Race to WTA Finals takes significant shape in Wuhan with four contenders left for three spots

Coming into Wuhan, a 1000-level event, there were a handful of outside contenders hoping to make up ground in the race to the WTA Finals.

By Thursday, each of the remaining candidates saw their hopes of a late dream push ended.

With Ekaterina Alexandrova, Clara Tauson, Belinda Bencic and Linda Noskova exiting, it’s now down to four women chasing three coveted spots at the eight-woman field in Riyadh.

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Jessica Pegula controls her own destiny with notable separation in the standings from her fellow hopefuls also in the Wuhan quarterfinals—and could punch her ticket before leaving this tournament. The sixth seed fended off Alexandrova in three sets and carries a 4-1 lead over her next opponent in Katerina Siniakova.

Jasmine Paolini maintained her narrow lead over Elena Rybakina for the eighth position with both advancing on a busy day at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, as each continued to chip away at Mirra Andreeva for No. 7. Andreeva dropped her opener Tuesday to Laura Siegemund in a three-setter and will be bumped down if either Paolini or Rybakina make the final.

Paolini led Tauson 3-1 in their third set when the Dane retired from the contest. Tauson had left the court late in their second set to receive treatment on her upper right leg. As for Rybakina, she did not face a break point in dismissing Noskova for a 6-3, 6-4 victory. The eighth seed has matched her 2019 showing, her lone previous appearance.

Both Rybakina and Paolini will have their hands full in the last eight. The Kazakh now has the task of trying to become the first woman to beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at this event. The three-time reigning champion notched her 19th successive win here by sailing past Liudmila Samsonova, 6-3, 6-2.

If Rybakina pulls it off, she’ll be favored to overtake the Italian on the leaderboard. For Paolini’s path to the semifinals requires conquering Iga Swiatek. The Pole notched her 125th win on the WTA 1000 stage when she eliminated Belinda Bencic and has claimed all six of her prior meetings with Paolini.

Sabalenka, Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys have previously qualified. Gauff is the reigning champion, having edged out Zheng Qinwen in a final-set tiebreaker to clinch the 2024 edition.