By securing the year-end world No. 1 ranking for a second consecutive year, Aryna Sabalenka has joined an elite class of players. However, one title still eludes her– the Billie Jean King Trophy. But with her first appearance set for the championship game since 2022, the Belarusian has only one hurdle left in Elena Rybakina. While it is predicted as a fiery match on Saturday, November 8, Sabalenka has also left a message for her final opponent of the season.

“Yeah, it’s going to be another powerful game,” Sabalenka confessed after a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 semifinal win over Amanda Anisimova. “I feel like today was a great preparation for Elena. I’m looking forward to leaving everything I have in the last match of the season and fighting for this beautiful trophy. I’ll definitely go out there tomorrow and fight for every point.”

Rybakina is coming off a 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 comeback win with 15 aces over her SF opponent, Jessica Pegula. The title would be a first for either finalist, as both enter the match undefeated in the Riyadh event. But they will be vying to win for more reasons. One, a record $5.235 million payout. Two, boasting rights on their H2H.

Overall, the Belarusian is 8-5 against Rybakina. However, their WTA Finals H2H is split, with Sabalenka having won their group stage match in 2023 before Rybakina got her last year. With both athletes having similar playing styles, first-strike serving and scoreboard pressure may prove pivotal in deciding the title. 

Already, Sabalenka’s match against Anisimova was far from easy.

From the first point, both players made it clear they wouldn’t give up. Anisimova matched Sabalenka’s pace and aggression, but the top seed stayed calm in the key moments and finally closed out the deciding set after 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Both players made each other earn every point

The first set was competitive from the start. Aryna Sabalenka used heavy forehands and precise serves, while Anisimova fired back with aggressive baseline shots. Early games went to multiple deuces as both players traded winners and tested each other’s consistency. Sabalenka saved several break points with strong serves and well-placed shots. She broke Anisimova in the middle of the set and closed it 6-3.

Anisimova came out strong in the second set, breaking Sabalenka early and racing to a 4-0 lead. Using sharp returns and confident baseline play, she forced Sabalenka into errors and held her serve to take the set 6-3.

The third set was a back-and-forth battle. Both players held early serves while keeping rallies intense. At 4-3, Sabalenka broke the American. Sure, Anisimova fought to stay in the match, even facing two match points on her serve, but Aryna Sabalenka stayed calm. She closed the set 6-3, winning a total of 106 points to Anisimova’s 103. Can she carry this composure into the final? Already, she does have one added advantage over her Kazakh opponent.

Rybakina’s shoulder could be Sabalenka’s only edge in Riyadh showdown

Aryna Sabalenka has been unstoppable in Riyadh. She won all her round-robin matches, beating Jasmine Paolini and Coco Gauff in straight sets. Only Jessica Pegula pushed her to three sets before her tough semifinal against Amanda Anisimova. Sabalenka loves hard courts and has three of her four Grand Slam titles on this surface. After a defeat to Caroline Garcia in 2022, the Belarusian can finally sweep the WTA Finals trophy if she overpowers Rybakina, who has also been just as impressive.

The Kazakhstani’s serve is powerful, and she takes the ball early, making it hard for opponents to react. She played well in the round-robin and won her semifinal comfortably. On Riyadh’s fast, hard courts, her timing and strong shots make her a serious threat. If she plays like this in the final, she can make Sabalenka work hard for every point.

In their previous thirteen hard-court meetings, Rybakina won most of the early matches, but recently Sabalenka has won the important points with her movement, variety, and experience. This time, the latter has one up on Rybakina already.

Rybakina’s shoulder injury flared up during her warm-up before her third group-stage match against Ekaterina Alexandrova. Even so, she won 6-4, 6-4 to finish the round-robin 3-0.

“Well, hopefully I can recover for tomorrow,” Rybakina said of her injury. “Of course, it was a lot of matches. I also served big, so I had to adjust a little bit. And for now, I’m pushing myself. I know now it’s one last match left, so I will try to do everything possible with the team to recover.”

If that shoulder gives her trouble in the final, it might be Aryna Sabalenka’s only real chance to take the trophy. Otherwise, she’s in for a big game at 11 AM ET today.