Next year the Paris Masters will be the 'cut off' for the ATP Finals and the draw can then be made with the full eight participants.
The Athens Final features Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti- the latter needs to win to earn his place in Turin, which means so much to the Italian, while it also means the ATP Finals will start with a match from each Group rather than the usual format.
It seems like yet another moment in the 2025 season where the scheduling is a cause for complaint and that is something the Tour needs to get together and resolve next year.
Before we get to the ATP Finals, the WTA Singles season comes to a close on Saturday in Riyadh.
The Final should be a decent one between two players who have met plenty of times on the Tour and who have each won all four matches in the event.
Elena Rybakina v Aryna Sabalenka: This has the makings of a pretty fun Final between two big hitting players who will know that they will need to serve well if they are going to win one of the biggest titles outside of the Grand Slam events.
The World Number 1 has shown why she has reached the pinnacle of the sport with some battling wins in the tournament- Aryna Sabalenka has won all four matches, but she has had to battle to get past Coco Gauff on Thursday and had to dig even deeper to see off Amanda Anisimova in the Friday Semi Final.
Playing for a third straight day is something that most tennis players are well accustomed to doing, but Aryna Sabalenka will have to find something in the reserve tank to get her through one more tough challenge.
Her opponent in the Final in Riyadh is Elena Rybakina who has won half of the previous ten matches against Aryna Sabalenka on the hard courts. The most recent was won by Sabalenka in the Wuhan Quarter Final, but Elena Rybakina had won the previous three hard court matches and that includes beating the World Number 1 in Riyadh twelve months ago.
The one concern for Elena Rybakina fans is that the performances have gotten a little weaker in each match played in the tournament, although she has found a way to keep winning.
In the main the reason for that is the serve and that has continued to operate at a very good level.
Elena Rybakina admitted that it was that shot that got her out of some late trouble in the Semi Final win over Jessica Pegula, but she will be confident that she has been serving at a more consistent level compared with Aryna Sabalenka.
In a match up between these players, that serve is going to be a difference maker and Elena Rybakina has shown she can compete with Aryna Sabalenka in that department.
Having a bit more rest ahead of the Final could help and Elena Rybakina has been playing at a higher level in this tournament- she looks like she is focused and motivated to go on and win a big title and Rybakina can replicate the win she had over Aryna Sabalenka here in Riyadh in what could be another three set match between the pair.
MY PICK: Elena Rybakina to Win @ 2.40 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
WTA Finals: 7-6, + 0.01 Units (13 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)
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