Aryna Sabalenka, number 1 in the world, beat Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinal of the WTA Finals, played on the central court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The clash took place on the night of Friday, November 7, 2025, and guaranteed the Belarusian a place in the tournament’s final. The match, which lasted around two hours, highlighted the clash between Sabalenka’s firepower and the American’s resilience.
The victory consolidates Sabalenka’s undefeated campaign at the event, with three victories in the group stage. Anisimova, in her debut in the Finals semifinals, showed determination to tie the score, but gave way in the decisive set.
- Sabalenka recorded 12 aces to Anisimova’s 7.
- The Belarusian converted 5 of 14 break points, while the American saved just 3 of 9.
- In total, Sabalenka scored 106 points, against 103 for her opponent.
Serve performance defines starting sets
Sabalenka took the lead in the first set with efficiency on her serve, hitting 70% of her first serves and winning 63% of her points. The Belarusian broke Anisimova’s serve twice, forcing unforced errors from the American.
Anisimova adjusted the game in the second set, increasing his success rate to 63% on the first serve and reversing two breaks suffered.
On-court tactical strategies
The Belarusian prioritized powerful forehands, gaining 60 points on serve and 46 receiving points. Anisimova responded with accurate volleys, but committed 7 double faults that cost key games.
Sabalenka maintained 45 consecutive game victories in the tournament, demonstrating consistency on indoor hard.
Balanced matchup history
The two tennis players faced each other for the 11th time, with Anisimova leading the head-to-head 6-4 before the duel. Sabalenka’s most recent victory came in the 2025 US Open final, 6-3, 7-6(3).
At Wimbledon this year, Anisimova won in the semifinals, but Sabalenka balanced the record with recent triumphs.
- Hard court clashes: 4 victories for each side by 2025.
- Games decided in the third set: 3, all won by the American before this semi-final.
Sabalenka’s tournament campaign
The world number 1 beat Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-1 in her debut, followed by a victory over Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Against Coco Gauff, he won 7-6(5) and 6-2, making it 3-0 in the group stage.
Sabalenka has accumulated 62 wins in 73 games this season, with a success rate of 84% on indoor hard courts. Your aggressivenessscored 48 aces in the Finals until the semifinals.
This performance reinforces her position as favorite for the title, with a focus on minimizing unforced errors, which totaled 28 in the confrontation with Anisimova. The Belarusian practiced variations on her backhand to exploit weaknesses in her opponent’s return, which proved effective in the final set.
Reactions after the duel
Sabalenka highlighted the intensity of the match in the post-match press conference, mentioning adjustments in the second set to regain the rhythm. Anisimova praised the high level of the confrontation and plans to use the experience for 2026.
The public in Riyadh applauded both, with the central court packed with 15,000 spectators. The WTA Finals organization recorded global audience spikes of over 2 million during the deciding set.
Numbers that mark the semi-final
Sabalenka won 9 of 10 service games, conceding just one break in the second set. Anisimova, with 41% points won on her second serve, struggled to maintain consistency.
- Missing tiebreak points: None, but the third set had 9 consecutive points from the Belarusian.
- Unforced errors: 28 for Sabalenka, 32 for Anisimova.
- Average duration per game: 4 minutes in the final set.
The final will pit Sabalenka against the winner of the duel between Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula, scheduled for earlier in the day.