Amanda Anisimova, 24, has spent nearly a decade on tour and in 2025 produced the most sustained surge of her career. Ranked No. 4 and having beaten each of the Top 3 this season, she clinched a spot in the semifinals at the WTA Finals by beating Iga Swiatek.

“I feel like I belong at this point.” That admission follows a year in which Anisimova reached two Grand Slam finals in the last five months and recorded a pair of WTA 1000 wins. The turnaround is striking after a difficult period that culminated in her describing life on tour as “unbearable” in 2023 and taking the remainder of that season off.

“If you would have told me a year ago I would be sitting right here, it would be a little hard to believe,” she said as the year-end Top 8 event began. “I think I’ve surprised myself along the way, for sure. I’ve definitely hit some goals that I dreamt of early in the year and didn’t think that maybe I would be able to achieve them by the end.”

Anisimova traces her revival to work done away from the scoreboard. “I don’t think there’s anything in particular that I could say has helped me get to where I am,” she said. “I think it was a combination of many different things…I think all the hard work I did on the inside was what really paid off for me.” She added, “I think just me enjoying the process has gotten me this far.”

Her results back that up: two major finals, WTA 1000 victories, a recovery after “losing 0 and 0 at Wimbledon,” and a remarkable streak of winning her last 13 three-set matches dating to April. “I’ve played a lot of tough matches this year. I know my capabilities. And I know if I can play my best tennis, I can give it my best shot. Amanda Anisimova”

Her WTA Finals week began with a loss to Elena Rybakina, but she followed with three-set wins over Madison Keys and Swiatek, showing patience and clutch play. After the match against Swiatek, the defeated champion said, “I did everything I could today, so like no regrets,” Swiatek said . “I felt like I was really in the zone, positive mindset. I fought and really didn’t give up—it wasn’t enough.”

The ATP Finals draw placed top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz in the same group as Novak Djokovic, while defending champion Jannik Sinner was drawn alongside Alexander Zverev.

The Jimmy Connors group lists Alcaraz, Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur. The Bjorn Borg group contains Sinner, Zverev, Ben Shelton and either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti, who are contesting the final spot.

Auger-Aliassime currently holds the eighth qualifying position. Musetti can overtake him if he wins the tournament in Athens this week. Djokovic, who is also competing in Athens, has not confirmed his participation at the finals. Djokovic, who is a record seven-time champion at the finals, sat out the event last year and has said he will decide whether to play or not after the Athens tournament.

The finals begin on Sunday with round-robin play. The two highest finishers in each group will advance to the semifinals. The championship match is scheduled for Nov. 16.

This will be Alcaraz’s third appearance at the season-ending event; his best previous result was a semifinal showing in 2023. Alcaraz and Sinner remain in contention for the year-end No. 1 ranking, a race that will be settled by their performances at the finals.

The draw pits several past finalists and champions against one another. Zverev is a two-time winner of the tournament, taking the title in 2018 and 2021. Taylor Fritz reached last year’s final but lost to Sinner.

With group play set to start and the Athens tournament likely to determine the final qualifier and influence Djokovic’s decision, the field for the ATP Finals remains partly settled but with important questions still to be answered.

Katerina Siniakova has sealed the WTA year-end No. 1 doubles ranking for the fifth time in her career, matching Martina Navratilova for the most year-end No. 1 finishes in WTA doubles rankings history since 1984.

Entering the WTA Finals, Siniakova needed two round-robin victories alongside Taylor Townsend to clinch the mark. The pair delivered, defeating Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani 6-2, 3-6, 10-6 in their opening match and then overcoming Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe 6-4, 7-6 (3) in their second match.

On Wednesday she was formally presented with the year-end No. 1 trophy at a ceremony in Riyadh. “It’s amazing for me and I’m just so happy I’ve done it again,” she commented. “There’s been so many great memories this season and I’m just so grateful I can lift this trophy again.”

One of Siniakova’s year-end No. 1 finishes, in 2018, came as co-No. 1 with Barbora Krejcikova. The article notes that three of Black and Huber’s finishes also came as co-No. 1s, with each other, from 2007 to 2009.

Siniakova enjoyed a strong doubles season, capturing four titles with three different partners: two with Townsend at the Australian Open and Dubai, one with Krejcikova in Seoul and one with Storm Hunter in Wuhan. Her victory in Melbourne in January marked the 10th Grand Slam women’s doubles title of her career, comprised of seven with Krejcikova, two with Townsend and one with Coco Gauff at Roland Garros last year.

Last month she passed Black for the third-most career weeks at No. 1 in WTA doubles history, now behind only Navratilova and Huber. The season also included her first Grand Slam mixed doubles title, won at Wimbledon with Sem Verbeek, a victory that does not affect the doubles rankings.