Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen are set to meet yet again this season in their opening match at the WTA Finals, while Iga Swiatek is slated to start her run by taking on Barbora Krejcikova.
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After the draw in Riyadh was released on Tuesday, it didn't take long before opening matchups were also revealed.
And right at the start of the WTA Finals, there will be a rematch of this year's Australian Open final where Sabalenka beat Zheng in two sets. Lately, the new world No. 1 also defeated the Chinese tennis star in the US Open quarterfinal and the Wuhan Open final, respectively.
On the other side, Swiatek - who hasn't played since the US Open and has a new coach - will take on reigning Wimbledon champion Krejcikova, who is just 2-4 in her last four tournaments. However, it should be noted that the Czech won their last two meetings that came in 2022 Ostrava and 2023 Dubai.
Elena Rybakina also set for a return
After not playing since the US Open and mysteriously taking some time away from tennis, the 2022 Wimbledon champion arrived in Riyadh over the weekend and now she is set to make a comeback at the WTA Finals.
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In her first match back, the world No. 5 will clash against this year's French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini. Earlier this year, the Kazakh beat the Italian in Stuttgart but suffered a three-set loss in the quarterfinal at Roland Garros.
If circumstances were right, it would be safe to say that Rybakina would be the favorite to beat Paolini because her hard-court abilities are well-documented. But she hasn't played in two months and it is a question of how the 25-year-old will look after a lengthy absence.
Meanwhile, in the remaining match of the opening action at the WTA Finals, Coco Gauff will take on Jessica Pegula. Going into the match, the elder American owns a 4-1 head-to-head record against the 2023 US Open champion.
