Babos and Stefani Advance to WTA Finals Championship, Kudermetova and Mertens Join Them

Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani are heading to the WTA Finals championship match after a hard-fought semifinal victory today, while Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens secured their spot after a late-night comeback win in Riyadh.

The No. 7 seeds, Babos and Stefani, overcame a break down in both sets to defeat No. 6 seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-6(5). This marks a significant milestone for Stefani, who becomes the first Brazilian to reach the final of the WTA Finals in the tournament’s history. Babos, a three-time champion with previous partners, is seeking her fourth title. “I never lost in a semifinal of the WTA Finals before, so I’m just keeping that,” Babos said after the match. The duo has now reached their fifth final of 2025.

Kudermetova and Mertens also battled through a challenging semifinal, saving a match point to defeat Siniakova and Taylor Townsend 4-6, 7-6 (6), [10-6] in a match that concluded just before 1:30 a.m. local time. Kudermetova’s late-match surge, including a crucial volley to save match point, proved decisive. “When I started the match, I could not feel the rhythm,” Kudermetova admitted, adding that a disagreement with her husband initially fueled her comeback. This victory sets the stage for a rematch of their Rome encounter earlier this season, where Kudermetova and Mertens also prevailed. You can find more details about the WTA Finals on the official WTA website.

The final will see Babos and Stefani face Kudermetova and Mertens on Saturday, with Babos aiming for a fourth title and Stefani her first, while Kudermetova and Mertens seek their second WTA Finals crown. The outcome will have implications for the year-end doubles rankings and solidify one team’s position as the top pairing of 2025.