Spencer Cashmill
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Dementieva and Kafelnikov on Vukov-Gate, Serve Speeds, Being an Alternate, and the WTA Finals Final : “Elena Rybakina Was Brilliant”
Russian tennis has rarely lacked for character, and few embody that better than Elena Dementieva and Yevgeny Kafelnikov — two champions who defined their eras with contrasting flair. Their insights are revealing — always filtered through a distinctly Russian lens. As Svetlana Kuznetsova remarked earlier this week, from their perspective Moscow-born Rybakina remains a Russian…
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Rybakina’s Riyadh Triumph Turns Political — Kuznetsova Applauds, Shriver Condemns as WTA Rift Deepens
Elena Rybakina should have been basking in glory. A 6-3, 7-6(0) masterclass over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka delivered her the WTA Finals crown — the biggest title of her career outside Wimbledon. But instead of a victory lap, the 26-year-old found herself at the centre of another storm. Her refusal to stand beside WTA…
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WTA Rankings After 2025 WTA Finals: The Pack Is Growling Louder
As of November 10, 2025, this Final WTA rankings capture the complete aftermath of the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Aryna Sabalenka Still Perched on Top of Women’s Tennis For a second year running, Aryna Sabalenka ends the season as queen of the WTA hill — battle-scarred, exasperated at times, but still the one holding the…
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The Players Want a Seat: WTA Revolt Brewing Over Grand Slam Silence
For once, the fight isn’t on a baseline — it’s at the boardroom table. The WTA’s biggest names are no longer content to rally from the sidelines as the Grand Slams decide the sport’s future. Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Jessica Pegula have become unlikely teammates, demanding that tennis’s most powerful tournaments finally listen —…
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Why WTA Chief Portia Archer Was Left Frozen Out by Rybakina After Finals Triumph
A frosty exchange stole the spotlight in Cancún as Elena Rybakina refused to pose with WTA CEO Portia Archer following her WTA Finals victory — a silent protest years in the making. A Chief and a Runner-Up — but No Champion in Sight Portia Archer’s first WTA Finals as chief executive ended with an image…
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Elena Rybakina Makes History: Wins Record-Breaking Prize Money With 2025 WTA Finals Triumph
November 8, 2025 – Riyadh. From the moment they walked into the Riyadh arena, you could sense it — this wasn’t just another final, it was a grab for tennis immortality. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina weren’t merely playing for silverware; they were swinging for history, for pride, and for the biggest single prize ever…
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From Evert to Rybakina — Every WTA Finals Champion in History (1972–2025)
It all comes down to this. After a week of blazing serves, brutal rallies, and late-night drama under the Riyadh lights, the 2025 WTA Finals have reached their crescendo. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina — two of the most commanding ball-strikers in the modern game — faced off for the season’s ultimate crown and the…
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Sabalenka and Rybakina Clash for Biggest Prize Money in Women’s Tennis History at 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh
Eight came to Riyadh. Nine participated. Two remain. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina — the immovable forces of the 2025 WTA season — will meet under the desert lights with everything still to prove and nothing left to hide. Both have swept through their groups unbeaten. Both have stared down danger in the semifinals. And…
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Sabalenka Survives Anisimova’s Fury — Now Faces Rybakina for 2025 Riyadh Supremacy
Aryna Sabalenka has stared down pressure all year — but few storms have blown quite like this one. Under the Riyadh lights, the World No.1 was forced to dig deeper than she has all week, outlasting Amanda Anisimova 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 to book her place in the WTA Finals championship match against Elena Rybakina. For…
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WTA Finals 2025: Results (Updated) & Schedule of Play
The WTA Finals 2025 — the grand conclusion to the women’s tennis season — are set to light up Riyadh from November 1–8, 2025, bringing together the sport’s eight best performers for one final showdown of the year. Defending champion Coco Gauff returned to the desert aiming to retain her crown after her thrilling triumph…
