Paula Badosa becomes fifth debutant at WTA Finals 2021

Paula Badosa has secured her spot at the prestigious WTA Finals alongside four other players who make their first appearance.

The Spaniard was 19th in the Porsche Race to the WTA Finals just prior to Indian Wells.

Now, soon after winning the Californian WTA 1000 tournament, Badosa has become the eighth player to qualify for the tour Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico beginning 10th November.

With world number one Ashleigh Barty recently announcing that she will not defend her 2019 Finals crown, one spot still remains at the season-ending event.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka, Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova, Maria Sakkari and Iga Swiatek are the four other players making their debut on top of Badosa.

Krejcikova has also qualified for the doubles event as part of the leading pair with fellow Czech Katerina Siniakova. It will be her third appearance in the doubles Finals, finishing as runner-up in 2018.

Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza will make their fifth and fourth singles appearances respectively.

Badosa began the year ranked 70th in the world, but has since climbed 57 spots to a career-high of 13th.

She has a 41-15 win-loss record in 2021 with both career tour level titles coming this season. Her first was the WTA 250 Serbia Ladies Open in May before Indian Wells this October.

No Spanish woman has ever won the WTA Finals, with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario coming closest when she lost to Steffi Graf in the 1993 final.

With two of this year’s eight competitors in Muguruza and Badosa being Spanish, the 2021 Finals present an opportunity for history to be made by either woman.

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