Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Finals match.
Jessica Pegula faces Elena Rybakina in the WTA Finals semi-finals in Riyadh, with a place in the title match at stake. We expect a tight contest between two in-form players.
Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula is performing well at the WTA Finals: for the second time in her career she has reached the knockout stage of this event, having made the final in 2023. Since late September, she has won 10 of 13 matches, and in this stretch she defeated Aryna Sabalenka, as well as Coco Gauff (6:3, 6:7, 6:2) and Jasmine Paolini (6:2, 6:3) in Riyadh. However, across those 13 matches she dropped at least one set in 11 of them.
Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina is in peak form: a title at the Ningbo Open, semi-finals at the Pan Pacific Open, the Canadian Open (lost only to Victoria Mboko) and the Cincinnati Open (lost to Iga Świątek). In the WTA Finals group stage she won all three matches, dropping a set only to Świątek (3:6, 6:1, 6:0) and handing her a bagel. Moreover, the Kazakhstani has been strong against top-10 opponents — eight wins in her last 10 matches. In the head-to-head, she trails Jessica Pegula (2:3), but at the recent Billie Jean King Cup she allowed the American just five games (6:4, 6:1).
Jessica Pegula vs Elena Rybakina Prediction
Jessica Pegula should compete well, but Elena Rybakina’s current level suggests she will not miss the final. We expect a long match and, ultimately, a win for the Kazakhstani.
