Aryna Sabalenka’s head-to-head vs every player at the WTA Finals this year with her biggest threat being clear

The Belarusian has also not won the title at any of her last 10 tournaments, with Sabalenka subsequently being dethroned by Elena Rybakina, who is now the world number one.

Sabalenka has the opportunity to find a silver lining over what has generally been a sub-standard season at the WTA Finals, but there is one player in particular who could be a big hurdle to her winning the title in Indian Wells.

Aryna Sabalenka trails in her head-to-head against Karolina Muchova

The WTA Finals feature the top eight players from the 2026 season, with Sabalenka being joined by Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.

Sabalenka leads in her head-to-head against six of the seven players in the WTA Finals field, with only Muchova having an advantage against the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Muchova has played Sabalenka five times before, winning three of those matches, including in the semi-finals of Roland Garros in 2023. However, Sabalenka did win their only match that took place this year at the Brisbane International back in January.

Sabalenka will have no way to avoid Muchova at the WTA Finals, as she has been placed in the same group as the Czech and will play the Wimbledon finalist in her opener at the year-end tournament on Monday, November 9.

Joining Sabalenka and Muchova in Group 2 will be Andreeva and Svitolina. These are two matchups that Sabalenka will be feeling more comfortable with, as she has a combined 10-3 lead in her previous meetings against Andreeva and Svitolina.

Sabalenka is a two-time former finalist at the WTA Finals, and she will be hoping to finally get her hands on the prestigious title at this year’s tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka’s record at Indian Wells

The WTA Finals are being held at Indian Wells for the first time this year, ahead of their more permanent move to Charlotte, North Carolina from 2027.

While this is the first time that the WTA Finals will be held at this venue, all of the eight players in the field have competed at Indian Wells before as one of the 10 WTA 1000 tournaments on the calendar.

This includes Sabalenka, who won the Indian Wells title earlier this year and has also reached two previous finals at the tournament, showing that she is comfortable with the unique conditions in the Californian desert.

Sabalenka is one of three former Indian Wells champions competing at the WTA Finals this year, alongside Rybakina and Andreeva. However, with the WTA Finals taking place in November, the colder conditions in Indian Wells will likely make the courts slower and the ball feel heavier, making it an intriguing prospect to see how this impacts players.

The 2026 WTA Finals will officially get underway on Sunday, November 8, kicking off with Group 1, featuring the likes of Rybakina, Gauff, Pegula and Noskova.

Sabalenka will get her campaign going on Monday against Muchova, as she bids to win her first title since March.

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