Aryna Sabalenka Overcomes Zheng in WTA Finals Opener

Aryna Sabalenka showcased her dominance over Zheng Qinwen with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in the opening match of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This win marks Sabalenka’s fifth consecutive victory against Zheng, who has yet to defeat her, earning Sabalenka the nickname “the mountain that Zheng is yet to overcome” among Chinese fans. The Belarusian, who ascended to world number one in October previously defeated Zheng in the Australian Open final in January and claimed her third Grand Slam title at the US Open in September.

Despite her success, Sabalenka has yet to win the WTA Finals title, which she expressed as a significant aspiration. “It would mean everything to me,” she stated. “I really hope I’ll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day.” In another match, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini made a successful WTA Finals debut by defeating Elena Rybakina 7-6(7-5), 6-4.

The round-robin matches will continue with the Orange Group featuring Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova, starting on Sunday. This year’s tournament marks the first time it takes place in Saudi Arabia, a decision that critics have challenged due to the country’s human rights record. Aryna Sabalenka stands as the favorite to win the title, having claimed four titles this year including the Wuhan Open where she defeated Zheng in the final.

Both players started the match evenly matched but Sabalenka broke Zheng’s serve at a crucial moment to take the first set. In the second set, Sabalenka secured a pivotal break to lead 5-4 and served out the match. Paolini’s victory against Rybakina featured Rybakina’s struggles with unforced errors which contributed to her fatigue as the match progressed. The tournament boasts record prize money with the singles champion set to earn around £4 million.