Riyadh: The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals commenced on Saturday at the indoor arena of King Saud University. Vice Minister of Sport Bader Alkadi attended the opening event. The tournament, running from November 2 to 9, is organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation, supervised by the Ministry of Sport, and sponsored by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

According to Saudi Press Agency, the first day featured eight players in singles and eight teams in doubles. American duo Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Australian Ellen Perez secured a victory against Taiwanese player Hsieh Su-Wei and Belgian Elise Mertens in the doubles category. Additionally, Czech player Katerina Siniakova and American Taylor Townsend achieved an upset by defeating Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and Ukrainian Lyudmyla Kichenok in two sets to one.

In the singles category, the world number one, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, won against Chinese player Zheng Qinwen in straight sets, marking the first singles match of the tournament. Italian play
er Jasmine Paolini also claimed victory against Kazakh player Elena Rybakina in straight sets.

Sabalenka expressed her appreciation for the tournament’s organization during a post-match press conference, acknowledging the Kingdom’s excellence in hosting global events. She highlighted her satisfaction with the victory over Qinwen, emphasizing the mental aspect as a key factor in her success and the supportive crowd that enhanced the competition.

The WTA Finals in Riyadh conclude the 2024 tennis season, with a total prize pool exceeding $15 million.