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ti-amie Tournament: WTA Finals Riyadh
Dates: November 1 - November 8, 2025
Location: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
Total Financial Commitment: $15,500,000
Surface: Hard (Indoor)
Aryna Sabalenka
Qualified: July 8
Best WTA Finals outing: Final (2022)
Last year's result: Semi-finals
Iga Swiatek
Qualified: August 17
Best WTA Finals outing: Winner (2023)
Last year's result: Round-robin stage
Coco Gauff
Qualified: September 30
Best WTA Finals outing: Winner (2024)
Last year's result: Winner
Amanda Anisimova
First-time participant
Qualified: October 2
Best WTA Finals outing: N/A
Last year's result: DNQ
Madison Keys
Qualified: October 2
Best WTA Finals outing: Round-robin stage (2016)
Last year's result: DNQ
Jessica Pegula
Qualified: October 13
Best WTA Finals outing: Final (2023)
Last year's result: Round-robin stage
Jasmine Paolini
Qualified: October 18
Best WTA Finals outing: Round-robin stage (2024)
Last year's result: Round-robin stage
Elena Rybakina
Qualified: October 24
Best WTA Finals outing: Round-robin stage (2023 / 2024)
Last year's result: Round-robin stage
Alternates
Mirra Andreeva
Ekaterina Alexandrova
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/eight- ... 53390.html
by ti-amie Singles Draw
Stefanie Graff Group
BLR A. Sabalenka (1)
USA C. Gauff (3)
USA J. Pegula (5)
ITA J. Paolini (8)
Serena Williams Group
POL I. Swiatek (2)
USA A. Anisimova (4)
KAZ E. Rybakina (6)
USA M. Keys (7)
by ti-amie Doubles Draw
Martina Navratilova Group
ITA S. Errani/ITA J. Paolini (1)
RUS V. Kudermetova/BEL E. Mertens (4)
TPE S. Hsieh/LAT J. Ostapenko (6)
USA A. Muhammad/NED D. Schuurs (8)
Liezel Huber Group
CZE K. Siniakova/USA T. Townsend (2)
CAN G. Dabrowski NZL E. Routliffe (3)
RUS M. Andreeva/RUS D. Shnaider (5)
HUN T. Babos/BRA L. Stefani (7)
by ponchi101 I like Amanda's chances.
by ashkor87 I am boycotting
by ponchi101 I'm on the fence.
If the women are not boycotting this event, I don't know why I should. But I am not certainly going to wake up at some ungodly hour to watch this.
by ti-amie Honestly I didn't want to even post this. I'm not going to watch.
by Owendonovan Half the field is American. I'm curious what was told to them that they all seem to think it's all fine over there.
by Suliso It will be all fine there for them.
by ashkor87 I am myself quite unsure about the ethics of a boycott.. on the one hand, they are effective, sometimes but then do the ends justify the means? Generally not, so why here? Is it right to treat a bunch of people, the Saudis, as pariahs.. when they individually may not have done anything wrong? Lumping them all together and tarring them with the same brush as their government? How would I like to be held responsible for what my government does? surely not, not n every case anyway...
by Suliso In any case it's my understanding that Saudi Arabia has changed a fair bit lately. Are they really so much more conservative and/or oppressive than Qatar these days? Nobody is proposing to boycott them...
by Owendonovan This is an awkwardly staged photo in what looks like an elevator vestibule.
by ptmcmahon Funny how often those photos wind up so.. awkward.
There's probably a "behind the scenes" one which would probably be much better.
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Oct 31, 2025 8:35 am
In any case it's my understanding that Saudi Arabia has changed a fair bit lately. Are they really so much more conservative and/or oppressive than Qatar these days? Nobody is proposing to boycott them...
They are more oppressive than Qatar. In Qatar, you will see local women walking in the streets wearing western clothing. You have local bars (at the hotels) and there are few restrictions for foreign women.
