Top three favourites to win WTA Finals 2026
Rybakina is back to defend her crown
The season-ending WTA Finals 2026 will host the top eight singles players at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Defending champion Elena Rybakina will be the player to beat a year after she defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2025 edition.
The final and eighth spot was sealed in Ningbo, with Karolina Muchova making the list after Indian Wells hopeful Marta Kostyuk retired from the Ningbo Open with an injury.
The 2026 WTA Finals will be run from November 8 to 15. It is no surprise that the top three players in the WTA Rankings are also the clear favourites to slug it out for the title.
Title contenders at WTA Finals 2026
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Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina has been on an absolute tear this season. Since her victory over Sabalenka at the Australian Open, the Kazakh went on to win the US Open along with titles at Stuttgart and Ningbo. The title in New York helped her dethrone Sabalenka and become the New World No. 1.
Having beaten Sabalenka at both the Grand Slam hard court finals, Rybakina is poised to repeat her success at the season-ending tournament despite losing in the opening round at Beijing. Rybakina’s success story includes making the finals at the WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Toronto.
​Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka bagged the Sunshine Double, exacting revenge on Rybakina in the finals at Indian Wells before going on to win the Miami Open. She reached the finals at two Grand Slams – Melbourne and New York, losing both to Rybakina.
Despite ending the season with a major title since 2022, the Belarusian has won 47 matches this season and is only the fifth player in WTA Tour history to sweep the Sunshine Double. Her greatest successes have come on hard courts, and she will be eager to tick the WTA Finals off her bucket list.
​Mirra Andreeva
Mirra Andreeva is making her WTA Finals debut in a significant year that saw her win her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Andreeva is tied with Jessica Pegula for most match wins (50) in 2026.
The 19-year-old also won titles at Linz and Adelaide, besides making the finals at Beijing and Madrid. Her maiden Grand Slam helped propel her to a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the WTA in October. The 2026 season is shaping up to be the Russian teenager’s best ever as it wraps up with a debut at Indian Wells.
Where and when will WTA Finals 2026 take place?
The season-end finals will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California from November 8 to 15.
Who is the defending champion at WTA Finals 2026?
Elena Rybakina is the defending singles champion, while Russian-Belgium pair Veronika Kudermetova and Belgium Elise Mertens are the doubled champions.
Who are potential title favourites to win the women’s singles title at WTA Finals 2026?
Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva are among the potential title contenders to win the women’s singles title.
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