Aryna Sabalenka solidified her position atop the PIF Race to the WTA Finals standings after a dominant performance at the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open. During the two-week tournament, she lost only one set and earned 1,000 points by winning the title on Saturday.
The 27-year-old, whose birthday was Monday, has shown exceptional form this season. Her Madrid victory was her fourth consecutive final appearance and sixth overall this year. Earlier in the season, she secured titles at the WTA 1000 Miami Open and the WTA 500 Brisbane International.
Sabalenka also reached the finals at the WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells), the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart), and the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season. These results brought her season points total in the race to qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh to just under 5,000.
Looking at other players on the leaderboard, former WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina moved up nine places to No. 7, entering the qualification zone thanks to her semifinal appearance in Madrid.
In the doubles race, Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko earned 390 points by reaching the Madrid semifinals, giving them some distance at No. 3. Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townend, who didn`t compete in Madrid, remain at the top of the leaderboard due to their strong early-season performance.
This week marks the beginning of the final WTA 1000 clay-court tournament, the Internazionali BNL d`Italia in Rome, where players can earn more crucial points.
The WTA Finals in Riyadh will feature the top 8 singles players and doubles teams from the PIF Race to the WTA Finals standings. The eighth spot is reserved for a Grand Slam winner ranked between No. 8 and No. 20. This tournament brings together the world`s top eight players and teams to compete in a round-robin format. The singles winner receives the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy, and the doubles champions are awarded the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy.
Rupert Caldwell