Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh
The WTA has confirmed the qualification of Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, and Jessica Pegula for the WTA Finals in Riyadh. The four singles pick will be joined by the doubles team of Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk. This announcement follows the earlier qualification of World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka, leaving just two more singles spots available in the PIF Race to the WTA Finals. In doubles, two positions also remain open, with teams like Jelena Ostapenko & Lyudmyla Kichenok, Hsieh Su-Wei & Elise Mertens, Sara Errani & Jasmine Paolini, Gabriela Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe, and Katerina Siniakova & Taylor Townsend already having booked their places.
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh
Coco Gauff, the young American star, is set for her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance. Her best result so far was reaching the semifinals last year. Gauff has also qualified in doubles in 2022 and 2023 alongside Jessica Pegula. This season, Gauff cemented her place in Riyadh by winning two titles, the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing and defending her crown at the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland. She also reached six semifinals on all three surfaces, including the Australian Open and major WTA events in Indian Wells, Rome, Wuhan, and Berlin. These achievements helped her reach a career-high WTA ranking of No. 2 in June.
Elena Rybakina, making her second WTA Finals appearance, continues to make history as Kazakhstan’s first singles qualifier. This year, Rybakina had a standout season, competing in five finals and securing three WTA 500 titles in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart. She also reached the finals in two WTA 1000 tournaments, in Doha and Miami. Rybakina follows in the footsteps of fellow Kazakhstani players Anna Danilina and Yaroslava Shvedova, who previously competed in the WTA Finals doubles draw.
Jasmine Paolini’s impressive breakthrough season earned her spots in both the singles and doubles fields at the WTA Finals. She is the first Italian to qualify in singles since Flavia Pennetta in 2015. Paolini reached three major finals, including winning the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and contesting her first Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She climbed into the Top 10 following her run in Paris, finishing the season with over 35 wins.
Jessica Pegula will make her third straight WTA Finals appearance after a stellar season. Her accomplishments include winning the WTA 500 ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin, defending her WTA 1000 title in Toronto, and reaching her first Grand Slam final at the US Open.
The 2024 WTA Finals will feature the top eight singles players and doubles teams based on the PIF Race to the WTA Finals Leaderboard. Wild cards are also available for Grand Slam champions ranked between No. 8 and No. 20. The tournament will showcase the world’s elite players, with the singles champion lifting the prestigious WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy and the doubles champions awarded the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy.
