Aryna Sabalenka says learning to control her emotions has been her biggest lesson this season and she’ll be looking to channel that calmness in her bid for a maiden WTA Finals crown in Riyadh this week.
The 27-year-old Belarusian has secured the year-end number one ranking for a second consecutive season, thanks to a strong 2025 campaign that saw her clinch four titles from eight finals reached.
After suffering heartbreaking defeats in the finals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros, Sabalenka rebounded by lifting a fourth Grand Slam trophy at the US Open in September.
“There was terrible control over my emotions,” said Sabalenka, looking back at her losses to Madison Keys in Melbourne and Coco Gauff in Paris.
“I think the main lesson that I learnt is that no matter what, doesn't matter how I feel, how frustrated I am inside, I still have to try to stay calm and try to think clear, just try to focus on the plan that I have for the match. No matter what, stay in control.”
Sabalenka landed in the Stefanie Graf group at this year’s WTA Finals, alongside defending champion Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini.
The top seed says she had an “intense” and “amazing” training block in Dubai for these season-ending championships and is ready for her opener against Paolini on Sunday.
Last month, Sabalenka got a chance to practice with Novak Djokovic in Greece, where they also went on a double date with their partners.
She has had multiple conversations with Djokovic in recent years and says he helped her gain perspective both on and off the court.
“How to stay settled and how to look at everything as you're looking from the outside on the situation on the court, off the court. Just to, like, be able to sit back and look at everything,” she explained.
“Kind of like it's not you looking, it's someone else looking at your situation. I think that's the best lesson that you could take from Novak.”
Meanwhile, second seed Iga Swiatek made sure she was one of the first players to arrive in Riyadh in order to get acclimated with the court conditions and altitude.
The reigning Wimbledon champion opens her WTA Finals account against Madison Keys on Saturday, having qualified for the event for a fifth consecutive year.
The surface in Riyadh plays relatively fast, which historically hasn’t been Swiatek’s forte but the Polish star has made significant improvements under her coach of one year, Wim Fissette, who has helped her win titles on grass at Wimbledon and on hard courts in Cincinnati and Seoul this year.
“I think technically for sure the way I played on faster surfaces, the way I handled sometimes faster balls that were an issue for me in previous seasons, this was something that I felt improved totally,” said the 24-year-old Swiatek.
“Also the speed of the serve. I think I was in some kind of a ranking of fifth or something in aces this year. That's impossible,” she added with a smile.
Half of this year’s WTA Finals field is American, with Gauff leading the quartet as the number three seed.
Gauff is looking to become the first player to successfully defend her WTA Finals title since Serena Williams completed a threepeat in 2014.
“I'm not thinking about that. I really just want to focus on my first match ahead and take it one match at a time. I think that's what I did last year. Going to try to keep that mindset,” said the two-time major champion.
The WTA Finals kick off at King Saud University Sports Arena on Saturday and will conclude on November 8.
Tell Me Who I Am
Director: Ed Perkins
Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis
Four stars
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)
Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14
Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)
Fletcher 52, Rossouw 31
Bangla Tigers win by six wickets
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Kaoutar%20Harchi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Other%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
