Tennis

The Asian swing is about to enter an interesting phase, when the top players will play in Beijing and Wuhan. Both (Chinese) tournaments are Masters 1000 events, which could change the leaderboard of the 2024 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals. But Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka dominated the 2024 WTA Tour. One of them might win the season-ending championships. Which one? It’s hard to tell at the moment. 

The Polish ace player has won more WTA tournaments than anyone, including a fourth French Open title. On the other hand, Belarus’s top player defended her Australian Open title early this year and then won her first US Open title a few weeks ago.

This year’s WTA Finals will be played in the indoor courts of King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which tennis fans, Sabalenka in particular, would see as favoring “The Tiger”, which is Sabalenka’s nickname. Look closely. 

2024 WTA Finals Leaderboard (as of September 23, 2024)

1. Iga Swiatek (Poland)
2. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
3. Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)
4. Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
5. Jessica Pegula (USA)
6. Emma Navarro (USA)
7. Coco Gauff (USA)
8. Danielle Collins (USA)

Barbora Krejcikova is sitting in 11th place, but she will nab the final spot if she remains in the Top 20 on November 4, 2024. Czechia’s top player is the reigning Wimbledon champion, and the WTA Finals qualifying rules give more reward to a Grand Slam winner. Collins will retire at the end of the season, so being an alternative would be a bittersweet moment.

Then again, Krejcikova’s entry would make this season-ending finals exciting. Don’t get us wrong: The prize money is nearly twice as (the prize money of) the 2023 WTA Finals. It would make up for the relatively lack of interest in women’s tennis. We’ll talk about it a little later. 

Iga Swiatek vs. Aryna Sabalenka H2H: 8-4

Swiatek and Sabalenka played against each other on twelve occasions, with the former leading their H2H matchup at 8-4. However, the latter had more success in the hard courts. As a matter of fact, the two last met in the Western and Southern Open several weeks ago.

It was played on the hard courts (in Cincinnati, Ohio). And Sabalenka won their semifinal match quite convincingly. Many would bet on Sabalenka to win her first WTA Finals title, and her record would speak for itself. But the WTA Finals changed venues for the fourth successive year. It turned out to be a factor.

Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Garcia, and Iga Swiatek are the winners of the last three editions. In other words, another dark horse might lift the Billie Jean King trophy on November 9. Who will it be? We are placing our bets on Jessica Pegula. 

Pegula has a 21-27 record against Top 10 players, but check out her H2H matchup with Swiatek. 4-6. Pretty close. Pegula’s H2H matchup with Sabalenka is 2-6, but the two played against each other in the finals of the US Open. It wasn’t a lopsided match. Pegula split up with her long-time coach, David Witt, and injuries kept her from playing consistently.

She had great results in the US Open tennis series, though. Moreover, Pegula is one of the top Asian-American players on the tour. The location might give her a slight advantage over Swiatek and Sabalenka. 

Several players won the WTA Finals before their major breakthrough. Jana Novotna, Amelie Mauresmo, and Caroline Wozniacki were three of those players. Jessica Pegula might be the latest addition to that list. We see her winning the 2025 US Open.

This is how we see it: 

• Winner: Jessica Pegula (USA)
• Runner-up: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
• Semifinalists: Iga Swiatek (Poland) and Emma Navarro (USA)

Who Will Win the Women’s Doubles? Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Hsieh Su-wei (Taiwan)

Elise Mertens and Hsieh Su-wei won the WTA Finals, but with different partners. The Belgian and Taiwanese pair are the heavy favorites to win their first WTA Finals title together. Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva were the defending champions, but the German played along with Krejcikova this season.

Both players are sitting on 12th place in the leaderboard, and they have a mathematical chance of making it to 8th place (at the least). However, they still have to win a major title. Or a Master 1000 tourney.

Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend are the likely challengers to Mertens and Su-wei. Siniakova and Townsend didn’t play many tournaments, but they won Wimbledon. And the Czech doubles specialist has the best record in women’s doubles this season. One more time. (Siniakova won the French Open with Gauff.) 

If Mertens and Su-wei meet Siniakova and Townsend in the finals, then expect a close match. The Belgian and Taiwanese have played together for years, so their experience would give them a slight edge. And another WTA Finals title. 

Women’s Tennis on a crossroad

Saudi Arabia wants to invest in sports, and tennis would be the latest to collaborate with this oil-rich kingdom. If what happened to golf would be any indication, then it might be a shaky union. WTA tried to do the right thing after the Peng Shuai case, but women’s tennis needed money to survive.

It doesn’t attract enough sponsors and fans; Sabalenka, the winner of the 2024 Western and Southern Open, lamented the fact that her prize money was half of what Jannik Sinner received after winning the men’s title.

We would love to see another high-caliber final between Swiatek and Sabalenka,  as intense as the finals of the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open. Swiatek won that hard-fought finals, asking anyone if women’s tennis was boring. But fans would love to see the other top players stepping up one more time. 

Your thoughts?

Keep in touch with OKBet, the most reliable sports betting platform in Asia. If you want to know what’s happening in the world of sports, whether it’s tennis, football or any other sport, OKBet will keep you fully informed. And you have a chance to gamble and get rewards. Log on now to OKBet!