Not that Qatar is in any way a paradise; the slaves situation is not funny at all.
I don't know what one can achieve through a boycott; Saudi Arabia will not notice what will happen with my TV on Sunday. But on the other hand, there is so little one can do when dealing with a situation like this one, that I don't know if doing that very little thing is the sole moral thing to do.
Plus:
It must be said that we are not in disagreement with a country's political or social structure. We are in disagreement with a cultural/religious structure. And that is a more complicated issue.
by ashkor87 The Beijing match where Anisimova really thrashed Coco - watched it again just to analyze.. this is clearly a bad matchup for Coco on a slow court: Anisimova's backhand is in the same class as Coco's, and her forehand is a class better - her serve is also slightly more reliable.. Coco's superior court coverage doesnt matter much on a slow court. Riyadh may be similar..!
by ponchi101 I don't think anybody other than Aryna has the quality of strokes of Amanda. All the strokes are powerful, and when she is moving well, it is not a bad combo.
Having said that... Coco won las year. She likes the court, for sure.
by
Suliso American ladies
by Suliso Maybe awkward, but in fact this year no one looks unfortunate.
by
Suliso Doubles players look good as well
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Oct 31, 2025 7:58 pm
American ladies
Amanda's gown is very sexy. Because it looks like she is wrapped in a bed sheet.
C'mon, you can do better than that, girl!
by
ti-amie Owendonovan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 31, 2025 1:45 pm
This is an awkwardly staged photo in what looks like an elevator vestibule.
Someone quipped that it looks like an advert for Real Housewives Riyadh
by ti-amie Saturday Day 1 RR Day 1
Center Court
Starts at 8:30 AM
ITA Errani /ITA Paolini (1) vs USA Muhammad /NED Schuurs (8)
Starts: 15:30 (Venue) 08:30 (Your time)
Upcoming
POL I. Swiatek (2) vs USA M. Keys (7)
Not before: 18:00 (Venue) 11:00 (Your time)
Upcoming
USA A. Anisimova (4) vs KAZ E. Rybakina (6)
Follows previous match
Upcoming
RUS Kudermetova /BEL Mertens (4) vs TPE Hsieh /LAT Ostapenko (6)
Follows previous match
by ti-amie Sunday Order of Play RR Day 2
Center Court
Starts at 7:00 AM
CAN Dabrowski /NZL Routliffe (3) vs RUS Andreeva /RUS Shnaider (5)
Starts: 15:00 (Venue) 07:00 (Your time)
Upcoming
BLR A. Sabalenka (1) vs ITA J. Paolini (8)
Not before: 17:00 (Venue) 09:00 (Your time)
Upcoming
USA C. Gauff (3) vs USA J. Pegula (5)
Not before: 18:30 (Venue) 10:30 (Your time)
Upcoming
CZE Siniakova /USA Townsend (2) vs HUN Babos /BRA Stefani (7)
Follows previous match
by
ti-amie 
by Suliso Keys is currently not ready to play at a high level. Likely to withdraw or go 0-3.
by mick1303 And Iga draws the first blood )
by ponchi101 I caved in and I am watching.
Coco's serving woes travelled to Ryyadh too. She is up to 13 DF's starting the 3rd set. And some of the shots have been landing 2-3 mts OUT. She is really struggling today.
If Pegula does not get this match, it will be sad for her.
by Suliso Great win for Pegula. Probably secures her SF's spot along Sabalenka. I expect Sabalenka will go 3-0 and Paolini 0-3.
by ponchi101 Paolini indeed looked bad. Unable to do anything against Aryna.
Maybe three players will go 2-1? Pegula loses to Aryna, Aryna loses to Coco, Coco loses no more?
by
Suliso Certainly possible, but I'd bet on my scenario instead.
by JTContinental Fun fact: except for a 2-win streak for Coco in the middle, she and Sabalenka swap wins back and forth. Gauff won their last match at RG, so it's Sabalenka's turn.