Riyadh as if it’s the beginning of 2025!
Tim Henman’s predictions
Winner: I’m going for Sabalenka to beat Zheng Qinwen in the final. Sabalenka has got to No 1 and will stay there at the end of the year playing with freedom.
Surprise Package: Zheng is fearless and doesn’t care about who she is playing.
Laura Robson’s predictions
Winner: Sabalenka will beat Gauff and end the season as world No 1.
Surprise Package: Zheng could cause an upset or two.
Sky Sports’ Raz Mirza
Winner: Iga Swiatek has taken time off since her defeat in the quarter-finals of the US Open, meaning she will be ready for the final event on the WTA calendar. The Pole will be hungry to show why she is still the player to beat, but you wonder whether Aryna Sabalenka will have the last laugh. I’m going for Swiatek to beat Sabalenka in another blockbuster final.
Surprise Package: Jessica Pegula has enjoyed one of the seasons of her life, winning in Berlin and then enjoying success in Toronto. The American reached finals in Cincinnati and the US Open but came up empty-handed. That will hurt! However, the WTA Finals provides an opportunity for Pegula to upset the odds and walk away with the top prize. She has the game to do it as well.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
- WTA Finals Riyadh – (November 2-9)
- Belgrade Open – ATP 250 (November 3-9)
- Moselle Open, Metz – ATP 250 (November 3-9)
- Nitto ATP Finals, Turin – (November 10-17)
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TVstreaming service NOW and the Sky Sports appgiving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
