Elina Svitolina can achieve WTA Finals feat replicated just once by players with 121 Grand Slam titles
Elina Svitolina could become the second-oldest woman to win the WTA Finals if she defeats Mirra Andreeva tonight, and that feat would be far more impressive than people realise.
By making it to the end-of-year event's final, the Ukrainian has joined a remarkable club of women that reached the WTA Finals’ last stage aged 32 or above. If she prevails this evening, she will be the second-oldest woman to ever win the event.
Tennis ‘GOAT’ contender Serena Williams remains the only player to ever win the Finals above the age of 32; should Svitolina prevail this Sunday, it could be the greatest ‘underdog’ achievement in WTA history – here’s why.
The three women aged 32 or older that made it to the WTA Finals’ final
While Serena is the only player to have prevailed at the end-of-year event aged 32 or above – she did so at 33, in 2014 – her sister, Venus, joined her as a finalist.
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In 2017, Venus made it to the Finals’ last stage, at the remarkable age of 37, but fell 6-4, 6-4 to Caroline Wozniacki, breaking a seven-match winning streak from the Williams sister.
Serena, whose Hall of Fame induction was recently blocked by a little-known rule, won in 2014 against Simona Halep, days after losing to the Romanian 6-0, 6-2 in the Finals’ group-stage phase.
After the Williams sisters, only one other woman – and, of course, Svitolina – has made it to the end-of-year-event’s final match aged 32 or above.
That is Martina Navratilova, another women’s ‘GOAT’ contender, who won her last-ever Finals trophy in 1986. Beyond the age of 32, she made it to three further finals, losing all three.
One of those losses came to Steffi Graf, and a further two were inflicted by Monica Seles, both considered to be strong picks for the women’s tennis ‘GOAT’ title.
Between the two Williams sisters and Navratilova, they have collectively accumulated an absurd 48 Grand Slam singles titles.
If doubles Grand Slam titles are entered into the fray, the three women have garnered 121 total Grand Slam titles between them.
The Williams sisters share the vast majority of their Major doubles titles, while Navratilova won hers with partners not present on the list of oldest WTA Finals finalists.
To put into perspective how ludicrous it would be for Svitolina to join Williams as the only woman aged 32 or above to win the WTA Finals, her individual Grand Slam count must be brought up: zero.
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How can Elina Svitolina beat Mirra Andreeva at the WTA Finals?
The Ukrainian previously lost to Andreeva, who recently snapped one of three streaks enjoyed by Aryna Sabalenka, in the Finals’ group-stage phase, losing 6-4, 6-0 in her opening match.
However, as Serena showed – she also lost and was bagelled by Halep in the round-robin phase of 2014, the Finals’ last stage could offer anything.
After losing to Andreeva the first time out, Svitolina admitted she needed to ‘do her homework’ ahead of their final showdown in California.
“I'm gonna do my homework because I think there's a few things that I can do better tomorrow,” said the 32-year-old.
“I think the matches that I won here after that match really gave me confidence in my game. Now I'm more used to the conditions.
I hope that I can play a better match, that I can execute my game plan better, because I think this was not good in the first match - the execution," concluded Svitolina.
The Ukrainian, on the brink of history, will take on Andreeva this Sunday at 8pm BST, with a staggering prize pot, despite its 35 per cent reduction, also up for grabs.
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Topics: Tennis
Kedar Bayley
