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Sabalenka, Swiatek Lead First Set of Qualifiers for WTA Finals

Champion Coco Gauff (L) of the United States and runner-up Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus pose for a photo following their Women's Singles Final match of the 2023 US Open on September 09, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Champion Coco Gauff (L) of the United States and runner-up Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus pose for a photo following their Women's Singles Final match of the 2023 US Open on September 09, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Sabalenka, Swiatek Lead First Set of Qualifiers for WTA Finals

Champion Coco Gauff (L) of the United States and runner-up Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus pose for a photo following their Women's Singles Final match of the 2023 US Open on September 09, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Champion Coco Gauff (L) of the United States and runner-up Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus pose for a photo following their Women's Singles Final match of the 2023 US Open on September 09, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

World number one Aryna Sabalenka will make her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, as the governing body of women's tennis announced its first set of qualifiers for the season finale.

The tournament, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world, will return to Mexico after a gap of one year. The 2021 edition took place in Guadalajara.

Australian Open champion Sabalenka will be joined by four-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, whom she leapfrogged to claim the top ranking for the first time after the US Open earlier this month, the WTA announced on Friday.

The 25-year-old Belarusian is enjoying her best season on the WTA Tour with three titles and three more finals, including one at Flushing Meadows. She will look to improve on her runner-up finish at last year's WTA Finals in Fort Worth.

US Open champion Coco Gauff booked her place in both the singles and doubles competitions. The 19-year-old will partner fellow American Jessica Pegula.

Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina rounded off the initial set of entrants for the tournament as she became the first player from Kazakhstan to qualify in singles.

The WTA Finals run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.

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IOC Sets January Date for 7 Presidential Candidates

The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
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IOC Sets January Date for 7 Presidential Candidates

The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

The International Olympic Committee has set a Jan. 30 date for the key presidential election meeting where seven candidates will meet with voters ahead of their ballot in March, The Associated Press reported.
The closed-doors meeting at IOC headquarters is the only set-piece campaign event in perhaps the most discreet and secretive election in world sports. IOC rules prohibit candidates from publishing videos, organizing public meetings or taking part in public debates.
“This in-camera meeting will give the IOC members the opportunity to hear from the seven candidates about their programs,” the Olympic body said in a statement on Thursday.
The candidates to replace outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach include three members of the executive board he chairs: vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain, Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan and Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe.
The other four are presidents of Olympic sports governing bodies: track and field’s Sebastian Coe of Britain; cycling’s David Lappartient from France; gymnastics leader Morinari Watanabe of Japan; and skiing’s Johan Eliasch, a Swedish-British citizen.
The vote by about 100 of their fellow IOC members is at a March 18-21 meeting near Ancient Olympia in Greece.
Bach is reaching his statutory maximum of 12 years in office and confirmed in August at the Paris Olympics that he will leave. His scheduled exit is in June after a three-month transition period with his successor.