Press releases

30 Oct 2023

Sabalenka off to good start at WTA Finals

An archive photo

MINSK, 30 October (BelTA) - World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus eased past world number 9 Maria Sakkari of Greece to win her round-robin opener, 6-0, 6-1, at the GNP Seguros WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.

The victory moved the Belarusian to the top of the Bacalar Group. Aryna Sabalenka will next play world number 5 Jessica Pegula of the United States, who defeated Kazakhstan’s world number 4 Elena Rybakina, 7-5, 6-2, in the opener.

In the Chetumal Group Poland’s world number 2 will face world number 6 Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, while world number 3 Coco Gauff will take on Tunisia’s world number 7 Ons Jabeur.

Two best players from each group will advance to the semifinal, with the deciding match scheduled for 5 November. This year, total prize money for singles and doubles will be $9 million.

The WTA Finals have been held since 1971. Last season the winner was France’s Caroline Garcia who beat Aryna Sabalenka in the final. In 2011 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reached the final to lose to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Natalya Zvereva of Belarus won the doubles event three times: in 1993 and 1994 paired with Gigi Fernandez of the United States and in 1998 together with Lindsay Davenport.