Sabalenka vs Rybakina: An Old Rivalry in the WTA Finals

RIYADH, FRIDAY – Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are competing in the WTA Finals tournament for the third consecutive year. This time, the meeting between the two players, who have established a high-level rivalry over the past six years, is for the WTA Finals championship title for the first time.

Sabalenka and Rybakina are the two women's singles players who have reached the final match of the WTA Finals 2025. One of them will enter the list of champions of this end-of-season tournament for the first time after competing at the King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (8/11/2025).

Amanda always pushes me to give my best and, honestly, I don't care if I lost that match.

Rybakina will appear in her first final at the tournament featuring the top eight representatives throughout 2025. In her participation in 2023 and 2024, the 2022 Wimbledon champion was eliminated in the group stage. Meanwhile, Sabalenka will compete in her second final after losing to Caroline Garcia in 2022.

Both tennis players secured their tickets to the final after being forced to work hard against their opponents in the semifinals on Friday. Rybakina defeated 2023 finalist Jessica Pegula with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match lasting two hours and five minutes. Sabalenka followed to the final after competing for two hours and 21 minutes against Amanda Anisimova, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

"Amanda always encourages me to perform to the best of my abilities and, honestly, I do not care if I lost in the match earlier. Our fight was extraordinary and we both deserve to compete in the final. I told Amanda that she should be proud of her performance this season," said Sabalenka.

Anisimova made her debut at the WTA Finals after achieving her best results while competing in the professional tennis arena since 2016. She was a finalist in two consecutive Grand Slams, namely Wimbledon and the United States, and won the WTA 1000 events in Doha and Beijing. This American tennis player of Russian descent is currently ranked fourth in the world, the highest position she has ever held.

Escaping Anisimova's grip in a match between players known for their powerful games, Sabalenka will face a similar challenge against Rybakina. Their 13 previous meetings (Sabalenka leads 8-5) prove this, including their encounters in the qualifying rounds of the 2023 and 2024 WTA Finals. Sabalenka won 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in Mexico City in 2023, and Rybakina defeated her 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in Riyadh in 2024.

The initial rivalry between Sabalenka and Rybakina began in the quarterfinals of the WTA Wuhan in 2019. Their competition intensified and reached its peak in 2023 when they shared two victories out of four encounters.

During that time, Sabalenka and Rybakina were part of the top three women's singles alongside Iga Swiatek. They dominated major tournaments and frequently met in the semifinals or finals.

Although Rybakina won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022, her performance has declined since 2024 due to injury. In contrast, Sabalenka has outperformed her tough rival by winning four Grand Slam titles between 2023 and 2025 and has maintained her position at the top of the world rankings since October 21, 2024, to the present.

However, as Sabalenka stated, Rybakina remains a difficult opponent to conquer. Moreover, the Kazakh player is known for her powerful serve with sharp angles that are difficult for opponents to return. In her victory over Pegula, she made 15 aces.

"I can serve well at the right moment. I also try to focus on every shot during difficult rallies. In the end, I am happy to have managed this pressure," said Rybakina.

Sabalenka is also wary of Rybakina's consistent performance in Riyadh, despite her 2-1 lead in the 2025 meeting. "The final will be a powerful match. The semifinal was good preparation for me against Elena, and I will give everything I have on the court to bring home this beautiful trophy," said Sabalenka, who wants to match her WTA Finals title with her world number one status.

In Turin, Italy, the photo session for the men's tournament participants of the ATP Finals, held on Friday, was attended by only six out of eight tennis players. They are Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Alex de Minaur.

Novak Djokovic, who has already secured his spot, will compete in the ATP 250 final in Athens, Greece, on Saturday before flying to Turin. Djokovic's opponent is Lorenzo Musetti, who has a lot at stake in the final.

If he wins, Musetti could perform in front of his home crowd in his debut at the ATP Finals as the eighth participant. Conversely, if Musetti loses, the last ticket to the ATP Finals will belong to the player who is currently waiting for his fate, Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Musetti fought hard to make this rare opportunity a reality. In the ATP Athens semifinals, Musetti had to fend off a match point from Sebastian Korda to win 6-0, 5-7, 7-5. In the other semifinal, Djokovic proved too strong for Yannick Hanfmann, winning 6-3, 6-4.