Highlights: Sabalenka Dominates Zheng Qinwen in WTA Finals Opener

Aryna Sabalenka launched her bid to secure the year-end No. 1 ranking with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 win over China’s Zheng Qinwen in her opening round-robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Saturday.

Sabalenka, the reigning Australian and U.S. Open champion, brought her power game to the first women’s professional tennis tournament held in Saudi Arabia, handling Zheng at key points to maintain a perfect record in their fourth meeting of the year.

“She’s a fantastic player, and our matches are always challenging,” Sabalenka said. “She plays aggressively, which pushed me to step up and bring out my best tennis, so I’m thrilled with this first win.”

In a replay of their previous showdowns in Melbourne and Wuhan, Sabalenka took control with a break in the sixth game of a tight first set, holding serve to love to take the early lead. In the second set, Zheng, cheered on by enthusiastic fans at the King Saud University Indoor Arena, led four times, but Sabalenka responded each time, finally breaking for a 5-4 lead with a powerful forehand. She secured the win on her serve, overcoming a late double fault as Zheng sent a forehand long.

The WTA Finals, showcasing the top eight singles players and doubles teams, features a record prize pool of $15 million and will conclude with the finals on November 9. To retain her top ranking, Sabalenka needs to win her three round-robin matches or reach the final, while her closest competitor, Iga Swiatek, must defend her title to have a shot at overtaking her.

“It would mean everything to me to win this title,” Sabalenka said, reflecting on her previous finals loss in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2022. “I’ve worked so hard over the years, and I hope I can hold this beautiful trophy one day.”

In the second Purple Group match, Jasmine Paolini defeated 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 7-6(5), 6-4. Swiatek is set to face Barbora Krejcikova in the Orange Group on Sunday, followed by a matchup between Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.