For the first time in the history of the tournament, the WTA Finals are headed to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. And with the lineup of eight singles players and eight doubles pairings officially set, it’s time to dive into some of the key storylines to look out for as the 2024 WTA season comes to a close.

Qinwen Zheng, Jasmine Paolini Make Their WTA Finals Debuts

Two of the eight competitors in the singles field will be making their WTA Finals debut. 

Qinwen Zheng enters Riyadh matching a career-high No. 7 ranking and fresh off the back of a solid stretch of confidence-building play. It’s been a breakout season for Zheng, with a 2024 campaign that began with a run to the Australian Open final and peaked with a Gold Medal victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Zheng has followed up her triumph in Paris with solid performances to close the season at the US Open (quarterfinalist), China Open (semifinalist) and Wuhan Open (finalist). 

The other debutant in Riyadh will be Jasmine Paolini, who will look to cap off a phenomenal year that saw her rise from No. 30 in the beginning of the year to her current ranking at No. 6. Paolini’s 2024 season has been highlighted by two Grand Slam final appearances at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and a maiden WTA 1000 title victory in Dubai.

Two Americans Back In The Mix

This is the third consecutive WTA Finals that will see Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff competing for the season-ending title. Pegula, currently ranked No. 4, was last year’s runner up, putting together a remarkable performance that included emerging from group play without dropping a set, and defeating Gauff in the semifinal before coming up just short in the final to the No. 1 seed and two-time Indian Wells champion Iga Swiatek.

A year after winning her first Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open, Gauff was unable to exceed that pinnacle in 2024, only getting as far as the semifinals in Melbourne and Roland Garros. However, she recently picked up her second WTA title of the season in Beijing, which could give the youngest competitor in the field some critical momentum coming into Riyadh.

Swiatek, Sabalenka At The Finish Line For Year-End No. 1

This edition will be the fourth consecutive WTA Finals that will feature Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, who are once again the top two seeds at the year-end tournament. They have been the only WTA players to hold the No. 1 ranking since April 2022, and it looks as if 2024 may be the year that Sabalenka finally finishes the season on top.

Swiatek got out to a hot start in 2024, winning five titles, including Indian Wells and a Grand Slam victory at Roland Garros. However, she has slowed down since then, without a title since her triumph in Paris. The defending WTA Finals champion knows that it isn’t too late to turn things around and claim pole position. At last year's Finals, Swiatek’s victory included a semifinal win over Sabalenka, allowing her to leapfrog into the No. 1 spot. But doing so again this year will be tall ask for Swiatek, as she'll have to go undefeated in her group and win the title while hoping that Sabalenka doesn't advance past the group stage.

On the other hand, Sabalenka is looking to claim what would be her first WTA Finals crown and retain her top spot. Sabalenka is red-hot at the right time, picking up second half silverware in Cincinnati, the US Open, and Wuhan. If Sabalenka continues her strong form, that elusive WTA Finals triumph could finally be hers for the taking.