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Relive the Thrilling Rybakina vs Pegula Battle – Full WTA Finals 2025 Semi-Final Match Report
Jessica Pegula came into the first semi-final of the 2025 WTA Finals looking every bit the composed contender. The American, backed by an equally partisan crowd and impeccable form, faced Elena Rybakina, the group-stage standout who had breezed through with three straight wins. The winner of this clash would go on to face either Aryna…
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WTA Finals Semifinal Preview & Prediction: Sabalenka and Anisimova — Enough Non-Fossil Power to Light Riyadh’s Grid
It’s not just a semifinal. It’s a collision of voltage. When Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova meet under the Riyadh floodlights on Friday night, expect enough baseline energy to make the Saudi capital glow. Two of the game’s cleanest hitters — one a reigning World No. 1, the other the only debutante in this elite…
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WTA Finals Semifinal Preview & Prediction: Rybakina and Pegula — The Tour’s Most Reinvigorated Forces Collide in Riyadh
Nine seasons, nine champions — and still no repeat winner. The year-end stage in Riyadh will once again crown someone new, after Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek both bowed out before the semifinals. What remains is not just a clash of styles, but a collision of resurgence — two players who have rebuilt their seasons…
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Sabalenka Silences Gauff in Riyadh — Ruthless Return Sends ‘Iron Aryna’ Into WTA Finals Semis
Aryna Sabalenka’s hunt for glory in Riyadh rumbled on with a statement win over Coco Gauff, dismantling the World No.3 by 7–6(5), 6–2 to seal her place at the top of the group and into the WTA Finals semifinals. For Gauff, however, the defending champion’s campaign stops here. With Jessica Pegula having cruised past Jasmine…
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Drunk, Seemingly Polish Fan Derails Swiatek — Season Ends on a Sour Note
It was meant to be a straightforward night for Iga Swiatek — one set up, one foot in the semifinals, and total control. Instead, a “drunk fan,” shouting apparently in Polish between serves, managed to throw the world No. 2 off her rhythm — and out of the WTA Finals. The man, apparently intending to…
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Don’t Toss the Toss: Unshaken Rybakina Serves Through Fatigue Into WTA Finals Semis
There’s a certain inevitability to an Elena Rybakina victory when the serve starts clicking — a quiet storm that no opponent seems able to read, let alone withstand. On Wednesday afternoon in Riyadh, it was Ekaterina Alexandrova who felt the full weight of that precision, as Rybakina eased into the WTA Finals semifinals with a…
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Katie Boulter Ends Coaching Partnership With Biljana Veselinovic After Struggling 2025 Season
Katie Boulter has drawn a line under one of the most successful chapters of her career, announcing the end of her three-year partnership with coach Biljana Veselinovic. The split comes after a testing 2025 season in which the British No. 1 struggled to recapture her form and saw her ranking slip from No. 23 to…
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Amanda Anisimova Outlasts Iga Swiatek in Epic Battle to Book WTA Finals Semifinal Spot
In a high-caliber clash between two players of the same generation, Amanda Anisimova produced one of her finest performances of the season to defeat Iga Swiatek and book her spot in the WTA Finals semifinals in Riyadh. With Elena Rybakina already securing top position in the group, everything was still on the line for these…
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Alternate Alexandrova Steps In Against Rybakina as Madison Keys Withdraws from WTA Finals
Madison Keys has withdrawn from her final group-stage match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh due to illness. The American, who was scheduled to face Elena Rybakina on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. BST, was deemed unfit to compete. As a result, second alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova will step in to make her WTA Finals debut. It’s…
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“Not just breathe, eat, and do the same thing every day”: Why Ons Jabeur Had to Step Away
Ons Jabeur didn’t walk away from tennis because she stopped loving it — she did it because that love started to hurt. Speaking in Riyadh this week, the Tunisian star opened up about her decision to take an indefinite break after Wimbledon 2024, describing a painful emotional shift that even she hadn’t seen coming. “The…
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Sabalenka’s Emotional Fire Burns Bright — but How Hot Is Too Hot?
