Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng Prediction WTA Finals Tennis Picks 11/2/24

New WTA World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will have the honor of opening play at the 2024 WTA Finals which will be held on Saudi Arabia's capital city Riyadh for the first time. 

Only the eight women's best players of the current season have earned the right to compete for the year-end championships. This is the fourth year in a row that Sabalenka has made it to the season finale. 

Her best result at this tournament include a runner-up finish in 2022 and lost out to Iga Swiatek in the semifinal last year in Cancun, Mexico.

This year, Sabalenka is the clear favorite for the title, but cannot afford a slow start to her campaign as the No. 1 ranking will be on the line again.

Qinwen Zheng will attempt to beat Sabalenka for the first time in her career. The Chinese woman has stood head and shoulders above her countrywomen, winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics and headlining a Grand Slam final at this year's Australian Open (lost to Sabalenka).

Zheng has enjoyed a fantastic year and has qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time. She sits at a career-high ranking of No. 7 and also owns titles from Palermo and Tokyo where she last competed on Tour.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng Head-To-Head

• Aryna Sabalenka leads Qinwen Zheng 4-0 in their head-to-head.

• They have played three times this year, with Sabalenka winning their most recent final between them in Wuhan in three sets.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng Prediction

Zheng was able to win a set against Sabalenka for the first time in four meetings in Wuhan, but it has to be said the crowd played a massive part in lifting her spirits. While there will be no shortage of motivation for the WTA's flagship year-end tournament, Sabalenka's robust baseline game gives Zheng nightmares. It will take something out of the ordinary for Zheng to cause the shock. With that said, Sabalenka opening her account in style seems like the logical pick.