With the world’s top eight in action, the players have little to no margin for error, especially those who have been out of action for some time.

The 2022 Wimbledon winner is aiming to win the title for the first time, but she has been placed in a group with two of the game’s most in-form players.

Who is in Elena Rybakina’s WTA Finals group?

Elena Rybakina has been placed in the purple group at the 2024 WTA Finals.

Also in that group is Australian Open and US Open winner Aryna Sabalenka, Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng and French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini.

These are already tough opponents for the Kazak player but it is all the more difficult given she has not played in over two months.

Sabalenka has lost just one match since claiming the Cincinnati Open title and has since triumphed in New York and Wuhan, while Zheng just won the Tokyo Open on Sunday.

Furthermore, she has a losing combined head-to-head record against Sabalenka and Zheng, who will be the favourites to advance to the semi-finals.

Rybakina is level at two wins apiece against Paolini, but lost their most recent matchup at the French Open, when the Italian reached her first ever Grand Slam final.

The odds are stacked against the fifth seed, but she certainly has the weapons to secure some big wins and make it to the semi-finals, but it is possible that a lack of match sharpness could come into play.

Who is in the other WTA Finals group?

Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejčíková make up the orange group at the 2024 WTA Finals.

This group is completely wide open, with Gauff being the only form player coming in following her China Open title and run to the Wuhan semi-finals.

All eyes will be on the defending champion Swiatek, who has not played since the US Open and Swiatek is now coached by Wim Fissette.

There is a possibility she may be lacking match in sharpness, but she may have an advantage in the psychological battle.

She has a winning head-to-head against Gauff and Pegula, though the sixth seed did win their most recent match at Flushing Meadows.

Krejčíková, who automatically qualified for the tournament after winning Wimbledon, has been struggling with injury of late, but as she showed at SW19, on her day she has the tools to beat any of the top players.

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