The 2024 WTA Finals line-up is close to completion after four more players booked their spots during the Wuhan Open.
This year's WTA Finals will be held from November 2nd to 9th. Iga Swiatek is the defending champion after defeating Jessica Pegula in the final in Cancun, although the event was somewhat overshadowed by problems with the venue beforehand.
Swiatek and Sabalenka were the first two women to qualify for the WTA Finals. They are the Top 2 players in the rankings and are currently locked in a race to finish the year at No. 1
Sabalenka is guaranteed to become the new world No. 1 the week after the Wuhan Open. She only needed to reach the quarterfinal in Wuhan, which she achieved by overcoming Yulia Putintseva in three sets, but Swiatek could overtake her again at the WTA Finals.
Barbora Krejcikova was the other player who ensured her place at the year-end tournament held in Riyadh. The Czech would not have qualified under the previous rules, which based the Top 8 players purely on ranking points accumulated during a season.
However, the rules were changed for 2024. Grand Slam winners inside the Top 20 are given automatic entry for the WTA Finals. Wimbledon winner Krejcikova qualified as a result of those changes.
There were still five spots up for grabs before the Wuhan Open. Four of those have now been filled, and the line-up so far for one of the biggest events on the calendar is already absolutely superb.
Coco Gauff is one of those to qualify. Her place in Riyadh was uncertain after a drop in results during the grass-court and North American hardcourt swings, which meant players below the 20-year-old could overtake her.
The American's excellent form during the Asian swing since parting ways with Brad Gilbert relieved any concerns about missing out on the WTA Finals. She won her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open last week.
Gauff has backed that up with more good results, reaching the semifinal to set up a blockbuster contest against Sabalenka. She will be desperate to win, but her place in Riyadh is secure regardless.
2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is another qualifier for the WTA Finals. The Kazakhstani has not played during the Asian swing. Her official reason for that is a back injury she is nursing, but some feel it relates to her split with coach Stefano Vukov before the US Open.
Rybakina's statement that she is nursing a back injury means it cannot be confirmed for sure that she will compete in Riyadh, but the vice president of the Kazakhstani Tennis Federation said she is working with a temporary coach, which is a positive sign.
Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini also secured their sports at the WTA Finals. Pegula did this with an outstanding North American hardcourt swing, while Paolini's two Grand Slam finals and title in Dubai were the biggest reasons for her qualification.
The other spot is almost certainly between Qinwen Zheng and Emma Navarro. Danielle Collins could still mathematically qualify, but the American is nearly 700 points behind Zheng in the last spot, with no further WTA 1000 tournaments this season.
Zheng is in pole position to qualify after back-to-back semifinals in Beijing and Wuhan, and she could extend her lead over Navarro, who is one place below her, by going further in Wuhan.
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