WTA Finals’ New Format Remains a Mystery as Madison Keys, Karolina Muchova & Elina Svitolina Weigh In
The one thing about tennis being an individual sport is the fact that the player in question has sole responsibility for winning or losing, which is why it is understandable that Coco Gauff spoke about the ‘stupid’ format rules at the WTA Finals, where the American had to depend on another group’s result to advance to the semifinals, even if she won her final match. With the World No. 4 coming on with such strong views, other players, like Karolina Muchova and Elina Svitolina, have also weighed in on the current format and whether a new one is required for the year-ending championships.
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“I kind of honestly like this format,” said Muchova during a post-match interview. “It’s gonna be definitely different there and to play these tough matches in five days is definitely gonna change a lot. But we cannot really do anything about it. So i guess, with everything else as humans we gonna adapt, and let’s see how it goes. And I hope it’s gonna be a great show.”
Muchova is not wrong in her takes on the situation. The current format of the WTA Finals gives players a unique opportunity to keep playing after losing a match, whereas at other Tour-level events they usually have to pack their bags. However, the Czech has talked about the Finals being in Charlotte next year, where a schedule overlap with the local NBA team will shrink the eight-day schedule of the Tour finals to a five-day event, which might see a change of format, because if the current one is applied across five days, players who reach the final will be in action every day, increasing the chances of injuries.
While Gauff did speak about the existing rules, one also has to look at the position she’s in at this year’s Finals. While she started her campaign with a win over Jessica Pegula, her straight-set loss to Linda Noskova has opened up a plethora of mathematical qualification scenarios, where Gauff has to keep her eye on the Noskova-Pegula match, even if she wins her finals match against Marta Kostyuk.
However, Gauff herself benefitted from the existing rules when she qualified from the group back in 2024, after being in a three-way tie with Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova, and then went on to win the title in Riyadh. Gauff is not the only one who has called for a change in the format, as Elina Svitolina has also endorsed the new format rules, which have been shared by the WTA with the top players. The Ukrainian was quoted saying “very cool” when asked about the new rules.
Even former Australian Open champion Madison Keys hinted that a format change was on the cards, given the logistical changes that were due for the edition in Charlotte. Working for Sky Sports during the WTA Finals, the American pro hinted at the various format changes the Tour Finals have undergone over the years.
“I think that it might be the best-kept secret on the Tour,” said Keys during the Sky Sports show. “We have less days next year. Only five days. So, something has to change… what is that? I don’t think anyone knows concretely yet, so we have to see where we end up, but it seems as though the finals have changed formats many times. So we will see; maybe the players will love it this way.”
Keys is correct, as the WTA Finals has altered its format several times in the past. The event started with a traditional knockout format, using a 16-player draw in 1972 and 1974, and an 8-player draw in 1973. The tournament then moved to a hybrid format of knockout and round-robin from 1975 to 1976. During this time, an initial knockout round with 16 players took place, and the 8 winners were grouped into two groups for round-robin action. The two winners from the respective groups played the final.
The current round-robin format was used back in 1979-1982; the original 16-player knockout format was used from 1983-2002; the round-robin format returned in 2003 and has remained ever since. Over the years, players have sometimes struggled to mentally adjust to the vagaries of the round-robin. In contrast, some veterans have welcomed the opportunity to keep playing more matches, even after a loss.
Current and Former Players Have Had Different Views on the WTA Finals Format
Current and former players have had their differences when discussing the merits of the round-robin format at the WTA Finals. Someone like Aryna Sabalenka has pointed out the extra mental and physical effort required to play an additional group-stage match, especially if it was a dead rubber.
“Honestly,” Sabalenka said during an interview in 2025. “I think I don’t know the answer. I think before I was thinking too much about the round-robin matches. I was just focusing. I would win couple matches, then really tricky for me to play full in the third one.”
On the other hand, eight-time WTA Finals champion Martina Navratilova gave her backing to the current format. The former World No.1 played the event across both the round-robin and knockout formats, and gave her backing to the current one, given that it had more margin for error.
“It’s a great way to go,” Navratilova said during a 2025 interview. “You have to be ready from the first round. The format is unforgiving and forgiving at the same time. It’s possible to lose two matches and still get to the semifinals. You can also win two matches and not advance. You need to beat top players, but you can squeak through with one win.”
Navratilova is right in both scenarios. While there have been instances of players not advancing past the semifinals even after winning two matches in the group, such as Swiatek in 2024, there have also been instances when a player has advanced after winning only one match in the group. Back in 2016, Dominika Cibulková won the title, despite losing two of her three matches in the group stage.
