Aryna Sabalenka has stared down pressure all year — but few storms have blown quite like this one. Under the Riyadh lights, the World No.1 was forced to dig deeper than she has all week, outlasting Amanda Anisimova 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 to book her place in the WTA Finals championship match against Elena Rybakina.
For more than two hours, Sabalenka’s usual dominance met its match in Anisimova’s fearless striking. The American — who had led their head-to-head 6–4 coming in — hit through the top seed for long spells, mixing clean winners with ice-cool returns that briefly silenced the Belarusian’s roar.
Sabalenka Weathers the Storm
The tone was set early. The first four games lasted nearly half an hour, both women refusing to blink on break points. Sabalenka blinked last — in a good way — breaking for 3–2 after a tight forehand miss from Anisimova and sealing the set with a bruising backhand down the line.
Sabalenka vs Anisimova – Set 1 Stats
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Anisimova |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.20 | 0.83 |
| Serve Rating | 277 | 219 |
| Aces | 5 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 2 |
| 1st Serve % | 65% (26/40) | 59% (32/54) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 73% (19/26) | 56% (18/32) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 36% (5/14) | 45% (10/22) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (5/5) | 75% (6/8) |
| Service Games | 100% (4/4) | 60% (3/5) |
| Ace % | 12.5% | 1.9% |
| Double Fault % | 5% | 3.7% |
| Return Rating | 164 | 91 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 44% (14/32) | 27% (7/26) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 55% (12/22) | 64% (9/14) |
| Break Points Won | 25% (2/8) | 0% (0/5) |
| Return Games | 40% (2/5) | 0% (0/4) |
| Pressure Points | 54% (7/13) | 46% (6/13) |
| Service Points | 60% (24/40) | 52% (28/54) |
| Return Points | 48% (26/54) | 40% (16/40) |
| Total Points | 53% (50/94) | 47% (44/94) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 5 | 6 |
| Max Games In A Row | 3 | 1 |
| Set 1 Duration | 1h00m | |
But the American wasn’t finished. Anisimova surged through the second set with controlled aggression, racing to a 3–0 lead and punishing every short ball. Sabalenka’s forehand wobbled, and Anisimova seized the momentum, closing out the set 6–3 to level the contest and inject genuine tension into a night that had seemed, briefly, predictable.
Sabalenka vs Anisimova – Set 2 Stats
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Anisimova |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.62 | 1.61 |
| Serve Rating | 186 | 257 |
| Aces | 2 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 65% (22/34) | 57% (13/23) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 55% (12/22) | 85% (11/13) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 25% (3/12) | 40% (4/10) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/3) | 50% (1/2) |
| Service Games | 40% (2/5) | 75% (3/4) |
| Ace % | 5.9% | 13% |
| Double Fault % | 2.9% | 13% |
| Return Rating | 150 | 280 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 15% (2/13) | 45% (10/22) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 60% (6/10) | 75% (9/12) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (1/2) | 100% (3/3) |
| Return Games | 25% (1/4) | 60% (3/5) |
| Pressure Points | 20% (1/5) | 80% (4/5) |
| Service Points | 44% (15/34) | 65% (15/23) |
| Return Points | 35% (8/23) | 56% (19/34) |
| Total Points | 40% (23/57) | 60% (34/57) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 3 | 9 |
| Max Games In A Row | 2 | 4 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h40m | |
Then came the decider — and the reminder of why Sabalenka sits on the sport’s highest perch. From 2–3 down, she reeled off four straight games with relentless first-strike tennis. A key break at 4–3, sealed by an ace and a line-licking backhand flick, broke Anisimova’s resistance. One final serve, one last scream, and Sabalenka’s fist punched through the air: victory, and vindication.
Sabalenka vs Anisimova – Set 3 Stats
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Anisimova |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.52 | 0.66 |
| Serve Rating | 297 | 236 |
| Aces | 5 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 56% (15/27) | 74% (23/31) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 87% (13/15) | 61% (14/23) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (6/12) | 38% (3/8) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (1/1) | 50% (2/4) |
| Service Games | 100% (4/4) | 60% (3/5) |
| Ace % | 18.5% | 9.7% |
| Double Fault % | 3.7% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 192 | 63 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 39% (9/23) | 13% (2/15) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 63% (5/8) | 50% (6/12) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (2/4) | 0% (0/1) |
| Return Games | 40% (2/5) | 0% (0/4) |
| Pressure Points | 60% (3/5) | 40% (2/5) |
| Service Points | 70% (19/27) | 55% (17/31) |
| Return Points | 45% (14/31) | 30% (8/27) |
| Total Points | 57% (33/58) | 43% (25/58) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 4 | 4 |
| Max Games In A Row | 4 | 1 |
| Set 3 Duration | 0h43m | |
Rivalry Renewed
The win keeps Sabalenka unbeaten in Riyadh, and sets up a final dripping with narrative weight. Elena Rybakina, the silent assassin of the tour, awaits after her own gritty win over Jessica Pegula earlier in the day.
Sabalenka versus Rybakina has become one of the defining rivalries of the modern WTA — power versus precision, fury versus composure. They’ve split their most recent clashes, and though Sabalenka’s year-end No.1 status is already sealed, the emotional stakes remain sky-high.
Saturday’s final isn’t about ranking points anymore. It’s about statement — one last swing for supremacy in a season where both have set the standard for controlled aggression and competitive fire.
Riyadh will get the ending it deserves: two of the game’s fiercest hitters, one title, no place to hide.
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