Overview
- Play starts Nov. 1 in Riyadh with the Elite 8 set after Elena Rybakina clinched the final berth by reaching the Tokyo semifinals.
- Gauff arrives as the defending champion and No. 3 seed after winning Wuhan, extending her perfect hard‑court finals mark to 9–0.
- Navratilova compared Gauff’s backhand to Novak Djokovic’s and said her improving serve is becoming a real weapon.
- Gauff has been reworking her delivery with biomechanist Gavin MacMillan, prioritizing a trusted kick serve before adding more pace and spin.
- Navratilova called Aryna Sabalenka “incredibly consistent” as the WTA Race leader and described Iga Swiatek as an enigma who should bring the aggressive, flattened hitting that powered her Wimbledon run.