Paula Badosa enters the Top 15 of the WTA Race and Aryna Sabalenka joins Iga Swiatek as a qualifier for the Finals
With her victory at the US Open 2024, Aryna Sabalenka has secured her place for the next WTA Finals, accompanying Iga Swiatek who has already qualified for weeks. On the other hand, Paula Badosa has entered the Top 15 of the WTA Race to Riyadh, in 14th place to be more specific, and can continue dreaming of getting into the Finals. There are six places left up for grabs, although several players seem almost certain. However, the battle for the final spots in the top eight remains open as the WTA stars prepare for the final stretch of the season.
Sabalenk joins Swiatek as first qualifier for the WTA Finals To date, only two players have officially qualified for the finals. The first to achieve this was Iga Swiatek at the beginning of August, after an excellent season on clay, with a streak of 19 consecutive victories and four WTA 1000 titles, in addition to her victory at the French Open. With a 54-7 record this season, the Polish star remains firmly at No. 1 in the world rankings. Just a few days ago, Sabalenka booked her place in Riyadh after reaching the final of the US Open. With two Grand Slam titles – Australian Open and US Open – and a WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati under her belt, Sabalenka has closed the gap on Swiatek. They are now separated by about 400 points. The Belarusian is a strong candidate to end the year as number 1 in the world, especially considering that the remaining tournaments are held on hard courts, a surface on which she excels. Swiatek currently has 8,285 WTA Career points, while Sabalenka is close behind with 7,876.
Rybakina and Paolini near the finish line The current threshold to qualify for the WTA Finals is 5,835 points, although it will decrease as more tournaments are held. Some players will have to work hard to secure a place, although some are almost guaranteed to be in Riyadh. Elena Rybakina is the closest to the classification, with 4,981 points. Despite her injuries and frequent withdrawals, the Kazakh has achieved good results when she has been in form: three WTA 500 titles, two WTA 1000 runners-up and a semifinal at Wimbledon. She is third in the Race with 4,981 points and, although she is not yet officially classified, it would take a disaster for her to be left out. In a similar position is Jasmine Paolini, winner of the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and runner-up at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. With 4,865 points, Paolini is well placed to qualify for the Finals. Jessica Pegula is close behind with 4,466 points, and although her ranking is not yet confirmed, it is unlikely that many players will surpass her after she scored 1,200 points by reaching the US Open final.
