WTA Finals 2024: Complete line-up ft. Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka
The elite eight who will compete in the WTA Finals 2024 have all been shortlisted. Players fought all season long for a spot in the coveted year-end championships, and now the field has been finalized.
Two players will make their WTA Finals debut this year, while the other six have qualified once again. Players will now make one last push in order to end their season on a high.
However, that's easier said than done given the quality of the field as only the cream of the crop have qualified. On that note, here's a look at the players who have made the cut for this year's WTA Finals:
#1 - Iga Swiatek
Swiatek was the first player to qualify for this year's WTA Finals on August 6. After an early exit from the Australian Open, she went into overdrive. She won the Qatar Open for the third consecutive year, and nabbed her second title at the Indian Wells Open.
Swiatek mounted the most successful clay campaign of her career with a clean sweep of all the big titles - the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open. Her unbeaten run came to an end in the third round of Wimbledon, and she settled for the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics after that.
Despite her disappointment at missing out on the gold medal, the Pole's presence at the WTA Finals was confirmed after the Olympics. She's the defending champion, and this will mark her fourth consecutive appearance at the year-end championships.
#2 - Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka started the year with a successful title defense at the Australian Open. However, her results took a hit for the remainder of the hardcourt swing. She bounced back during the clay swing, though she played second fiddle to Swiatek with runner-up finishes in Madrid and Rome.
Sabalenka bowed out from the French Open in the quarterfinals, and an injury forced her out of Wimbledon. She slowly built her form upon her return, and won the Cincinnati Open, and then triumphed at the US Open, which secured her spot in the WTA Finals.
The 26-year-old recently won the Wuhan Open, and is in great form heading into the year-end championships. She has qualified for the fourth year in a row, and was the runner-up two years ago as well.
#3 - Coco Gauff
Gauff's consistent results at the start of the season put her on track to qualify for the WTA Finals. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, the French Open, the Indian Wells Open, and the Italian Open. She also defended her title in Auckland at the start of the year.
Gauff's grass swing started with a semifinal appearance in Berlin, and her results weren't up to the mark after that. She wouldn't make another quarterfinal for nearly three months, and her title defense at the US Open ended in the fourth round.
However, Gauff turned things around in spectacular manner. She won the China Open, and made the semifinals of the Wuhan Open. This ensured her qualification for the WTA Finals for the third straight year. A semifinalist at the season-ending tournament last year, she will aim to do better this time.
#4 - Jasmine Paolini
This has been a year to remember for Paolini. She reached back-to-back Major finals at the French Open and Wimbledon, though she came up short in both of them. She also captured her maiden WTA 1000 title in Dubai.
These results laid the groundwork for Paolini's debut at the WTA Finals. Furthermore, she has also qualified for the same in doubles. She won the gold medal in doubles at the Paris Olympics, was the runner-up at the French Open, and won two WTA 1000 titles. The Italian will now aim to shine in both disciplines on her debut.
#5 - Elena Rybakina
Rybakina has qualified for the WTA Finals for the second consecutive year. She won three WTA 500 titles, and reached another two finals at the WTA 1000 level.
A semifinal finish at Wimbledon was Rybakina's best result at the Majors, followed by a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open. She hasn't played since pulling out of the US Open prior to her second-round match, and missed five WTA 1000 tournaments this year.
Despite skipping quite a few big tournaments, Rybakina's consistency when healthy has snagged her a place in the WTA Finals. She will aim to make a deep run this time, after failing to get out of the group stage on her debut last year.
#6 - Jessica Pegula
Pegula flew under the radar during an injury-riddled first half of the season. However, her campaign garnered significant momentum after the French Open. She won her first title on grass in Berlin, though she crashed out in the second round of Wimbledon.
Pegula later defended her Canadian Open title, and was the runner-up at the Cincinnati Open and US Open. She lost to Sabalenka on both occasions, including her first Major final.
The American's Asian swing wasn't as successful, though she reached the fourth round of the China Open. Nevertheless, her results were enough to grab a spot in this year's WTA Finals, in what will be her third appearance at the event. She lost to Swiatek in last year's summit clash.
#7 - Barbora Krejcikova
Krejcikova's health issues didn't allow her to compete at a high level for most of the season. She did reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open at the start of the year but wasn't in the spotlight after that.
Krejcikova then stunned the field as she fought her way to the Wimbledon title. However, she hasn't done much since then. She still qualified for the WTA Finals thanks to a new rule.
If a player is ranked between eighth to 20th in the race to WTA Finals, and has won a Major title during the season, then they are eligible to compete in it. With only a handful of tournaments remaining, no other player can push Krejcikova, currently in 12th place, beyond the 20th spot, and she was deemed eligible for the year-end championships.
#8 - Zheng Qinwen
Zheng advanced to the first Major final of her career at the Australian Open, and fell to Sabalenka. She failed to replicate that success elsewhere over the next few months. However, it all changed after her successful title defense in Palermo.
Zheng then won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, and made the last eight at the US Open. She reached the semifinals of the China Open, and went a step further at the Wuhan Open, though she lost to Sabalenka in the final yet again.
Emma Navarro was hot on her tail, and the battle for the last spot was supposed to continue at the Ningbo Open. However, she withdrew from the tournament, and cleared the way for Zheng to make her debut at the WTA Finals.