Aryna Sabalenka v Jasmine Paolini result - US Open champion beats Paolini in straight sets at WTA Finals in Riyadh

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has opened up her WTA Finals campaign against Jasmine Paolini with a relatively routine straight sets win, coming through 6-3 6-1 in just an hour and 10 minutes.

Sabalenka started the match by breaking her opponent for a 3-0 lead, and bar one wobble in the first set where she lost her serve, the US Open champion never looked too troubled out there.

Paolini battled hard, but did not look her usual self amid reports that she was feeling under the weather.

She was heard coughing at the back of the court, and it remains to be seen how she'll get on in Riyadh given she is competing in both the singles and doubles alongside partner Errani.

Sabalenka also lacked fluency at times, but served well when she needed to, with 10 aces and no double faults a good return from her opening round-robin match.

The world No. 1 is looking to go better here than she did last year, when she fell in the semi-finals to Coco Gauff, and she has certainly started the right way.

She now gets a day off to rest and recover, but Paolini will be back in action tomorrow in the doubles.

"Feels super special, and I'm super happy and proud," Sabalenka says in her on-court interview about finishing the year as No. 1.

"[Paolini is] a tough opponent, we have played a lot, and it is always a tough battle no matter the score. I think I'm mostly happy with my focus today, I was calm and I felt like everything was in control.

"I don't focus on the round robin [format], I take it as a regular tournament - like every time is the last time, to bring my best tennis and fight for every point."

Paolini starts the game well, and gets to 40-15 to keep the match alive.

But then Sabalenka forces the error from her opponent with some huge hitting.

Paolini goes long and suddenly it is deuce.

And now a forehand hits the tape and bounces long, and we have match point.

And Sabalenka seals it with a big cross court forehand winner...

Oh lovely! Paolini comes into the net off her own vocation - not because a ball landed short - and shows off her volleying skills. That caught Sabalenka out.

But then Sabalenka gets her on the move, to get to game point.

Paolini goes for the inside out forehand to stay in the game - she really has not given this one up, the Italian showing so much grit out there.

And then Sbaalenka goes long with the forehand into an open court!

40-15 turns into deuce...

But out comes the big serve, and Sabalenka does take it. She is a game away, the scoreline not reflective of the quality of the match.

This is better from the Italian.

A second serve ace sees Paolini take the game to 15, as the clock hits the one hour mark.

Yesterday's two singles matches were both straight sets wins, and it looks like this might be the same - but Paolini is giving it her all right until the end...

Sabalenka has one Slam to her name from this season, the US Open - taking her tally to four, all on hard courts.

She also won in Madrid, Miami and Brisbane in 2025.

And it looks like she is not far away from opening up her WTA Finals campaign with a win too, as she goes 4-0 up in the second set with a routine hold of serve.

Paolini is not herself out there. She is renowned for her movement and speed, but she looks slow and sluggish out there today. She has been coughing and blowing her nose - perhaps under the weather.

But Sabalenka is not making every shot either, as another forehand hits the net.

The game goes to deuce, Paolini finding enough of an angle to force another error from the world No. 1...

But then her backhand drifts long and we go back to deuce. This is attritional stuff.

Eventually, Sabalenka takes it. Like the first set, she is 3-0 up but this time around she has two breaks not one.

Well, Sabalenka coughs up some errors and Paolini immediately has break back points.

But the Italian really does not look 100% out there, she is leaning on her racquet between points.

In the end, Sabalenka pulls out some big serves, big forehands and she finds a way to consolidate the break from 15-40 down.

Right - can the Italian fight back in the second set?

She is serving first, but goes 0-30 down as Sabalenka finds a huge winner.

Paolini has not had the Grand Slam season she would have wanted, but she did win in Rome on home soil, a big title.

But she is up against it here, going a break down immediately.

And Paolini does not look at her best here...

Paolini gets a good foothold in the game and then... Sabalenka dials it up a notch with a huge ace.

At 30-30, Paolini just goes long to bring up set point - but Sabalenka's movement is not convincing out there, as she is caught off-balance again.

Indeed, the world No. 1 winds up sat on the floor at set point, and is starting to look a little disgruntled as another shot goes long.

A big first serve ace brings up a second set point, and she seals it with another ace.

The first set goes to the world. No 1. She takes it 6-3 in 36 minutes. Seven aces, 13 winners but 18 unforced errors.

Not a classic, but Sabalenka is underway.

This does not look easy for Paolini today, she is blowing her nose every change of ends and looks a little lacklustre. She is still happy to come to the net though, as she tries to shorten the points.

Her first serve goes begging at 40-15, and that gives Sabalenka a window. She indeed gets into the rally, Paolini's last strike bouncing on her own side of the court before it even reached the net, such was the lack of timing there.

And then, at 40-30, Sabalenka unleashes some huge hits to push Paolini back.

Deuce sees Paolini miss wide, her first serve goes MIA and Sabalenka breaks straight back.

She'll serve for the first set.

Uh oh. 30-0 to Sabalenka, but then comes a couple of Paolini winners.

At 30-30, Sabalenka finds the net with a routine forehand to hand her opponent a first break point.

But the world No. 1 chucks in a big first serve out wide, forcing the return error.

At deuce, Paolini's accurate groundstrokes force another error as Sabalenka does not get her feet moving in time.

And again, Sabalenka gets caught flat-footed, the backhand flies wide and Paolini breaks back.

Back on serve!

Paolini is moving fast at the back of the court, covering the ground. We are hearing reports that neither player is 100% out there - both coughing at the change of ends which is far from ideal.

The errors are creeping into Sabalenka's game now, as she sends a backhand long.

A huge down the line forehand winner seals the game for Paolini, to 15.

That is more like it - her service games are going to plan, but can she make inroads into Sabalenka's serve?

After getting a foothold in the set, Paolini is immediately reminded of what sort of match she is in as Sabalenka again sends down some huge serves.

This is the top seed here against the eighth seed, and at the moment a break of serve looks a tough ask for the Italian.

Paolini holds her second service game and it is a good hold to, to love.

That is more like it - but to get back into this set, she needs to break...

Easier said than done against one of the biggest serves in women's tennis.

It is indeed the dream start for the world No. 1.

She does not have this all her own way, Paolini is taking points and once again, it is a relatively close game, the Italian getting to 30.

But Sabalenka's booming serve is holding its own, and she sits down at the first change of ends three games to the good.

Sabalenka does indeed break her opponent's first service game to 30. Not the start the Italian wanted or needed out there.

The crowd cheer as the break is confirmed, and Sabalenka is now going to serve for the perfect 3-0 lead in this opening set.

Sabalenka is serving first. She takes the opening game to 30, with Paolini looking lively out there.

No signs of nerves from either of these experienced players.

But the Italian faces a stiff test next, as she tries to hold serve herself.