2026 WTA Finals: Sabalenka edges out Rybakina as favourite
The women’s tennis season ends with the WTA Finals, an annual year-end championship event reserved for the world’s top eight players.
After two years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this prestigious tournament will temporarily move to Indian Wells, California for 2026 before relocating to a more permanent home in Charlotte, North Carolina, starting in 2027.
As the location of a 1000-point event each spring, Indian Wells is very familiar to all eight WTA Finals participants. There will be no secrets, though cooler November weather will obviously create different playing conditions than those at the BNP Paribas Open in March.
Aryna Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina in a thrilling Indian Wells final this spring, and they head into this upcoming tournament as the top two seeds. They are joined in the field by Mirra Andreeva, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.
Five of the participants are Grand Slam champions and two are major finalists. The result should be an entertaining week of high-quality, competitive tennis.
Tournament winner
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WTA Finals odds
Here are the odds to win the WTA finals for all eight competitors:
- Aryna Sabalenka +275
- Elena Rybakina +300
- Coco Gauff +400
- Mirra Andreeva +550
- Jessica Pegula +800
- Karolina Muchova +1100
- Linda Noskova +1200
- Elina Svitolina +1400
It is no surprise that Rybakina is going off as the outright favourite. The world No. 1 has been incredible this season, especially on the big stage. Two of her four titles in 2026 have come at slams – the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. Sabalenka’s struggles throughout the second half of this year put Rybakina in an even better spot heading into the WTA Finals.
WTA Finals best bet: Coco Gauff to win at +400 odds
Conditions in Indian Wells are already slow in March. In November, they will be even slower – perhaps even resembling a clay-court tournament. It is not easy to hit through Gauff’s defence even on quick courts; on slow courts it’s borderline impossible – except for maybe the biggest hitters in the game like Rybakina and Sabalenka. Gauff is simply the best defender in women’s tennis, and it’s probably not even close.
The fourth-ranked American is in fine form and she is well rested, putting her in a great spot heading into the year-end championship. She has played only one event since the U.S. Open, reaching the fourth round in Beijing. Gauff has advanced to at least the semifinals in four of her last five tournaments, including at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Although the 22-year-old has never triumphed in Indian
Wells, she reached the quarterfinals in 2023 and the semis in 2024. She knows she can play well at this venue.
WTA Finals prediction: Mirra Andreeva to win at +550 odds
Andreeva captured the Indian Wells title in 2025, so confidence should be high whenever she takes the court at this location. But that is not the biggest result of her young career. At just 19 years old, Andreeva is already a major champion, having won the French Open this spring.
Like Gauff, Andreeva is playing well but also isn’t overworked. The Russian has played only two tournaments since the U.S. Open and most recently finished runner-up in Beijing. Andreeva also has a favourable draw in the considerably weaker of the two groups alongside Sabalenka, Svitolina and Noskova. She has an ideal opportunity to advance out of her quartet and qualify for the semifinals. That is the first half of the battle at the WTA Finals. Once you make it to the semis, anything can happen.