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The field for the WTA Finals 2024 is in place after a grueling season. Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, Zheng Qinwen, Elena Rybakina, and Barbora Krejcikova make up this year's elite eight.
Competing against the best of the best is what all players desire, and the WTA Finals is the perfect opportunity for them to prove themselves. While these eight women fought hard all year long to secure their positions, they endured a tough challenge from their contemporaries.
Despite giving it their all, a few players ran out of steam towards the end. Here's a look at three players who missed out on securing a place at the WTA Finals 2024 by a whisker:
#3 - Daria Kasatkina
Kasatkina's only title of the season thus far came at the Eastbourne International, a WTA 500 event. She reached another four finals at the same level in Adelaide, Abu Dhabi, Charleston, and Seoul. She's currently 10th in the race to the WTA Finals with 2,976 points.
Kasatkina is through to the quarterfinals of this week's Ningbo Open and is scheduled to participate in the Pan Pacific Open next week. She has a chance to overtake at least one of the next two players on this list, provided she wins a title either in Ningbo or Tokyo.
She could then become an alternate player at the year-end championships. However, all qualified players seem to be preparing for the WTA Finals, so it's unlikely that she will get the call to replace someone.
The Russian could've qualified for the WTA Finals on her own merit but her underperformance at the Majors, along with the WTA 1000 tournaments, hurt her chances.
A third-round showing at Wimbledon was her best Grand Slam result, with two fourth-round appearances at the WTA 1000 level being another highlight. Kasatkina's failure to capitalize on her chances at the big events cost her a place at the WTA Finals.
#2 - Danielle Collins
Collins announced her decision to retire at the end of the season following her second-round exit from the Australian Open. Her decision to call it quits pushed her to make her final year on the tour memorable, and she overcame a slow start to the season to do so.
Collins claimed the biggest title of her career at the Miami Open and backed it up with a title at the Charleston Open. Her unbeaten run came to an end in the fourth round of the Madrid Open, and she advanced to the semifinals of the Italian Open after that.
The American also reached the final in Strasbourg, though she lost in the second round of the French Open. This was followed by a maiden fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon, and a quarterfinal showing at the Paris Olympics.
It all went sideways for Collins after that as health issues prevented her from giving it her best. She didn't win a match after her loss at the Olympics and lost in the first round of the US Open as well. She went on a hiatus after crashing out in the first round of the Guadalajara Open.
Collins was in the running for a WTA Finals spot for a better part of the season. A debut at the year-end championships would've been a perfect send-off for her. She is currently in ninth place with 3,176 points. It does make her an alternate for the WTA Finals unless Kasatkina goes ahead of her.
#1 - Emma Navarro
Navarro almost made the cut for the WTA Finals in her breakthrough season. She improved with every passing month but came up short towards the end. She won her maiden career title at the Hobart International, and a string of decent results pushed her upwards in the rankings over the next few months.
Navarro advanced to the quarterfinals of a Major for the first time at Wimbledon and went a step further at the US Open. The battle for the last WTA Finals slot came down to her and Zheng heading into the Asian swing.
However, Navarro's form took a hit, while Zheng soared high during the same period and amassed a lead of over 500 points. The two were supposed to compete at the Ningbo Open this week but the American pulled out, which sealed the deal for her rival.
It was still possible for Navarro to qualify for the WTA Finals, though she would've needed to win titles in Ningbo and Tokyo to do so. With 3,568 points and in eighth place, she just missed out on the last spot and is now the first alternate.
Until last year, Navarro would've qualified for the WTA Finals by being in eighth place. However, a new rule allows a Major champion to qualify if they don't finish the season ranked below 20th. Krejcikova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, is that player, who is 11th in the race. The American will hope for someone's withdrawal so that she still gets to compete.
