The newly crowned world number one, Sabalenka, showcased her formidable skills, defeating the Chinese seventh seed 6-3, 6-4. This latest win marks Sabalenka’s clean sweep against Zheng in their five encounters, with four of those victories occurring just within this calendar year. The persistent challenges Zheng faces against Sabalenka have led Chinese fans to affectionately nickname the Belarusian as “the mountain that Zheng is yet to overcome.”
Their intense rivalry began earlier this year when Sabalenka triumphed over Zheng in the Australian Open final. Subsequently, she also secured her third Grand Slam singles title at the US Open in September, which significantly bolstered her confidence heading into the WTA Finals. Despite her impressive achievements, Sabalenka has yet to claim the WTA Finals title, a goal she reflected upon with great aspiration during her post-match comments. “It would mean everything to me. I really worked hard the past years since the very beginning of my career,” expressed the 26-year-old with palpable passion. She added, “I really hope I’ll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day,” illustrating the importance of this title to her career.
In another match within the tournament, Elena Rybakina is set to face Jasmine Paolini, which promises to be another exciting encounter in the freshly competitive atmosphere of the WTA Finals. Meanwhile, the Orange Group, consisting of prominent players like Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejcikova, will kick off their round-robin matches on Sunday, adding even more tension and anticipation to the tournament.
Sabalenka’s trajectory in the sport has been nothing short of impressive, as she has emerged as the heavy favorite for the title this year, especially after she replaced Iga Swiatek at the top of the world rankings in October. Over the course of the year, she has claimed four titles, including her recent victory at the Wuhan Open, where she once again defeated Zheng in the final. However, Zheng has also enjoyed a successful year, highlighted by her remarkable achievement in winning Olympic gold on the Paris clay in July, which has contributed to her rise in the rankings.
The match itself saw both players demonstrating their power and skill in the opening stages, maintaining a delicate balance. However, it was Sabalenka, renowned for being the heaviest hitter in the women’s game, who seized the initiative, breaking Zheng’s serve at 4-2 and eventually serving out the set convincingly. As the second set unfolded, Zheng kept pace with her opponent but was unable to sidestep a costly service game punctuated by a double fault, which granted Sabalenka two crucial break points at 4-4.
The first attempt to capitalize on the break point missed narrowly, yet Sabalenka then stepped up to the occasion, executing a trademark forehand winner that broke Zheng’s serve and allowed her to serve out the match. Interestingly, Sabalenka hit her only double fault on match point but quickly redeemed herself, securing victory on the next point. The swiftness of the conclusion caught Zheng off guard, as she was standing by the towel box and unaware the match had ended until Sabalenka approached the net to shake hands.
As an exciting addition to this year’s tournament, a record amount of prize money has been established, with the singles champion set to collect around £4m. This significant financial incentive heightens the stakes for the players, adding to the already intense atmosphere of competition. Thus, the WTA Finals not only serve as a platform for showcasing top-tier women’s tennis but also underline the increasing professional value of the sport.
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