Preview:WTA Finals: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Amanda Anisimova - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova will face each other for the 11th time at the tour level in the WTA Finals semi-final on Friday, competing for a spot in Saturday’s title match in Riyadh.

By defeating Coco Gauff on Thursday, Sabalenka ensured that the streak of no successful title defences at the year-end tournament will continue, a record that dates back to Serena Williams's three consecutive titles from 2012 to 2014; however, the top seed will need to beat Anisimova, another American player, to advance to the eagerly anticipated final against either Jessica Pegula or Elena Rybakina.

Match preview

Was a fourth consecutive WTA Finals semi-final ever in doubt after Sabalenka claimed the opening set against Gauff on Thursday?

Before Thursday's round-robin match, the Belarusian was 8-0 at the year-end event after winning the first set, and she made it 9-0 by claiming a two-set victory over the world No. 3 in a 7-6(5), 6-2 win that lasted one hour and 28 minutes.

By securing her sixth win over the two-time Grand Slam champion, Sabalenka has now reached her fourth consecutive semi-final at the Finals, only Martina Navratilova (eight), Gabriela Sabatini (six) and Steffi Graf (five) have advanced to more since 1972, underlining the 27-year-old's prowess against fellow elite opponents.

Thursday's win over Gauff also marked Sabalenka's 54th top-10 triumph since her tour debut in 2017, surpassing Iga Swiatek's 53, and the 21-time WTA champion seeks a 55th in Friday's semi-final against Anisimova.

After defeating two American players in the round-robin, the world No. 1 aims to take down a third and avoid last year's semi-final exit by progressing to Saturday's final, where Pegula or in-form Rybakina await.

Defeating Anisimova will not be easy, especially given the world No. 4's ability to beat top-10 opponents and her winning record against Sabalenka.

The 24-year-old debutant's recent success over the Belarusian was at Wimbledon, where she held off the top seed's comeback before sealing victory in two hours and 37 minutes — the pair's longest contest to date.

Although Sabalenka gained her revenge at Flushing Meadows in September, they are tied at 2-2 on hard courts heading into their fifth encounter on the surface.

Anisimova will back herself to secure a third hard-court victory, having already achieved 10 top-10 wins in 2025, surpassing her previous total, and having defeated every Grand Slam champion at least once.

Having emulated Williams (2001) and Sloane Stephens (2018) as the third American debutant at the WTA Finals since 2000 to reach the semi-finals, the two-time Grand Slam finalist now aims to improve her 2-1 record in Riyadh to contend for the final title in 2025.

Tournament so far

Aryna Sabalenka:

Round Robin: vs. Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-1

Round Robin: vs. Jessica Pegula 6-4 2-6 6-3

Round Robin: vs. Coco Gauff 7-6[5] 6-2

Amanda Anisimova:

Round Robin: vs. Elena Rybakina 3-6 1-6

Round Robin: vs. Madison Keys 4-6 6-3 6-2

Round Robin: vs. Iga Swiatek 6-7[3] 6-4 6-2

Head To Head

US Open (2025) - Final: Sabalenka 6-3 7-6(3)

Wimbledon (2025) – Semi-final: Anisimova 6-4 4-6 6-4

French Open (2025) - Fourth round: Sabalenka 7-5 6-3

Toronto (2024) - Quarter-final: Anisimova 6-4 6-2

Australian Open (2024) - Fourth round: Sabalenka 6-3 6-2

Rome (2022) - Quarter-final: Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 6-2

Madrid (2022) - First round: Anisimova 6-2 3-6 6-4

Charleston (2022) - Round of 16: Anisimova 3-6 6-4 6-3

French Open (2019) - Second round: Anisimova 6-4 6-2

Australian Open (2019) - Third round: Anisimova 6-3 6-2

Anisimova and Sabalenka will face off for the fourth time in 2025 and the 11th time overall, with the American No. 2 leading their head-to-head 6-4.

While Sabalenka leads the 24-year-old 2-1 in 2025, she did suffer a tough three-set defeat to the Wimbledon finalist at SW19 in July, a semi-final match that lasted two hours and 37 minutes.

Despite her losing record against Anisimova, a closer look at their encounters shows that four of the American player's wins came in their initial meetings; however, Sabalenka is 4-2 in their most recent six encounters, after starting 0-4 in the rivalry.

Ahead of their fifth hard-court clash, both players are evenly matched, with the world No. 1 and No. 4 seed tied at 2-2 heading into Friday's showdown in Riyadh.

We say: Sabalenka to win in three sets

Against a player with Anisimova’s powerful ball striking and ability against top rivals, Sabalenka will be prepared for a fierce contest against the American No. 2.

Having made significant improvements since her poor 0-4 record in this rivalry, the Belarusian is expected to improve to 5-2 in their last seven matches, securing her third win in 2025 over the Wimbledon finalist.