Home · Sports · Nov 9 archive
Sabalenka Overcomes Troubles to Win WTA Finals Opener
Confirmed
In Short: Aryna Sabalenka secured a hard-fought victory over Karolina Muchova in her WTA Finals opener.
Aryna Sabalenka US Open 2024 practice (cropped).
Aryna Sabalenka emerged victorious in her WTA Finals opener, defeating Karolina Muchova in straight sets, 7-6(7), 7-5, in Indian Wells on Monday.
Sabalenka, the second seed, struggled with her serve but managed to break back when Muchova served for the first set at 5-4, ultimately prevailing in a tight match.
The Belarusian champion, who has never won the WTA Finals, showed resilience by breaking Muchova's serve multiple times in the second set.
Sabalenka's serve was wayward, with seven double faults and only four aces, but she won 59% of her first-serve points and landed 33 of 44 points behind her serve.
Despite her serve issues, Sabalenka's aggressive play paid off, as she broke Muchova's serve five times and hit 22 winners against 18 unforced errors.
Sabalenka's victory was crucial as she aims to secure her first WTA Finals title, having lost in the finals in 2022 and 2025.
Muchova, making her debut at the WTA Finals, put up a strong fight, but Sabalenka's experience and determination proved decisive.
Sabalenka expressed relief at her performance, saying, 'I was so tight, I felt I was moving like a turtle.' She added, 'I'm just trying to win every match I play, and at the same time trying to stay in the moment and focus on my game on each point and trying to stay calm and in control.'
Sabalenka's next opponent will be Mirra Andreeva, who won her match against Elina Svitolina, putting both players in a strong position to advance to the semi-finals.
The WTA Finals, held for the first time in Indian Wells, features a mix of returning players and newcomers, with Sabalenka and Coco Gauff among the top contenders.
Sabalenka's victory sets the stage for a competitive tournament, with the top two players from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
What this adds
Sabalenka's serve issues were a significant challenge, but her ability to break Muchova's serve multiple times was key to her victory.
The WTA Finals in Indian Wells marks a new venue for the year-end championship, with Sabalenka and Gauff among the top seeds.
What's confirmed
- Aryna Sabalenka battled past Karolina Muchova in straight sets to make a winning start at the season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Monday.
- Second-seeded Sabalenka is chasing her first ever WTA Finals victory after suffering defeats in the 2022 and 2025 finals.
- Crucially though, Sabalenka responded to that stumble by breaking back immediately to lead 6-5 and she made no mistake when serving for the match again, wrapping up victory when Czech opponent Muchova netted a backhand.
- "I'm just trying to win every match I play, and at the same time trying to stay in the moment and focus on my game on each point and trying to stay calm and in control," Sabalenka said afterward.
- Former world number one Sabalenka was forced to dig deep before finally prevailing 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 in just under two hours.
- Both players struggled on serve in the second set, with Sabalenka suffering her fourth break as she served for the match at 5-4 up.
What's still developing
- The Belarusian, who is seeking her first WTA Finals crown, had to dig deep in the opening set, breaking back when Muchova served for it at 5-4 before dominating the ensuing tiebreak to take the lead after almost an hour.
- Making her sixth consecutive appearance at the season-ending tournament, Sabalenka had to work hard to overcome a determined Muchova 7-6(2) 7-5, with the Czech making her debut at the event after a breakthrough season that included titles in Doha and Bad Homburg and a run to the Wimbledon final.
- Sabalenka is making her sixth consecutive appearance in the tournament but has never lifted the trophy, having also fallen at the final hurdle against Caroline Garcia in 2022.
- The season-ending championship heads to Indian Wells for the first time, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff among the stars competing; You can watch the WTA Finals live on Sky Sports from 8-15 November Marion Bartoli, Madison Keys and Laura Robson give their predictions ahead of the season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells.
- Group 1 [4] Coco Gauff [5] Jessica Pegula [8] Linda Noskova [10] Marta Kostyuk Group 2 [2] Aryna Sabalenka [3] Mirra Andreeva [6] Elina Svitolina [7] Karolina Muchova Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sabalenka has won 85 per cent of her hard-court matches this year, 34 wins from 40, which is the best percentage of the eight qualifiers.
- “I was able to stay calm I stayed really inside of myself,” Sabalenka told Tennis Channel.
- The two players did not really entertain the American crowd in the first set, and it was in the tie-break, one of Sabalenka's favorite exercises, that the Belarusian took the lead after an hour of play.
- She’s the fourth player in the past 50 years to make her WTA Finals debut at 30 or older, joining Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
- Top-seeded Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the WTA Finals due to medical concerns ahead of the start of the year-end championships in Indian Wells, California.
- Rybakina won both Grand Slam tournaments and the Kazakhstani was looking to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2014 to win back-to-back titles at the WTA Finals with a win in Indian Wells.
- Players who might not have done well at the US Open have extra incentive to succeed in China as the season winds down, with the WTA Finals in Indian Wells a little more than a month away.