Aryna Sabalenka Meets Elena Rybakina In The Peak Party Of The WTA Finals
JAKARTA - World number one Aryna Sabalenka beat Amanda Anisimova to qualify for the 2025 WTA Finals final and are involved in the title race against Elena Rybakina.
The 27-year-old Belarusian has had a fierce two-hour 21-minute match to beat Anisimova with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, November 7, 2025 evening WIB.
"We both played a really great game and we both deserved a place in the final," Sabalenka said after the game.
The semifinal fight between the two players was really hot. The first two games took 18 minutes to complete.
Anisimova saved three break points to maintain service in the opening game, then Sabalenka bounced back from 0-40 to do the same.
The match hours just passed an hour when Sabalenka finally managed to win the first set.
Anisimova, who failed to win the opening set in all four matches during her WTA Finals debut, responded tremendously to take a 4-0 lead in the second set and equalize.
In the tight decision set, Sabalenka's backhand return which resulted in a winner in the seventh game ensures a crucial break.
"I told Amanda that she should be proud of her season. I know she may be disappointed, but there are still a lot of good things that will come to her," said Sabalenka.
This is Sabalenka's second final in the championship. He previously reached the final round of this tournament in the 2022 edition, but lost to Caroline Garcia from France.
The latest victory in the WTA Finals semifinals continues the extraordinary season that was passed by Sabalenka, especially since he will certainly maintain the world number one at the end of the year.
In addition, this is the ninth final of his season or the most at the WTA Tour in 2025 as well as the 12th semifinal which is also the most in the 2025 WTA Tour.
SEE ALSO:
Sabalenka was also recorded as winning 63 matches to surpass Iga Swiatek as the player with the most wins in a calendar season.
Another achievement was that Sabalenka became the first player since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to reach three Grand Slam and WTA Finals finals in one season.
Meanwhile, Rybakina managed to bounce back from one set to beat American Jessica Pegula, with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in another semifinal match.