The stage is set for an electrifying start to the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, as the order of play for the opening two days of round-robin singles matches has been confirmed.
Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys will kick off proceedings on Saturday, marking the beginning of an action-packed week that celebrates one of the most competitive seasons in women’s tennis — a year that saw four different players lift Grand Slam singles titles.
The tournament opener promises fireworks, with second seed and Wimbledon champion Swiatek taking on seventh seed and Australian Open winner Keys. The pair have met seven times before, with Swiatek holding a 5–2 head-to-head lead. However, their 2025 encounters have been split — Keys stunned Swiatek in the Australian Open semi-finals, while the Pole exacted revenge in Madrid’s quarter-finals.
Following that blockbuster clash, fourth seed Amanda Anisimova will face sixth seed Elena Rybakina in their first-ever tour meeting. Anisimova, the Wimbledon and US Open runner-up, is making her WTA Finals debut, while Rybakina returns for her third consecutive appearance, determined to advance beyond the group stage for the first time.
On Sunday, attention shifts to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who begins her campaign for a maiden WTA Finals crown. The top seed — runner-up in 2022 — will face eighth seed Jasmine Paolini, the only player this season to qualify in both singles and doubles.
With a lineup stacked with Grand Slam champions and rising stars, the Riyadh edition of the WTA Finals promises to deliver world-class tennis from the very first serve.
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WTA Finals 2025: Gauff vs. Pegula Headlines Day 2 as Rivalries Renew in Riyadh
The 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh are set for more thrilling matchups as the second day of round-robin play brings some familiar faces and fierce rivalries to center stage.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will open her campaign against Jasmine Paolini, whom she defeated in straight sets during last year’s group stage. The Belarusian holds a commanding 5–2 head-to-head lead over the Italian and will look to extend that dominance as she chases her first-ever WTA Finals crown.
The night’s action will then feature an all-American showdown between third seed Coco Gauff and fifth seed Jessica Pegula, less than a month after their most recent clash in the Wuhan Open final.
This matchup has become one of the most intriguing rivalries in women’s tennis. Gauff overcame her compatriot in the group stage of the 2024 Finals, but Pegula still leads their overall head-to-head 4–3. It will also mark the third consecutive year that the two meet at the prestigious season-ending tournament — with Pegula defeating Gauff in the 2023 semi-finals before Gauff went on to lift the trophy in 2024.
Now, the defending champion aims to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to successfully defend her WTA Finals title.
After the opening matches on Saturday and Sunday, players will return to the court on Monday and Tuesday, with the winners facing winners and the losers meeting each other — ensuring every round-robin match remains crucial heading into the final group games on Wednesday and Thursday.
WTA Finals 2025 – Opening Round-Robin Schedule
Saturday, November 1 – Group Serena Williams
- Not before 18:00 (local time): (2) Iga Swiatek vs. (7) Madison Keys (H2H: 5–2)
- Followed by: (4) Amanda Anisimova vs. (6) Elena Rybakina (H2H: 0–0)
Sunday, November 2 – Group Steffi Graf
- 17:00 (local time): (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs. (8) Jasmine Paolini (H2H: 5–2)
- Followed by: (3) Coco Gauff vs. (5) Jessica Pegula (H2H: 3–4)
