As the Wuhan Open, the final WTA 1000 event of the season, wraps up, the 2025 WTA season nears its closing stretch. While some stars have already called time on their campaigns, others remain locked in the battle for precious ranking points during the Asian swing. Six players have already secured their spots at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, leaving three contenders fighting for the remaining two tickets.
The Race to Riyadh
Unlike the official WTA rankings, which reflect results from the past 52 weeks, the WTA Race counts only points earned during the current calendar year. It’s the truest measure of who’s excelled in 2025—and who deserves a place among the season’s top eight.
The year’s four Grand Slam champions are already assured of their spots:
- Aryna Sabalenka (10,000 pts) – US Open champion
- Iga Swiatek (8,368) – Wimbledon champion
- Coco Gauff (6,574) – French Open champion
- Madison Keys (4,449) – Australian Open champion
They’re joined by Amanda Anisimova (5,907) and Jessica Pegula (5,183), making it four Americans among the six qualifiers—a dominance the tour hasn’t seen in over two decades.
Anisimova’s title run at the China Open and Gauff’s triumph in Wuhan, where she defeated Pegula in an all-American final, cemented that resurgence.
Three Players, Two Seats
With two weeks to go before Riyadh, only two spots remain in play—and three women still have a realistic shot:
- Mirra Andreeva (4,320 pts)
- Jasmine Paolini (4,131)
- Elena Rybakina (3,913)
All three are competing this week at the WTA 500 Ningbo Open, before Paolini and Rybakina move on to Tokyo, their final chance to squeeze out crucial points.
Andreeva, once comfortably ahead thanks to titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, has stumbled lately—falling early in both Beijing and Wuhan. Her cushion has nearly vanished, and the pressure is on.
A Photo Finish Looms
Both Rybakina and Paolini have surged in recent weeks—Rybakina reached the Wuhan quarterfinals, Paolini the semifinals—and now smell blood.
In Ningbo, Rybakina likely needs the title to leapfrog Andreeva, while Paolini could surpass her with a semifinal showing.
If Andreeva falters early, her Riyadh dream could evaporate before Tokyo even begins—especially since her rivals will still have one more chance to collect points next week.
The fight for those last two WTA Finals berths promises to go right down to the wire. Every set, every break, and every match in Ningbo and Tokyo could decide who joins the six already-qualified stars under the Riyadh lights.