Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka recently lost WTA ranking points for failing to compete in the required number of WTA 500 events in a year. However, despite not meeting the same criteria, Jasmine Paolini faced no penalties and did not lose any points.
Świątek, Sabalenka, and Paolini are currently in Riyadh for the WTA Finals, scheduled from November 1 to November 8, 2025, at the King Saud University Indoor Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Alongside these three players, defending champion Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, and Elena Rybakina have also qualified for the season-ending tournament.
Why Were Iga Świątek & Aryna Sabalenka’s WTA Ranking Points Stripped and Not Jasmine Poalini’s?
Both Świątek and Sabalenka had their ranking points stripped after failing to play the mandated number of WTA 500 tournaments this season. WTA players are required to compete in at least six WTA 500 events each year unless they are injured or have a proper reason for their absence. Gauff, Keys, and Anisimova also lost ranking points for similar reasons.
According to a tennis insider, Świątek and Sabalenka are set to lose more than 500 points, with the World No. 1 losing 520 points and the Pole losing 508 points.
The insider also reported that, unlike Świątek and Sabalenka, Paolini will not lose any ranking points, despite playing fewer than the required six WTA 500 tournaments, only participating in five.
Jasmine Paolini wasn’t penalized with a ranking point deduction unlike, for example, Swiatek or Sabalenka. She played in 5 – not 6 WTA 500 tournaments. WTA informed me that the lack of a penalty (no 0 points) is due to Paolini withdrawing from Adelaide for medical reasons. More⬇️ pic.twitter.com/2mywmMjtzY
— Dominik Senkowski (@dsenkowski07) October 29, 2025
Despite losing a significant amount of their WTA singles ranking points, Sabalenka and Świątek will still hold the World No. 1 and No. 2 rankings, respectively.
Who Will Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka Face First at the 2025 WTA Finals?
The 2025 WTA Finals will feature two groups: Group Steffi Graf and Group Serena Williams. The Graf group includes Sabalenka, Gauff, Pegula, and Paolini. Meanwhile, the Williams group consists of Świątek, Anisimova, Rybakina, and Keys.
Sabalenka will face Paolini in the first group stage match. The two players have met seven times on the WTA Tour, with the World No. 1 winning five of those encounters. Their most recent match was in the semifinals of the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, where Sabalenka emerged victorious with a score of 7-5, 6-4.
On the other hand, Świątek will take on Keys in her opening match at the 2025 WTA Finals. These players have faced each other seven times on the WTA Tour, with the Pole winning five of those meetings. Their latest match-up was in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Madrid Open, where Świątek won with a scoreline of 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
