WTA Finals 2022: Women's singles group analysis, preview and prediction
The 2022 season will come to an end at the WTA Finals, where the year's best players will compete from October 31 - November 7. The tournament will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, and will make a return to the United States after 17 years.
Four of the eight players are making their WTA Finals debut. Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Daria Kasatkina have made the cut for the year-end championships for the first time. The Tunisian missed out on a spot last season when Anett Kontaveit edged her out at the very end.
Gauff and Pegula have also qualified for doubles here as well. Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari are making their second consecutive appearances, while Caroline Garcia has qualified for the second time since her debut back in 2017.
With the season's best-performing players gathered in one place, there are bound to be plenty of exciting matches in store. Here's a look at how the draw could unfold over the next week.
Group Tracy Austin: Iga Swiatek looking to cap off an incredible season with a triumph at the WTA Finals
Players: (1) Iga Swiatek, (4) Coco Gauff, (6) Caroline Garcia and (8) Daria Kasatkina.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is the player to beat and it's safe to assume that she'll be making it out of the group stage at the very least. She's the only Grand Slam champion competing in this year's edition. The Pole has snagged eight trophies so far, including a couple of major titles, and will be looking to end her brilliant season on a high.
Swiatek owns a 9-2 record against her fellow group members. She's undefeated against Coco Gauff, leads Daria Kasatkina 4-1 and is in a 1-1 tie with Caroline Garcia. Given their respective form, the World No. 1 is expected to top the group.
That leaves the other three players battling it out for the second spot. Garcia was on a hot streak from June until the end of the US Open in September, winning three titles. Since the semifinal loss in New York, she has managed to win just one match across three tournaments.
Garcia trails Gauff 2-1 in the head-to-head, but is tied 1-1 with Swiatek and Kasatkina. The French player's current form doesn't bode too well for her chances here.
Kasatkina has been consistent for the better part of the season, but has been going through a rough patch since her title-winning run at the Granby Championships.
Since then, she has lost in the first round of the US Open and hasn't won two matches in a row. The Russian has a losing record against Swiatek, but leads Gauff 2-0. She will need to raise her level to get out of the group stage.
All things considered, it looks like Gauff is likely to qualify for the semifinals alongside Swiatek from this group. The teenager has been a beacon of consistency heading into the WTA Finals. Aside from a first-round exit due to a mid-match retirement, she has reached the quarterfinals of every tournament she has competed in since August.
Gauff is the only player in this group who hasn't won a title and will be motivated to do better here. The teen star has improved a lot this year and while there's still some work to be done, she can do a lot of damage here.
Predicted semifinalists: Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.
Group Nancy Richey: Debutants Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula aiming for a memorable outing at the WTA Finals
Players: (2) Ons Jabeur, (3) Jessica Pegula, (5) Maria Sakkari and (7) Aryna Sabalenka.
Ons Jabeur came close to winning a Major title twice this year, but finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open. Nevertheless, it has been a remarkable season for the Tunisian as she continues to scale new heights. She won titles in Madrid and Berlin and reached a career-high ranking of No. 2.
Since her loss at the US Open, Jabeur has competed in just one tournament, which was held in her native Tunisia. She lost in the quarterfinals to Claire Liu. She has a winning record against Maria Sakkari and Jessica Pegula, but trails Aryna Sabalenka 2-1 in the head-to-head.
Jabeur has been quite consistent, but is known to falter in pressure moments. Competing against the very best in a tournament like the WTA Finals could affect her nerves, but if she's able to stay composed, she has a good shot at making it out of the group stage.
It has been a long road to the top of the women's game for Pegula, but with hard work and determination, she finally made it. She won the biggest title of her career at the Guadalajara Open in the lead-up to the WTA Finals. The American has frequently made it to the latter stages of big tournaments and seems primed to do so yet again.
Pegula has a losing record against everyone in her group, but her win in Guadalajara would've given her enough confidence to do well here. Sakkari was the last player to qualify for the WTA Finals. She almost didn't make the cut and was under pressure to perform well in Guadalajara, which she ultimately ended up doing.
After a strong start to the season, the Greek underperformed for quite a few months before rediscovering her form recently. If Sakkari's able to keep the momentum going, she could make another deep run here. She was a semifinalist at last year's WTA Finals, but given her inconsistent results, the odds of her repeating the feat seem farfetched.
Sabalenka has had a rollercoaster of a season, with plenty of highs and lows. She hasn't won a title this year, though she has reached a couple of finals. Since her semifinal loss at the US Open, she has competed in just two events. The Belarusian made it to the quarterfinals in San Diego, but lost in the first round in Guadalajara.
Sabalenka was blessed with a good draw at the WTA Finals as she has a winning record against everyone in her group. If she's back to her best, she does have a good chance of advancing out of the group stage.
Predicted semifinalists: Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula.
Semifinal predictions
Iga Swiatek (1st in group Tracy Austin) to defeat Ons Jabeur (2nd in group Nancy Richey)
Jessica Pegula (1st in group Nancy Richey) to defeat Coco Gauff (2nd in group Tracy Austin)
Predicted final: Iga Swiatek def. Jessica Pegula.