The 2023 WTA Finals will be the showpiece event to put the exclamation point on another breathtaking WTA season, which will begin on October 29.
Some major storylines could unfold with the year-end No. 1 ranking on the line as Aryna Sabalenka attempts to keep Iga Swiatek at bay. We could also see some changes in the whole Top 3. Coco Gauff hasn't locked her spot there and faces competition from Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula.
In recent years, the WTA Finals has been one of the tournaments that tends to deviate from the script and has seen some unexpected champions. So the likes of Ons Jabeur, Marketa Vondrousova, and even Maria Sakkari, who enters this year's tournament through the back door, will look to pull off a surprise.
This year, the total prize money at the 2023 WTA Finals stands at an astronomical $9 million. It is a record for the year-end championships and represents an increment of 80% from the last two tournaments held in Guadalajara and Fort Worth, which offered $5 million.
The tournament normally begins with a set of round-robin matches, involving two groups of four players. This means that players begin to pocket prize money for each win from the group stage. The top two in each group advance into the semifinals where they will meet in a knock-out phase. The last two players standing will determine the champion of the 2023 WTA Finals.
In terms of prize money distribution, there is a participation fee fixed at $198,000. This will be offered to all participants at the event regardless of results. Each round-robin win attracts an additional $198,000. Progressing to the semifinals earns a player $54,000.
Winning the semifinal and getting within spitting distance of the trophy will grant players $756,000 in prize money, and the consistent player who will manage to lift the trophy is guaranteed an additional $1,476,000 (an increase of $656,000 from last year).
The player who will win the tournament by going undefeated will walk away with $3,024,000 (an 80% increase from 2022 for going undefeated), but still short of the overall record and the benchmark of $4.42 million Ashleigh Barty earned at the 2019 Finals (despite losing one round-robin match).
In terms of points, a player earns 125 points per match, and 125 points for each round-robin win. 330 points will be allotted for a semifinal win, and 420 points for a final win.
2023 WTA Finals Prize Money & Points Singles:
| Points | Prize Money | |
|---|---|---|
| Undefeated champion | 1500 points (overall) | $3,024,000 |
| Final win | 420 points | $1,476,000 |
| Semi-final win | 330 points | $756,000 |
| Round-robin win | 125 points (per win) | $198,000 |
| Round-robin match played | 125 points | |
| Participation fee | $198,000 | |
| Alternate | $152,500 |
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