The WTA Finals start on November 1st and see the eight top women’s singles and doubles tennis players descend on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the last championship on offer. It takes place at the King Saud University Indoor Arena for the second year of a three-year deal for the country to host the tournament.
The WTA Finals are the season closer to the WTA Tour and run until the final on November 8th, when the two top players and teams will play for the lucrative prize pot. The format starts with putting the players into two groups of four, competing against each other in a round-robin format.
The top two players from each group qualify for the semifinals, which is a straight knockout match against an opponent from the opposite group. The winners head to the final, and the winner of that is crowned the champion.
Last year’s champion, Coco Gauff, is back this year and can now also boast the French Open title as one she has claimed. However, many great players are looking to get their hands on the trophy and close the year in style.
Prize money
Overall, the WTA finals have a prize pot of a record $15.5 million, up by $250,00 compared to 2024. The prize money is split, with $12.4 million dedicated to the singles competition and $3.1 million to the doubles. With round-robin matches and then a knockout tournament after, the prize offerings are not the same; it all depends on how much you win. Here’s a breakdown:
Singles
Finals win: $2.54 million
Runner-up: $1.29 million
Round Robin win (per match): $355,000
Participation fees (qualified players): $340,000
Attendance fee (alternates only): $150,000
An undefeated winner of the tournament can expect to take home $5.235 million, but a singles champion who has one loss would pocket $4.88 million. Coco Gauff had a record of 2-1 in the round robin stage in 2024, and took home $4.8 million, the second biggest prize she could have won; however, it was still the biggest prize a women’s tennis player has ever won in an individual tournament.
Doubles
Finals win: $524,000
Runner-up: $257,000
Round Robin win (per match): $72,000
Participation fees (qualified players): $142,000
Attendance fee (alternates only): $62,000
An undefeated doubles team would take home $1.139 million between them, but a loss in the round-robin would mean they take home $1.067 million instead.
Ranking points
Not only is money on the line, but so are ranking points. The ranking points earned are the same for singles and double
Ranking points per win
Final = 500
Semifinal = 400
Round-robin = 200
Overall, an undefeated winner would earn 1500 ranking points.
Who’s playing?
Singles groups
Stefanie Graf group:
Coco Gauff
Serena Williams group:
Doubles groups
Martina Navratilova group:
Veronika Kudermetova/Elise Mertens
Liezel Huber group:
Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend