Rennae Stubbs suggests radical change to the WTA Finals that she thinks would make it much better

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The WTA Finals brought an end to another exciting season, with Elena Rybakina having emerged as a surprise champion.

Rybakina has issued an injury worry in the aftermath of her success, which culminated in a final win over Aryna Sabalenka.

The Kazakhstani star won the WTA Finals in Riyadh earlier this month, and didn’t lose a match en route to lifting the trophy.

Also since her success, Rybakina has criticized the WTA schedule, believing it could be improved for the benefit of both players and fans.

Rennae Stubbs suggests radical change to the WTA Finals

Former player Rennae Stubbs has now also suggested a change that she thinks would improve the sport, discussing the ATP Finals but mainly the WTA Finals.

She said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast: “How do we make it better? Then I started thinking we have got to get it back at a Madison Square Garden, which is where I played, or at a Staples Centre or the O2 in London or somewhere in Paris or Italy. Somewhere tennis is beloved.

“And I was thinking do we get rid of the round robin format? The players are tired. Why don’t we just make it a full tournament? Knockout. And be done.”

What Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff have said about the WTA Finals in Riyadh

Current champion Rybakina has ironically just spoken about the WTA Finals in Riyadh, having been asked how it compared to Fort Worth 2022 and Cancun 2023.

She told Sport Schrodinger: “I’d heard a lot about that year in the US, how they played there. I’d already seen Mexico with my own eyes at my first Finals. It definitely wasn’t what I expected, coming to a major tournament at the end of the year.

“This time, the organization was very good: indoor courts, plenty of space to practice, a hotel, food – everything was excellent. I’m glad there’s stability, knowing where the tournament will be for three years.”

Rybakina made her second appearance at the year-end event last year in Riyadh, with the venue part of a three-year agreement to play host.

Previous venues include China, Mexico and the United States, a scenario that recent participant Coco Gauff would not have appreciated.

Gauff doesn’t want constant WTA Finals venue changes, having played in three different places across 2022, 2023 and 2024.