The WTA Finals in Riyadh are going to be a decidedly American affair.
Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys made their qualification for this year’s event, which commence on November 1. The pair of Americans join WTA World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff in the draw with $15.5m in prize money on offer. Anisimova will be making her debut at the crown jewel event while Keys has earned her first qualification in nine years.
If Jessica Pegula qualifies, as expected, that would make four Americans in the eight-player field.
Already, three American participants at the WTA’s year-end championships is the most since 2002, when Venus and Serena Williams were joined by Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles.
It has been a breakout season for Anisimova, who has made her Top 20, Top 10 and Top 5 debuts after reaching back-to-back finals at Wimbledon at the US Open. Same for Keys, who won her maiden major title in Melbourne. and went on a 16-match winning streak that took her from January to March.
24-year-old Anisimova, ranked fourth, also won the Doha title.
Keys, 30, is 37-13 on the season, while Anisimova is 41-15 and still in the hunt in Beijing, where she will play Coco Gauff in the semifinals tonight.
Three spots remain unclaimed for Riyadh, with Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina in pole position, but still not clear as Jasmine Paolini and Ekaterina Alexandrova continue to pressure from the outside.
