After annihilating Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-1 in her first WTA Finals match, Sabalenka continued with her strong play in Riyadh after also taking the opening set against Pegula 6-4. But then, the troubles started for the world No. 1, who lost her serve twice during the second set and saw her match against the American go to a decider.

Both Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula have won their respective first round robin matches in the ongoing WTA Finals in Riyadh. The 54th edition of the WTA Finals got underway on November 1, while the final will be held on November 8.

Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked player in women’s professional tennis, will face men's No. 652 Nick Kyrgios in a match touted as the fourth Battle of the Sexes in the sport’s history.