Aryna Sabalenka has established herself as one of the most successful players in women’s tennis over the last few years, but there is still one major trophy missing from her collection. Despite reaching
the final twice, the Belarusian is yet to win the WTA Finals. She will get another opportunity in 2026, with the season-ending tournament taking place in Indian Wells from November 8 to 15.
The world No. 2 arrives after another productive campaign, having won three titles and reached two Grand Slam finals. Her victories at Brisbane, Indian Wells and Miami took her career singles title tally to 24. She also became only the fifth player to complete the Sunshine Double by winning back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami.
Sabalenka d. Muchova 7-6(2) 7-5 at WTA Finals
Aryna gets an important win.
She ties up the h2h 3-3.
Karolina served for the 1st set at 5-4.
Arriving here a bit lower on confidence, Aryna is showing her signature fight again.
✅48th win of 2026
Can’t ever doubt her.
🐅 https://t.co/L2JqOA2wix
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 9, 2026
Sabalenka began the year strongly, winning 23 of her first 24 matches. Her only defeat during that stretch came against Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final, where she lost despite leading 3-0 in the deciding set. The two also met in the US Open final, with Rybakina once again getting the better of her. Although Sabalenka did not add a Grand Slam title to her record in 2026, her consistency kept her among the leading players on the tour. She finished the season with a 47-11 win-loss record and recorded the highest winning percentage on the WTA Tour.
Aryna Sabalenka eyes first WTA Finals Title after winning start in 2026
The WTA Finals has remained an elusive prize. Sabalenka made her first appearance in 2021 and reached the championship match in 2022, where she lost to Caroline Garcia. She returned to the final in 2025 but was beaten by Rybakina, who won the title without losing a match throughout the tournament.
This is her sixth consecutive appearance at the event, and she has a 12-9 overall record in the competition. Her experience and results against the other qualifiers should give her confidence, but the round-robin format leaves little room for mistakes.
Sabalenka has already made a winning start to her 2026 campaign, defeating Karolina Muchova 7-6(2), 7-5 in her opening Group 2 match. Her next challenge is against 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who also began with a victory, beating Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0. With the top two players from each group advancing to the semi-finals, Sabalenka will need to maintain her level across the remaining matches.
