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The 2026 WTA Finals concludes with a singles championship match between Mirra Andreeva and Elina Svitolina in a repeat of their earlier round-robin encounter. The prestigious year-end tournament is taking place in Indian Wells, California, following an early end to its hosting deal in Saudi Arabia, ahead of a subsequent three-year residency in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tournament Setup and Field Changes
The flagship event features the top eight singles players and doubles pairs of the season. World No. 1 Elena Rybakina, who captured both the Australian Open and U.S. Open titles this year, withdrew on the eve of the tournament due to a viral illness. Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 2 whom Rybakina defeated in both Grand Slam finals, entered as a top headliner alongside debutantes Mirra Andreeva, Linda Nosková, and Karolína Muchová, returning Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. Marta Kostyuk joined the field as an alternate to replace Rybakina.
Semifinal Results and Path to the Final
The singles semifinals featured Jessica Pegula against Mirra Andreeva and Elina Svitolina against Linda Nosková. Andreeva defeated Pegula 6-3, 6-4 in their first-ever meeting, a scratchy contest that made her the player to drop the fewest games en route to the final (18) since the round-robin format started in 2003. Svitolina advanced by defeating Nosková 6-2, 6-1 in 64 minutes, earning her 11th top-10 win of the season, more than any other player on the WTA Tour.
Prize Money and Ranking Points
This year features a total prize pool of $10 million, consisting of $8 million for the singles competition and $2 million for doubles. The singles champion can take home the largest share by going undefeated with five wins. The singles final winner receives $3.37 million, each semifinal winner earns $820,000, round-robin match victories pay $230,000, and appearance fees are set at $220,000 for players completing all three round-robin matches. The undefeated winning doubles pair receives $725,000. For ranking points, round-robin wins yield 200 points, a semifinal win gives 400 points, and a final win adds 500 points, allowing an undefeated champion to accumulate 1,500 points.
Venue Transition
The tournament relocated to Indian Wells after the WTA’s three-year hosting agreement in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ended a year early. Sources briefed on the Saudi sports ministry’s operations noted the departure stemmed partly from the Iran conflict and because the event had served its purpose for the kingdom’s broader tennis ambitions. Following the stop in the Coachella Valley, the WTA Finals will move to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a three-year run starting in 2027.
The singles and doubles finals take place on Sunday, November 15, following the conclusion of the round-robin matches and semifinals earlier in the week.
