By Richard Pagliaro Sunday, November 2, 2025
Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty for WTA
Alina Sabalenka Think of fall as a season of celebration.
Sabalenka energized the party in Riyadh today.
Sabalenka stomps her 500th tour-level match Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-1, starting her journey to the WTA Finals with a statement victory.
Sabalenka, ranked No. 1 at the end of the season, hit 11 aces without double faults and lost serve only once to notch her 60th win of the season.
“I’m getting better every day,” Sabalenka said after sweeping Paolini and improving to an impressive 12-4 record against top-10 opponents this season.
Top seed Sabalenka now leads Steffi Graf’s group in the round robin. Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff will face 2024 U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula in her second Steffi Graf Group match today.
U.S. Open champion Sabalenka broke Paolini’s first serve and led 4-1. Sabalenka, who dominated the Rome champion for much of the match, broke again to lead 5-3 before converting a second set point to turn a set lead.
Sabalenka won six games in a row, winning the last two games of the first set and leading 4-0 in the second set. She ended the match in 70 minutes to improve her record against Paolini to 6-2.
Sabalenka, 27, has won 11 of her last 12 games.
