Aryna Sabalenka digs deep to secure WTA Finals title clash with Elena Rybakina in Riyadh

World No 1 defeats Anisimova in three sets and faces championship showdown with in-form Kazakh on Saturday

Aryna Sabalenka beat Amanda Anisimova in the WTA semi-finals in Saudi Arabia. Getty Images

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka had to dig deep to overcome fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a high-octane semi-final at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

The Belarusian four-time major winner roared her way to a championship showdown with Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, who battled past fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 earlier at King Saud University Indoor Arena.

Sabalenka clocked 12 aces and saved six of nine break points to book her place in the final for a second time in five appearances at the season-ending championships.

“She always pushes me to play my best tennis,” said Sabalenka, who gave Anisimova a warm embrace at the net after the match.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t care if I would lose this match because we both played an incredible match and we both deserve to be in the final.

“I’m super happy to get the win. I told Amanda that she should be proud of her season, she played incredible tennis the whole season, but it’s just the beginning for her. There are many good things coming her way for sure.”

Both undefeated through four matches so far this week in the Saudi capital, Sabalenka and Rybakina have a chance of earning a record $5.235 million with a victory in Saturday’s final.

Rybakina claimed a 10th consecutive win on Friday by defeating Pegula to reach the championship match at the WTA Finals for the first time in three appearances.

“When I came here, I didn't have many expectations. I'm very happy the way I played in Asia but at the same time, I was quite tired,” said Rybakina, who won the title in Ningbo and made the semi-finals in Tokyo to secure the last qualifying spot for Riyadh at the very last chance.

“So, for me, it was OK, last week, last push, let's see what's going to happen. And yeah, I didn't expect to go that far.”

Two of the biggest hitters on tour, Sabalenka and Anisimova have built one of the most riveting rivalries in today’s game, and were squaring off for a fourth time this season (Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open, Riyadh), and 11th time overall.

Sabalenka saved all five break points she faced and converted two of the eight she created to scoop a highly-competitive opening set in 60 minutes.

Anisimova came out blazing in the second frame, breaking twice for a 4-0 gap. The American was punishing Sabalenka’s second serve and pouncing on ever short ball that came her way.

She was broken while serving for the second set but recovered immediately to take the contest into a decider.

The moment of truth came in game seven for Sabalenka, who pulled off some incredible shots to break Anisimova for a 4-3 advantage.

With both of them unleashing missiles from all corners of the court, it was Sabalenka who found her best when she needed it the most to claim her fifth victory from 11 meetings with Anisimova.

In the first semi-final of the day, Rybakina fired 15 aces and won 73 per cent of her first-serve points on her way to a hard-fought win.

The 26-year-old Rybakina has a shot at clinching her biggest title since 2022 Wimbledon.

The Dubai resident is just the third player representing an Asian nation – behind Zheng Qinwen and Li Na – to reach the final of this event.

Pegula played a near-flawless opening set but also benefitted from the 25 unforced errors coming off of Rybakina's racquet.

The American was hugging the baseline, putting pressure on Rybakina, and claimed a one-set lead in 41 minutes.

Rybakina, who once again was playing with a taped shoulder, started using her killer serve to maximum effect, and managed to break Pegula for a 3-1 advantage.

With the momentum firmly on her side, Rybakina looked on her way to a decider as she served for the second set at 5-3.

Pegula found a tiny window though and attacked Rybakina's second serve, forcing some double faults and breaking for 4-5.

A marathon 10th game witnessed four deuces, three game points and two break points, before it was ultimately snatched by Rybakina, who took the semi-final into a third set.

Rybakina made the first move in the decider, and staved off an attempted comeback from Pegula to complete the win in two hours and five minutes.

Speaking of her shoulder, Rybakina said: “I played a lot the last few weeks. So of course, it's not easy for the body, and I've been serving very hard here, too, and a lot of tough matches, long matches. So of course, it's not that easy for the body.

“It's only the last match left, so we'll try to do everything possible for my shoulder to feel better tomorrow, and we'll try to push myself as much as I can.”

Meanwhile, Pegula was understandably disappointed but is pleased with the improvements she made to her came in 2025 – a season that saw her win three titles on three different surfaces.

“I feel like I can end this year knowing that I became a better player and hopefully have confidence and get excited to work on some things I know that I want to work on in the offseason and see if I can do the same thing next year,” said the Buffalo native.