“I’m getting better every day”: Aryna Sabalenka strikes 11 aces vs. Jasmine Paolini at WTA Finals

Aryna Sabalenka made a winning start to the 2025 WTA Finals, storming past Jasmine Paolini, 6-3, 6-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the Stefanie Graf Group.

The top seed has already clinched WTA Year-End World No. 1 for a second straight season and is still in the hunt for a first WTA Finals title after striking a whopping 11 aces to ease through in 70 minutes flat.

“It feels super special,” she said of retaining the top spot regardless of the results this week in Riyadh. “Of course, I’m super happy and super proud of the work that has been done and that things are working. I’m getting better every day and I just hope to keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully, we’ll stay there.”

Runner-up at the WTA Finals in 2022, Sabalenka has made it out of round-robin play for three straight years, reaching the semifinals in 2023 and 2024. Both times, she lost to the eventual champion (Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff).

“I don’t focus on round robin,” Sabalenka said on court after the match. “I take this like a regular tournament and I have to win five matches if I want to win the title. I’m just going every time like it’s my last. So, I’m just trying to bring my best tennis and fight for every point.”

Sabalenka had to fight when things got tough in the first set against Paolini, who was playing the WTA Finals for a second year in a row. The Internazionali BNL d’Italia champion fell behind 0-3 to start the match but scored what could have been a key break on the Sabalenka serve after a long seventh game.

Undaunted, Sabalenka broke straight back and held on to claim the opening set, taking two more breaks of her own as she headed towards the finish line.

“She’s a tough opponent,” Sabalenka said of Paolini after improving their head-to-head We played a lot and every time it’s a tough battle. It doesn’t matter the score, I know I always have to stay focused. If you give her an opportunity, she’s going to step in and take control over the game. I think I’m mostly happy with my focus today and that I didn’t drop my serve…

“I mean, I did drop my serve!” she added with a laugh. “But still, I was focused, I was calm and felt like everything was in control.”

Sabalenka didn't drop serve in the second set, ultimately breaking serve three times to ease over finish line in just over an hour on Sunday.

Up next for the top seed will be either Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula, who face off in the second round-robin match of the day.