Aryna Sabalenka once again delivered a reminder in Riyadh that her tennis is powered as much by heart as by muscle. Her 6–4, 2–6, 6–3 win over Jessica Pegula was not just a test of execution but of emotion — the kind of volatile performance that lays bare both her greatest weapon and her biggest…
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Sabalenka Survives Pegula Test but Must Wait to Seal Her Riyadh Fate
Aryna Sabalenka survived a fierce challenge from Jessica Pegula to win 6–4, 2–6, 6–3 in her second WTA Finals group-stage match in Riyadh. The World No. 1 had to rally from a break down in the final set, reeling off four straight games to secure victory after nearly two hours of play. The result leaves…
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No Fireworks Needed: Coco Gauff Glides Past Flat Paolini in Riyadh
Coco Gauff rediscovered her champion’s rhythm in Riyadh, outlasting Jasmine Paolini to keep her title defence alive and edge ahead 4-3 in their growing rivalry. The American, who had beaten the Italian in the Wuhan semifinals just three weeks earlier, reversed the outcome of their Rome and Cincinnati encounters with cleaner serving and a sharper…
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Calm, Composed, and Coming Back: Anisimova’s Words Reflect Her Rise
Amanda Anisimova’s words after her first victory at the WTA Finals captured the mood perfectly — determined, honest, and quietly confident. “It’s pretty difficult to adjust, especially when you lose the first match,” she admitted, summing up the mental grind that defines the round-robin format.“It’s a new experience for me. It’s not easy, but I’m…
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Anisimova Keeps Semifinal Hopes Alive with Comeback Win over Madison Keys
Amanda Anisimova staged an impressive comeback in the WTA Finals round-robin stage, battling past fellow American Madison Keys 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 to keep her semifinal hopes alive in her debut appearance at the season-ending championship. The world No. 4 turned the match around after dropping the opening set, showing composure and grit against the powerful…
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Riveting Rybakina Runs Riot in Riyadh as Swiatek Crumbles in WTA Finals Showdown
Riyadh – Both players entered this second round-robin WTA Finals clash brimming with confidence, having breezed through their opening matches with minimal resistance. Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina had each dominated their first opponents, conceding few games and setting up a high-stakes encounter between two of the tour’s cleanest strikers — a duel promising power,…
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Mirra Andreeva Reveals the Real Reason Behind Her Tokyo Withdrawal
Mirra Andreeva has set the record straight about her withdrawal from the Tokyo Open — a decision that ultimately cost her a place at the 2025 WTA Finals. The 18-year-old Russian clarified that her absence had nothing to do with visa issues, contrary to speculation that spread on social media following a comment from Australian…
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Live WTA Rankings After 2025 Hong Kong, Chennai,and Jiangxi Open Finals
As of November 3, 2025, the live WTA rankings capture the complete aftermath of the Jiangxi Open, Hong Kong Open, and Chennai Open, showcasing how the Asian swing reshaped the season’s closing stretch. Aryna Sabalenka sits unchallenged atop the rankings with 9 870 points, comfortably clear of Iga Swiatek on 8 195. The Pole retains…
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Aryna Sabalenka Opens WTA Finals Campaign with Statement Win over Jasmine Paolini
In Riyadh’s gleaming new arena, Aryna Sabalenka didn’t just start her WTA Finals campaign — she set the tone for the entire Steffi Graf group. The world No. 1 brushed aside Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-1 in her opening round-robin match, sending an early warning to group rivals Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. Commanding from…
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19-year-old Mboko Ends Her Rollercoaster 2025 Season With Another Trophy in Hong Kong
Victoria Mboko didn’t just find her form again—she rediscovered her fire. After a stretch of frustrating early exits following her summer surge in Canada, the teenage prodigy stormed through the Hong Kong Open to lift her second WTA title of the year, sealing her spot among the sport’s elite. The 19-year-old battled past Spain’s Cristina…