American Sloane Stephens is set to make her WTA Finals debut.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed the most consistent season of her career, with highlights including beating three former world No.1s to win Miami and an impressive run to the Roland Garros final. Stephens broke into the world’s top 10 for the first time after winning Miami and her ranking peaked at a career-high No.3 in July.
Qualifying for the elite season-ending championships was a major goal for the American, who becomes the sixth confirmed contender in the eight-player field for 2018.
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“I think obviously making Singapore, you finish the top eight of the year, that’s a really great accomplishment,” Stephens said at the China Open earlier this month.
“Obviously, already I’ve had a great season, but (playing WTA Finals) would just be like the cherry on top.”
.@SloaneStephens qualifies for her first #WTAFinals Singapore! Two spots left on the @Porsche #RacetoSingapore, who will make it? pic.twitter.com/9dGm1HurHY
— WTA Finals Singapore (@WTAFinalsSG) October 14, 2018
Stephens’ WTA Finals qualification leaves three players in contention – Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova and Kiki Bertens – for the final two spots in the 2018 field.
Svitolina has not entered any WTA tournaments this week, which means her chances of qualifying now rely on the results of other players.
Bertens is competing in Moscow, where she needs to reach at least the semifinals to overtake Svitolina in the WTA Race to Singapore.
The eighth-placed Pliskova is also competing in Moscow, where she can guarantee her WTA Finals spot by reaching the semifinal. If Bertens loses before the semifinals, the Czech would also qualify.
Should both Pliskova and Bertens reach the Moscow semifinals, Svitolina would be bumped into the first alternate position.
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The second alternate position is a four-person race between Aryna Sabalenka, Elise Mertens, Anastasia Sevastova and Daria Kasatkina.
Sabalenka – who has won 24 of her past 30 matches to skyrocket up the rankings – is not competing this week. The 20-year-old Belarusian sits 10th in the race. Mertens, who has already qualified for the WTA Finals in doubles, and Sevastova need to reach at least the Moscow semifinals to overtake her. Kasatkina’s hopes of snaring the final alternate place depend on her at least making the Moscow final.
Player | Status | Points | This Week | |
1 | Simona Halep | Qualified | 6921 | Competing in Moscow |
2 | Angelique Kerber | Qualified | 5375 | Not playing |
3 | Caroline Wozniacki | Qualified | 5086 | Not playing |
4 | Naomi Osaka | Qualified | 4740 | Not playing |
5 | Petra Kvitova | Qualified | 4255 | Not playing |
6 | Sloane Stephens | Qualified | 3943 | Competing in Moscow |
7 | Elina Svitolina | 3850 | Not playing | |
8 | Karolina Pliskova | 3840 | Competing in Moscow | |
9 | Kiki Bertens | 3710 | Competing in Moscow | |
10 | Aryna Sabalenka | 3145 | Not playing | |
11 | Elise Mertens | 3065 | Competing in Moscow | |
12 | Anastasija Sevastova | 3060 | Competing in Moscow | |
13 | Serena Williams | 2976 | Not playing | |
14 | Daria Kasatkina | 2900 | Competing in Moscow |
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