October 2025
October saw the WTA Race to Riyadh conclude, with eight women confirming their place, as well as a maiden Masters title for an unexpected name.
Vacherot completes fairytale Shanghai run with title
Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the event due to injury, and Jannik Sinner retired from his second match against Tallon Griekspoor, which left the door open for others to capitalise. No one would have predicted that it would be someone from outside the top 200 prior to the event, who had to come through Qualifying, who would capitalise the most in a life-changing tournament.
Valentin Vacherot had already beaten Alex Bublik, and he then beat Griekspoor to reach the Quarter Finals. He then beat Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic to make the Final.
The other half was wide open after Alcaraz’s withdrawal, particularly when Arthur Rinderknech beat Alex Zverev in the Third Round. The Frenchman was able to continue that momentum, beating Jiri Lehecka and Felix Auger-Aliassime, to meet Daniil Medvedev in the Semi Finals. He came from a set down to win, and set up an improbable Final with Vacherot, who happens to be Rinderknech’s cousin.
Vacherot beat Rinderknech to take home the title, and leap from outside the top 200 to inside the top 50 in the world rankings.
Elsewhere, Sinner beat Zverev to win the Vienna ATP 500 title, and Joao Fonseca won his first ATP 500 title in Basel, overcoming Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Final.
WTA Finals line-up confirmed
Amanda Anisimova has had a very strong second half of the season, and kept that going with a WTA 1000 title in Beijing. She beat Jasmine Paolini, Coco Gauff on her way to the Final, and then came through a three setter in the Final over Linda Noskova. Earlier in the event, top seed Iga Swiatek was defeated by Emma Navarro.
In Wuhan, the likes of Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Paolini strengthened their WTA Finals chances by having good runs. Rybakina was beaten in the Quarter Finals by Aryna Sabalenka, but Pegula managed to beat Sabalenka in the Semi Finals.
Paolini defeated Swiatek in the Quarter Finals, but couldn’t get past Gauff in the next match. Gauff went on to beat Pegula in straight sets to win the title.
Rybakina then won the title at the Ningbo WTA 500, with Belinda Bencic winning the WTA 500 in Tokyo. The results of this month meant that the field for Riyadh will consist of: Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Anisimova, Pegula, Rybakina, Paolini, and Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
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