Aryna Sabalenka held off Karolina Muchova in straight sets to kick off her WTA Finals bid in Indian Wells, while Mirra Andreeva secured an emphatic opening victory.
Defending champion and world number one Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the season-ending WTA Finals at Indian Wells due to a viral illness, paving the way for Marta Kostyuk to join the field.
Elena Rybakina aims to seal the year-end world number one ranking this week at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, following a standout season featuring two Grand Slam titles.
