EIGHT players, one crown. That is what is in store for the prestigious WTA Finals which sees the best of the best going up against one another in a massive round-robin tournament. All four Grand Slam winners qualify automatically each year, with the remaining top ranked players for the calendar year filling out the eight spots.

Of course world number one Aryna Sabalenka won both the Australian Open and US Open this year and leads the Purple Group, while Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek headlines the Orange Group. Also in that group is Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova who is the lowest ranked player at the event at 13th in the world.

SINGLES GROUPS:

Purple Group: Aryna Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, Qinwen Zheng
Orange Group: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Barbora Krejcikova

FORMAT

Each of the four players within a group will face off against the other three players in that group. At the end of the round robin stage, the top two players will advance through to the semi-finals with the first ranked Purple Group player taking on the runner-up from the Orange Group, while the Orange Group champion faces the second placed Purple Group member.

HEAD-TO-HEADS

Purple Group

Given it is a the hardcourt event, it is impossible to look past Sabalenka as favourite given her dominance on the surface the last 18 months. In the head-to-heads she has dominated China’s Qinwen Zheng, is level with Italian Jasmine Paolini (2-2), and incredibly has never played Elena Rybakina.

In the other head-to-heads, Rybakina has beaten Zheng on both occasions, and has broken even with Paolini from four meetings just like Sabalenka. However Zheng has won all three matches against the Italian.

Orange Group

Swiatek has had the most trouble against Krejcikova surprisingly, with a 2-2 record against the Czech. The world number two has dominated young American Coco Gauff winning 11 out of 12 times, while also leading Gauff’s compatriot Jessica Pegula, 6-4.

From the other matches, Pegula has had the better of Gauff 4-1, and split her two matches with Krejcikova, while the Czech won her only encounter against Gauff.

FORM

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka is coming off an incredible run at Wuhan where she beat both Gauff and Zheng in the semi-final and final across three sets. She suffered a rare defeat at the China Open, but had previously come off a US Open win where she took the scalps of Zheng and Pegula. The week before she won in Cincinnati with victories again over Pegula, but also Swiatek. The one to beat.

Jasmine Paolini

Paolini has a tough job at the WTA Finals, having also qualified in the doubles with veteran countrywoman Sara Errani. The only player this year to do so, Paolini will have plenty of tennis on her hands. In her last WTA Tour tournament, Paolini reached a quarter final in Wuhan where she went down to Zheng.

Elena Rybakina

The Kazakh has not played since the US Open where she withdrew before her second round match having won her Round of 128 contest against Australian Destanee Aiava. After reaching a semi-final in Wimbledon, she lost first round in Cincinnati which meant she has a 1-1 record on the hardcourt since returning to the surface, having had illness and injuries this year.

Qinwen Zheng

The second most in-form player to Sabalenka, Zheng is a danger to finish second in the group. She won in Tokyo after reaching the Wuhan final where she beat Paolini en route to the last match of the tournament. Excluding losses to Sabalenka, Zheng has won 16 of her past 17 matches against the remainder of players.

Iga Swiatek

The former world number one took time off with a new coach and prioritising rest, showing she had no qualms about losing top spot. She comes back the most refreshed of anyone, but will that impact her performance? Swiatek made a US Open quarter final back in September where she lost to Pegula rather meekly, and was coming off a semi-final loss to Sabalenka in Cincinnati.

Coco Gauff

Like Swiatek, Gauff has welcomed a new coach on board to assist with her serving yips and it looked to have worked at the China Open where she took home the title. However after looking like stunning Sabalenka at Wuhan with a 6-1 first set, Gauff fell in three sets. The great unknown who can match it with anyone.

Jessica Pegula

Since losing the US Open final to Sabalenka, Pegula has recorded a 3-2 record in what has been a relatively subdued Asian hardcourt swing. She beat Swiatek at Flushing Meadows and overcame in-form Karolina Muchova before going down to Sabalenka in a tight Grand Slam final, 7-5 7-5.

Barbora Krejcikova

Her Wimbledon title seems a mile away since she beat Paolini in the decider having won against Rybakina two days earlier. Since then, Krejcikova has won just two of six matches, the highest of who’s rank is 151st in Spaniard Marina Bassols Ribera. Wonderfully talented but horribly out of form.

ALTERNATIVES

In the scenario a player has to withdraw, there are two alternatives on-site for the event. They are Russian Daria Kasatkina and American Danielle Collins.

PREDICTION

It is hard to look past Sabalenka overall, and certainly in her group. Swiatek should top her group, given she has the wood over the two Americans, and Krejcikova is out of form. Zheng has been in career-best form of late and could step up to make the semis and have an Olympics semi-final rematch against Swiatek. Pegula or Gauff should face Sabalenka in the knockout stages, with a lot depending on which one of them turns up.