Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her bid for a maiden WTA Finals title with a comprehensive win over eighth seed Jasmine Paolini on Sunday.
Sabalenka powered her way to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Paolini, who was bidding to become the first Italian in a decade to beat a player currently ranked No.1 on the WTA Tour. Throughout the 70-minute encounter, the top seed dictated proceedings with the help of 24 winners and 11 aces. Furthermore, she broke her rival five times and dropped serve only once en route to her sixth Tour-level win over Paolini.
The latest victory gives Sabalenka her 60th WTA win of the season, which is a milestone that has only been achieved by Iga Swiatek in 2025. She now owns 52 wins over top-10 players, with 12 of those coming since January.
“She’s a tough opponent. We played (against each other) a lot and every time it’s a tough battle. Doesn’t matter what the score,” Sabalenka of Paolini said during her on-court interview.
“I know that I always have to stay focused. If you give her an opportunity, she’s going to step in and take control of the game.
“I’m mostly happy with my focus today. I felt like everything was in control.”
Sabalenka is playing in the end-of-year showdown for the fifth season in a row, with her best run being to the final in 2022 when she lost to Caroline Garcia. It is the only tournament category she has yet to win in her career, having won four Grand Slams, one Elite Trophy, nine WTA 1000s, five WTA 500s, and two WTA 250s.
“I take this tournament as a regular tournament that I have to win five matches if I want to win the title,” she said of the round-robin event.
“I’m just trying to bring my best tennis and fight for every point.”
Regardless of how she performs in Saudi Arabia, the 27-year-old has already sealed the year-end No.1 trophy. She was presented with it on the opening day of the WTA Finals. Sabalenka is one of 16 players to have won the trophy multiple times since the WTA rankings system was created.
“I’m super happy and super proud of the work that has been done and that things are working, and I’m getting better every day,” she said.
“I just hope that we’re gonna keep, keep doing what we are doing and hopefully we can stay there.”
