The WTA Finals field is set.
Karolina Muchova, the 2026 Wimbledon finalist, secured her place as the final entrant into the end-of-year competition following Marta Kostyuk’s injury-induced withdrawal from the Ningbo Open.
Muchova will join Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina and Linda Noskova in Indian Wells next month.
With the 2026 field now confirmed, let’s take a look back at the tournament’s most recent champions.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina was an unstoppable force throughout the latter stages of last season.
The Kazakhstani won 11 consecutive matches to end the year, culminating in title-winning campaigns in Ningbo and Riyadh.
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Rybakina secured her first WTA Finals crown after defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 in the final.
“I was trying to stay very focused,” Rybakina told reporters in Saudi Arabia afterwards. “And I think even on the tiebreak, only when I heard the game, set, match then I realized that, yeah, the match is finished, because I had also experience being, being up on the tiebreak and losing it.
“So honestly, I was just focusing really.”
Rybakina earned a record-breaking total of $5.235 million for her efforts.
Coco Gauff
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, captured her first WTA Finals title in 2024.
The American superstar suffered just one defeat en route to the title – to Barbora Krejcikova in the group stage.
After defeating Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff triumphed against Qinwen Zheng in the championship match.
“It was a really great match. Qinwen played some unbelievable tennis,” Gauff told Sky Sports Tennis after winning 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. “I was just trying my best to hang in there and I never gave up.
“I was just telling myself, ‘It’s another point, another chance’. I’ve been in situations like this in the past and have been able to turn it around… and was able to do it again.”
At three hours and four minutes, it was the longest WTA Finals final since 2011.
Iga Swiatek
Swiatek – like Rybakina in 2025 – was flawless in her pursuit of the WTA Finals title.
The Polish star did not drop a set en route to the title, annihilating Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 in the final.
With victory against Pegula, Swiatek reclaimed the world number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka.
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“Coming back to world number one, it’s a dream come true, for sure,” Swiatek said after claiming the year-end title.
“I would say I wasn’t expecting that right now, this season. I was hoping that maybe next year is going to be my year, but it seems like just working hard and focusing on the right things at the end worked. So I’m really happy.”
Carolina Garcia
Garcia, from France, was an outsider for the WTA Finals title in 2022.
The French star was seeded sixth at the event and was drawn against Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Daria Kasatkina in the round robin stage.
Victories against Gauff and Kasatkina secured Garcia’s progression to the semi-finals, where she defeated Greek player Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2.
Garcia overcame the challenge of Aryna Sabalenka in the final, triumphing 7-6, 6-4.
“It’s definitely a lot of giant happiness,” Garcia said after securing victory in Fortworth, Texas. “A crazy final, a lot of intensity on every point. Just really proud of the work we did through all the year. It was a great match — really went for it. I’m really happy to win my biggest title.
Garbine Muguruza
Muguruza, a two-time Grand Slam champion, secured her place in the WTA Finals history books after beating eighth seed Anett Kontaveit in the 2021 final.
Muguruza, seeded sixth, triumphed 6-3, 7-5 in Mexico and became the first Spaniard to win the tournament.
“Wow. I mean, I didn’t think all of these things because I didn’t want to have more pressure,” Garbine Muguruza said of making history for her nation.
“But it feels amazing to be part of the history and you know, this is a very special tournament. Only the best eight and you feel like every match is a final – and I made it.”
