The favorite of the WTA Finals falls mad: there will be two unexpected semifinals
Aryna Sabalenkaworld No. 2 and favorite for the title after being dropped at the start of the tournament. Elena Rybakinahas suffered two tremendous disasters in a row in the WTA Finals of Indian Wells (United States)on hard court, and has been left out of the semifinals of the ‘masters’ tournament, a title that continues to elude the Belarusian, winner of four Grand Slams between the Australian Open (2023, 2024) and the US Open (2024, 2025).
On the 2nd day, his short circuit against Mirra Andreeva It was huge and unusual because it lost 11 consecutive games when it won 1-4 and delivered an unappealable defeat 6-4 and 6-0. Absolutely unhinged, Sabalenka collapsed at the same time that Andreeva took off and flew to the end like a rocket against an unknown rival, without direction, as if she were an ordinary player and not the four-time Grand Slam champion that she is.
At the close of group 2, Aryna once again fell prey to her emotional instability and, after getting her comeback back on track, decisively winning the second set against Elina Svitolina and breaking in the opening game of the third, she once again entered a self-destructive spiral that led the Ukrainian to win six games in a row and advance to the semifinals: 6-3, 3-6 and 6-1.
Therefore, the WTA Finals will have two totally unexpected semifinals this Saturday (9:00 p.m.): Mirra Andreeva (3rd in the world)-Jessica Pegula (5th) and Linda Noskova (8th)-Elina Svitolina (6th). Svitolina (2018) is the last surviving champion after the elimination of Coco Gauff (2024) and the decline of Elena Rybakina (2025), the last two winners of the tournament.
Sabalenka gave way in September to Rybakina world number 1 after occupying the throne for 99 consecutive weeks and will not end the year as number 2 either because, with this defeat, Andreeva will overtake you at the end of the Women’s Masters.
The Belarusian has an obvious problem in managing matches right now: if things go well for her, her powerful shots rule the court and even overwhelm her rival, but increasingly any negative detail can unbalance her tennis and, in fact, too often for a tennis player of her level she goes astray to unexpected limits, as has happened in the WTA Finals and has taught in other games during the season.
Player with a marked offensive game, friend of the dizzying ‘pump, pamp, pum’ of winning shots, Sabalenka sometimes lacks match pattern and calm and has plenty of rush and stress. Furthermore, she is not fond of accepting her rival’s successes and demanding new efforts to seek victory. In short, a point of humility.
This weakness has already cost him several important defeats in his career and, therefore, forces him to make amends if he wants to avoid new setbacks because it is evidence that, with the blows and the chassis he has, his record could be even more voluminous if he improves that mental aspect.
Sabalenka arrived at WTA Finals as champion of the Masters 1,000 played on the same stage, Indian Wellsanother factor that fueled their chances of success that was buried by their alarming irregularity.
Also against Svitolina She had a favorable record of 6-1 in her previous duels to extend her dominance and reach the semifinals, but the Ukrainian made a splash and achieved her second victory over the Belarusian six years later, since her only previous victory in Strasbourg 2020.
