Overview
- Seven players are already qualified for Riyadh: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Jasmine Paolini.
- The race for the last berth is down to Mirra Andreeva at 4,319 points and Elena Rybakina at 4,305, a 14‑point gap.
- Rybakina, the No. 2 seed in Tokyo with a first‑round bye, must reach the semifinals to overtake Andreeva and starts that bid in the round of 16 against Leylah Fernandez, who beat Maria Sakkari 7‑6(5), 6‑4.
- If Rybakina advances, a quarterfinal could bring Victoria Mboko or Eva Lys, opponents who defeated her in Montreal and Beijing respectively this season.
- Andreeva is not competing in Tokyo, with a cited tweet from former pro Ellen Perez attributing it to a visa issue that has not been independently verified; if Rybakina fails to make the semifinals, Andreeva keeps the final spot.