By Tony Fairbairn
- Aryna Sabalenka [1] v Coco Gauff [3]
- Jessica Pegula [5] v Jasmine Paolini [8]
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will resume their intense rivalry on the final day of round robin action at the WTA Finals.
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Aryna Sabalenka [1] v Coco Gauff [3] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Aryna Sabalenka [1] v Coco Gauff [3] | H2H: Gauff leads 6-5 |
| WTA Finals 2025 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $355,000 |
| Third on Center Court (Not before 15:30 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
The round robin phase at this year’s WTA Finals ends with the resumption of one of WTA’s most intense rivalries as world number one Aryna Sabalenka battles Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff.
It’s been so far so good for Sabalenka who has won both of her matches in Riyadh so far. The world number one has played composed, aggressive and intelligent tennis so far as she bids to win the WTA Finals crown for the first time in her career. After losing some big matches this season in important events, Sabalenka has done well to remain consistent as she has ended this year as the world number one. Now, the US Open champion aims to put the finishing touches to a good year and will want to do it by ending the tournament unbeaten.
One of Sabalenka’s harshest defeats this season came in an intense loss at the Roland Garros final to Gauff. The American has been a thorn in Sabalenka’s side on quite a few occasions and will now look to do the same in Riyadh. After winning her second match of the group phase, Gauff has now put herself in a good position to reach the semi-finals at the WTA Finals. Having won the title last year, it will be extra sweet for Gauff to beat one of her closest rivals in order to reach the lats four in Saudi Arabia.
This will be a highly competitive contest with both players still looking to book a spot in the semi-finals. It will Sabalenka’s aggression and proactiveness against the defensive resilience and resolve of Gauff. This will be decided by a few points here and there with Gauff stepping up her game when she needs to in order to reach the last four in Riyadh.
Prediction: Gauff in three sets.
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Jessica Pegula [5] v Jasmine Paolini [8] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jessica Pegula [5] v Jasmine Paolini [8] | H2H: Pegula leads 5-0 |
| WTA Finals 2025 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $355,000 |
| Second on Center Court (Not before 14:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
The other match of the day will see Jessica Pegula take on Jasmine Paolini in a crucial round robin match.
It was another hard-fought performance from Pegula who just missed out on another victory against Sabalenka. The American has raised her level of performances in the second half of the season as she has produced a consistently impressive level. Now, Pegula aims to back that up with a semi-final appearance at the WTA Finals as she looks to build momentum towards next season with a Grand Slam title in her sights for 2026.
Next up for Pegula is a player that she has an incredible record against in the form of Paolini. The Italian hasn’t had any luck so far in her first two matches and was outclassed against Gauff in her second round-robin match. However, Paolini will not even contemplate about giving up just yet and will have a lot of freedom in her final round robin match. If Paolini can score a straight sets win then she can have a chance of an unlikely passage into the last four and that will be enough motivation for her heading into Thursday’s showdown.
This match will be about who can be more aggressive in the crucial moments as both players like to play on the front-foot. The consistent quality of Pegula should prove too much as Paolini aims for some confidence against the American in what has been a one-way match-up in the past.
Prediction: Pegula in straight sets.
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