WTA Finals Day 3 Predictions Including Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina

The 2025 WTA Finals ignited in Riyadh with two lopsided openers in the Serena Williams Group, where every game shapes semifinal hopes. Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina delivered masterclasses, leaving Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova to fight for survival in an all-American showdown. The group will take to the courts again on Day 3 with both Anisimova and Keys fighting to keep their hopes of further participation alive while Swiatek and Rybakina duel it out to almost guarantee a semifinal berth.

WTA Final Day 3 Predictions

Amanda Anisimova vs Madison Keys

Head-to-Head: first meeting

Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, looked rusty in her first WTA Finals match since 2016, crumbling 6-1 6-2 to Swiatek in 61 minutes after a two-month injury break and a US Open first-round exit. The 30-year-old began 2025 with Adelaide and Melbourne titles but has since lost five straight to Top 10 players, her Tour-leading aces useless against relentless pressure.

Amanda Anisimova, debuting after a 51-win breakout season with Doha and Beijing crowns plus Wimbledon and US Open finals, was steamrolled 6-3 6-1 by Rybakina in 57 minutes. The 24-year-old’s flat-hitting firepower faltered, but her fresher legs and late-season surge give her the edge in this head-to-head debut. Expect Anisimova’s fearless aggression to outlast Keys’ power and keep her hopes of progressing to the semifinals alive.
Prediction: Anisimova in 2

Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina

Head-to-Head: Swiatek 6–4 Rybakina

Iga Swiatek stormed into her fifth straight Finals with a 6-1 6-2 demolition of Keys, capitalizing on sluggishness in a tournament where sets and games are currency. The 24-year-old ended a 13-month title drought at Wimbledon—her sixth Major—then added Cincinnati and Seoul trophies, hitting 60+ wins for the fourth year running, unseen since 2001.

Elena Rybakina, the last qualifier via a Ningbo title and strong Asian swing, crushed Anisimova 6-3 6-1, continuing a season with just one opening-round loss and 24 hard-court wins since July. Swiatek leads 6-4, winning all four 2025 clashes after Rybakina took four of the first six. Despite Rybakina’s serve, her 0-for-2 Finals record leaves her exposed Swiatek’s baseline stranglehold should seal a win for the pole and secure the first semifinal spot at this year’s edition.
Prediction: Swiatek in 3