Maria Sharapova recovered from a second-set meltdown to record her first victory at this year's WTA Finals with a 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2 triumph over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanksa on Friday but the Russian still bowed out of the elite eight-woman tournament.
Elina Svitolina stretched every sinew in a brilliant display of defensive tennis to register the biggest win of her career when she rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Sloane Stephens in an enthralling WTA Finals title decider on Sunday.
Caroline Wozniacki put a huge dent in Maria Sharapova's bid to finish the season as world number one by overcoming some distracting bright lights to down the Russian 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-2 in their marathon opening group match of the WTA Finals on Tuesday.
French Open champion Coco Gauff captured her third WTA 1000 title and first in Wuhan after rallying from two breaks down in the second set to defeat fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in Sunday's final.
Serena Williams shook off the rust and a feisty challenge from Serbia's Ana Ivanovic to open the defence of her WTA Tour Finals title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the opening match of the elite eight-player tournament on Monday.
Caroline Wozniacki 0-6, 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the last four at WTA Finals on Friday, the Frenchwoman topping the Red Group after top seed Simona Halep lost later in the day.
Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens picked up the Doubles Team of the Year award, China's Zheng Qinwen was named Most Improved Player while Russian Mirra Andreeva won Newcomer of the Year.
'I had a deja vu moment on court. I had match point on the same side of the court, went for the same serve and was telling myself the same things. I had goosebumps, it was really special. It's great to win here again.'
Factbox on American second seed Coco Gauff, who defeated Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka
Anna Kalinskaya outclassed Britain's Emma Raducanu at the Washington Open on Saturday to advance to the final, where she will face Leylah Fernandez.
The 35th-ranked Bencic did not do a lot wrong but was broken twice in the first set and three times in the second as a sizzling Swiatek brought her A-game to what turned into a one-sided contest.
Romania's Simona Halep kicked off her campaign for a maiden WTA Finals title in emphatic fashion with a thumping 6-0, 6-3 victory over US Open champion Flavia Pennetta in the opening match of the eight-woman season-ending tournament on Sunday.
Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska secured the last remaining spot in the season-ending WTA Championships without hitting a ball after Marion Bartoli retired from her Kremlin Cup quarter-final with an illness on Friday.
A calm Sloane Stephens picked her shots to perfection to overcome Japan's Naomi Osaka in a battle between the last two US Open champions at the WTA Finals on Monday before top seed Angelique Kerber was upset by Kiki Bertens.
She beat Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals and then made it back-to-back wins over top 10 players as she also defeated compatriot Coco Gauff by 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals.
Russian Diana Shnaider continued her impressive winning streak in tour-level finals at the Monterrey Open on Saturday, beating compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the WTA 500 event's final.
Mirra Andreeva became the youngest player to win a WTA 1000 title when the 17-year-old beat Clara Tauson in the Dubai Tennis Championships final
With the players then facing a quick turnaround ahead of the Indian Wells main draw beginning on Wednesday, Pegula offered to fly all of them to California for the WTA 1000 tournament.
Serena Williams clinched the year-end World No 1 ranking for the fourth time without hitting a ball on Friday after Maria Sharapova, the only woman with any chance of overtaking her, was eliminated from the WTA Finals.
Iga Swiatek captured her first Cincinnati Open title on Monday by beating Jasmine Paolini in straight sets.
Leylah Fernandez earned the biggest win of her career as she beat Anna Kalinskaya in the Washington Open final on Sunday.
Mboko saved a match point against Kazakh ninth seed Rybakina in front of adoring home support
France's Boisson wins first WTA title in Hamburg
The 27-year-old began working with Mouratoglou ahead of the China Open in September last year, as she sought to reignite her career following a patchy run of form after returning to the tour from a long maternity break.
Sabalenka spent eight weeks at the summit last year before Swiatek overtook her with a victory at the season-ending WTA Finals and the Belarusian hopes for a longer stay as 'N1'.
China's Li Na will meet Serena Williams in the final of the WTA championships after beating Czech Petra Kvitova 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday, becoming the highest-ranked player ever from an Asian country.
Emma Raducanu beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 in their first career meeting to reach the quarter-finals of the Washington Open on Thursday.
Venus Williams, 45, made an age-defying return to tennis this year, becoming the oldest WTA singles match winner since 2004 in July.
Czech Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday called for respect and professionalism in sports media as she hit out at "unprofessional" remarks made about her appearance during a broadcast on the Tennis Channel.
Top seed Jessica Pegula survived a tough test to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in a topsy-turvy Charleston Open semi-final on Saturday and will face compatriot Sofia Kenin in her fourth championship match of the season.
Elena Rybakina powered into her first Cincinnati Open semi-final after stunning defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-1, 6-4 on Friday, while five-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a second-set blip to beat Andrey Rublev.
Coco Gauff dismantled defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday with a ruthless display to storm into her first Madrid Open final, where she will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka for the WTA 1000 title.
At this year's US Open second-round match against Sorana Cirstea, Muchova broke down mid-match in a scene that was as human as it was unexpected.
Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva continued her giant-slaying exploits at the Dubai Tennis Championships by upsetting Kazakhstani sixth seed Elena Rybakina 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals on Friday.
Iga Swiatek arrives at the US Open with her sights set on a seventh Grand Slam title and a potential return to World No. 1 to cap what she calls a remarkable year of redemption following "the worst experience of my life".
Making their first appearance in the WTA Finals in Singapore, Sania Mirza and Cara Black outplayed Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in their opening match to book their semi-finals berth on Thursday.
Osaka, who returned to the tour a year ago after a long maternity break, had shown glimpses of the form that won her four major titles on her run to the final in Auckland.
After successfully defending her Australian Open trophy in January, Aryna Sabalenka won the US Open crown in September for her third Grand Slam title.
The US Open announced $90 million in prize money will be on offer at this year's final major, marking the largest purse in tennis history, up 20 percent from 2024.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances