The signs were there, but now it’s official. A season that began with an Australian Open victory has ended in withdrawal for Madison Keys. She’s pulled out of the 2025 WTA Finals due to illness after being mathematically eliminated. Competing at the year-end championships for the first time since 2016, Keys was set to face Elena Rybakina on Thursday in her final round robin match. But now, the stage is set for someone else.

With Keys out, Elena Rybakina, already through to the semi-finals as group winner, will face second alternate 30-year-old Russian professional Ekaterina Alexandrova in a dead-rubber match. Alexandrova, who reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 10 on 13 October 2025, has won five WTA Tour and three WTA 125 singles titles. But why didn’t the first alternate, Mirra Andreeva, play instead?

Andreeva, however, opted not to step in, citing fitness concerns and her involvement in the doubles tournament, leaving Alexandrova to grab this sudden opportunity.

The signs did suggest that Madison Keys was going to be out after her match against Amanda Anisimova. As she said after withdrawing, “I’m really disappointed to not be feeling my best and ultimately having to withdraw from the tournament. It’s a huge accomplishment to make it this far and I’m very proud of myself for doing that and having a great year. I hope to be back next year.“

Concerns for Keys grew after her second match in Riyadh against Anisimova, where the Australian Open champion lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 despite leading by a set and a break. After the match, Keys chose not to shake hands with Anisimova, pointing to her chest and stomach area, signaling she was unwell and didn’t want to risk passing anything on. She also skipped the customary handshake with the umpire.

Having already fallen to Iga Swiatek earlier in the group stage, her 0-2 record confirmed she would not advance. It brings an end to Keys’ 2025 campaign, where she won her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and reached a career-high ranking of No. 5. But Madison Keys is not the only one out of the tournament because of health issues.

Before Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini also faced a health scare at the WTA Finals

After losing her singles match on 4 November 2025 to Coco Gauff 6‑3, 6‑2, Jasmine Paolini was officially eliminated from singles contention at the WTA Finals. The Italian had been struggling with illness throughout the tournament, battling flu-like symptoms and fatigue that visibly affected her movement and shot-making on court. Despite the setback, she remains involved in the doubles draw alongside Sara Errani, showing her determination to stay in the competition.

Reflecting on her performance, Paolini admitted, “Coming here and not being 100 percent, it’s painful, of course. It’s not easy to play at that level. Today was a tough one. I was hoping to play a bit better, but I didn’t. I’m a little bit upset, but somehow I have to accept it.”  Now, all eyes turn to Elena Rybakina and Ekaterina Alexandrova, who will face off in a last-minute showdown.

The two recently met in the Ningbo Open final, where Rybakina came back from a set down to win 3‑6, 6‑0, 6‑2. Alexandrova, who had been watching from the stands earlier in the week and earned a $150k (£114k) appearance fee without playing, now has the chance to compete and potentially claim $396,500 per round-robin win. Will experience or opportunity prevail in this unexpected clash?