RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, secured a straightforward victory against Zheng Qinwen in the opening match of the WTA Finals on Saturday, winning with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This triumph improved her record against Zheng to a perfect 5-0 and marked her 21st victory in her last 22 matches.

The seventh-seeded Zheng experienced a challenging concluding phase, losing the final three games of the match. Her concentration appeared to wane, leading her to misjudge the match situation. After mistakenly hitting a backhand long on match point, she began walking toward her chair, seemingly thinking it was time for a change of ends rather than heading to the net for the customary post-match handshake. Once she realized her mistake, she smiled and acknowledged the situation before returning to the center for the handshake.

This win positions Sabalenka favorably as she aims to finish the year at the top of the rankings. The Belarusian player only needs to secure victories in two out of her three group matches to maintain her No. 1 ranking. In another match from the Purple Group, fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy triumphed over fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina, winning a closely contested match with scores of 7-6 (5), 6-4, marking her debut at this prestigious year-end tournament.

Looking ahead, American players Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are set to compete in the Orange Group on Sunday, following a match that features second-seeded Iga Swiatek facing Barbora Krejcikova. The tournament is showcasing the talents of the top eight ranked players, promising exciting matches as the event progresses.