Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina learn their fate

The draw for the 2024 WTA Finals group stage has been made, with Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina all in action.

The season-ending championships, which will be held for the first time in the Saudi capital Riyadh, will start on Saturday, November 2.

Sabalenkawho has held the WTA world No. 1 ranking since last week, has been drawn with No. 4 seed Jasmine Paolini, No. 5 seed Rybakina and No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen in the Purple Group.

Swiatekseeded second will be joined by No. 3 seed Gauff, No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 8 seed Barbora Krejcikova in the Orange Group.

Gauff and Sabalenka won this month’s WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan respectively, while Swiatek and Rybakina have not played since the US Open.

Play in the Purple Group starts on Saturday, with Sabalenka taking on Zheng and Paolini taking on Rybakina.

On Sunday, Swiatek plays against Krejcikova, while Gauff meets Pegula in the opening matches of the Orange Group.

WTA News

WTA Final Power Rankings: Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff top 3

WTA rankings: Aryna Sabalenka extends lead over Iga Swiatek, Jasmine Paolini to number 4, Sofia Kenin +67

Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Rybakina and Pegula all attended the WTA Finals in Cancun last year, Krejcikova played at the 2021 edition, while Paolini and Zheng make their debuts at the event.

Swiatek is the defending champion, having defeated Pegula 6-1, 6-0 in the 2023 final to claim her first WTA Finals crown. The Polish star is the only player in the draw to have won the WTA Finals.

The top two players from each group advance to the knockout stages, with the group winners facing the player who finished second in the other group in the semi-finals.

The year-end No. 1 ranking will be decided at the WTA Finals, with Sabalenka and Swiatek both in contention.

Sabalenka is a strong favorite to end the season in first place as she has a 1,046 points lead over Swiatek.

The Belarusian also reached the top of the rankings in the WTA Finals last year, but Swiatek left her behind after her undefeated run to the title. Swiatek defeated Sabalenka in the semi-finals last year and the duo could face each other again this time in the last four or the final.

Purple group

1. Aryna Sabalenka
4. Jasmine Paolini
5. Elena Rybakina
7. Zheng Qinwen

Orange Group

2. Iga Swiatek
3. Coco Gauff
6. Jessica Pegula
8. Barbora Krejcikova