By Tony Fairbairn
- Iga Swiatek [2] v Madison Keys [7]
- Amanda Anisimova [4] v Elena Rybakina [6]
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys will renew their rivalry on day one of the WTA Finals in the Serena Williams group.
 |
|---|
Iga Swiatek [2] v Madison Keys [7] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Iga Swiatek [2] v Madison Keys [7] | H2H: Swiatek leads 5-2 |
| WTA Finals 2025 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $355,000 |
| Second on Center Court (Not before 15:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Day one of the WTA Finals will begin with a battle between two of this year’s Grand Slam champions as Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek will begin her campaign against Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
It started as a disappointing season for Swiatek who was narrowly missing out on winning titles and being frustrated by opponents in big moments. That was encapsulated by Swiatek missing out on winning the Roland Garros title which put into question her decision to hire Wim Fissette as her coach. However, good things come to those who wait and Swiatek’s season kicked into life as she won the Wimbledon title in emphatic fashion. Now, the Pole is in confident form and is looking to win her second WTA Finals title this year.
The first task for Swiatek will be Keys who started her year by claiming her Grand Slam breakthrough. It was at the Australian Open where Keys claimed her first ever Grand Slam title, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. A breakthrough moment for Keys who praised the use of therapy and has maintained a steady course since then. However, Keys would have liked more deep runs at big tournaments and will look to prove that she can beat any player on her day with a good showing at the WTA Finals.
These two players put on a classic in Melbourne with Keys edging out a final set tiebreak and more of the same type of tennis will be produced here. If Swiatek is to win this match then she needs to be aggressive on the second serve return. While Keys will use the forehand to force Swiatek into positional errors. This match is quite close to call with Keys winning the big points in order to catch Swiatek cold at the start of the tournament.
Prediction: Keys in three sets.
 |
|---|
Amanda Anisimova [4] v Elena Rybakina [6] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Amanda Anisimova [4] v Elena Rybakina [6] | H2H: First Meeting |
| WTA Finals 2025 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $355,000 |
| Third on Center Court (16:30 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
The second match of the Serena Williams group will see two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova take on former Wimbledon finalist Elena Rybakina.
It’s been a breakthrough season for Anisimova who had taken a break from tennis due to mental health reasons. However, the American has returned with authority and has risen up the rankings inside the world’s top ten while reaching the first two Grand Slam finals of her career at Wimbledon and the US Open. Having learned some key lessons and won some big titles this year, Anisimova will be hoping to display her best tennis in Saudi Arabia.
As for Rybakina, it has been a consistently good season for the Kazakh as she has reached the latter stages of tournaments on a regular basis. It was looking like things wouldn’t go Rybakina’s way in terms of WTA rankings as she was in ninth heading into the latter stages of the year. The sixth seed had a late season surge though and is now in Riyadh at the expense of Mirra Andreeva as she now aims to make a big impression in Saudi Arabia.
This is an interesting clash between two confidence players who possess similar styles of play. Anisimova will believe in her backhand and will aim to approach the net to show her dominance. Meanwhile Rybakina’s first serve percentage will need to be high if she wants to take control of this contest. This will be another close contest but Anisimova should have enough consistent quality to take charge of an erratic Rybakina.
Prediction: Anisimova in three sets.
How to Watch/Follow WTA Finals 2025
| Live Stream | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
| Live Scores | Tennis Scores Powered By TNNSLIVE |
| Follow Britwatch - Sport in General, Brits in Particular! | |
|---|---|
| Soundcloud | |
| YouTube | |
| We may receive compensation for products purchased via affiliate links on this website | |