After the China Open, new qualifiers for the WTA Finals have been confirmed — five of the eight spots for Riyadh are now secured. Tournament champion Amanda Anisimova clinched her place in the season-ending event with her victory in Beijing, leaving only three spots still up for grabs. The upcoming Wuhan Open is expected to be the key event that could significantly reshape the standings.
Grand Slam Champions Qualified
All four Grand Slam champions of the season have already qualified. Aryna Sabalenka (9,620 points) leads the Race with a margin of more than 1,300 points ahead of Iga Swiatek (8,273 points). The US Open champion from Belarus has the first opportunity to finish the year as world No. 1, while Swiatek — the Wimbledon champion — still hopes to reclaim the top spot with strong results in Wuhan and at the WTA Finals.
Third place belongs to Anisimova, who earned almost 1,000 points with her China Open title. The 24-year-old could also become the top-ranked American by the end of the year if she maintains her position, though three of her compatriots remain close behind.
Other confirmed names include Roland-Garros champion Coco Gauff (5,584 points, No. 4) and Australian Open champion Madison Keys (4,450 points, No. 6). Although Keys has not yet reached the mathematical cutoff of 5,030 points, Grand Slam winners automatically qualify if they finish the year inside the top 20. This means Keys already has her spot in Riyadh secured.
Pegula ready to lock in her spot as Andreeva’s early exit keeps the door open for challengers
Three spots for the WTA Finals remain up for grabs, and Jessica Pegula (4,598 points) is in the best position to claim the next one. The American currently holds a narrow lead over Madison Keys in fifth place. Her qualification isn’t official yet, but a strong showing in Wuhan would seal her place at the season-ending event for the fourth year in a row. That would make her not only the fourth American to qualify this season but also the oldest player in the field at 31. After back-to-back semifinal runs at the US Open and China Open, Pegula—who was struggling just a few months ago—has managed to turn her season around and rediscover her rhythm on hard courts.
With Pegula all but certain to qualify, attention now turns to 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva (4,319 points), currently sitting in seventh place. The young Russian has hit a rough patch, suffering early exits at the US Open, the China Open, and just now in the first round of the Wuhan Open. Her two WTA 1000 titles earlier in the season (Dubai and Indian Wells) have kept her in contention, but she still needs one more solid week to lock in her spot. She’ll get that chance next week at the WTA 500 Ningbo Open. While she holds a comfortable cushion over her closest pursuers, Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, her qualification isn’t yet a done deal.
Rybakina and Paolini: Neck-and-neck for the final spot
The battle for the eighth and final ticket to Riyadh is razor-thin. Rybakina currently holds the edge with 3,806 points, just 55 ahead of Paolini’s 3,751. Both are competing in Wuhan—now in the round of 32—and every match could prove decisive. Whoever goes one round further will likely end the week holding the provisional eighth position.
Since Rybakina and Paolini are on opposite sides of the draw, there’s even a scenario where both could qualify, knocking Andreeva out of the top eight altogether. A dream final between the two would push Andreeva down to ninth place, setting up an unpredictable finish to the season.
Both players know what’s at stake. They’ve loaded up their schedules for the final stretch, entering not only the Wuhan Open but also the WTA 500 Ningbo Open and the Tokyo Open. Every win counts, and either could punch her ticket with a deep run. While it’s likely that the last spot will come down to Rybakina or Paolini, both still have a shot to overtake Andreeva.
Outside contenders still in the mix
A few dark horses remain in play. Ekaterina Alexandrova (3,136 points) trails Rybakina by more than 600 points but could still make a late push with a title run in Wuhan or consistent results in Ningbo and Tokyo. Other names with a mathematical chance include Clara Tauson, Belinda Bencic, Linda Noskova, and Naomi Osaka—though they’ll need exceptional results to break through.