Top seed Elina Svitolina and seventh seed Wang Xinyu will meet in Sunday’s ASB Classic final in Auckland, setting up a clash between experience and a player whose best tennis has resurfaced over the past week.
For tournament director Nicolas Lamperin, Svitolina’s presence in the final is no surprise, but the route she has taken underlines the challenge Wang will pose. Svitolina, the former world No 3, was pushed hardest in her quarterfinal win over Sonay Kartal, a match that stretched to nearly two and a half hours and tested her physical and mental reserves.
Wang’s path has been no less demanding. The Chinese world No 57 has spent almost nine hours on court this week, including a bruising three-set semifinal win over Alexandra Eala that lasted close to three hours.
Lamperin said Wang had “been under the radar” coming into the tournament after injury disruptions over the past couple of seasons, but her run in Auckland has highlighted her strengths.
“She had to dig really deep,” Lamperin said, noting Eala’s refusal to go away in the semifinal.
While Svitolina will start as the favourite, Lamperin believes the matchup has intrigue, particularly given the physical demands both players have carried into the final. “It’s a final, so anything can happen,” he said.
Statistically, Svitolina arrives with a commanding résumé. This is her second straight final in Auckland, having not played the tournament in 2025, and the 23rd tour-level final of her career, with a formidable 18–4 record in title matches.
She has never lost a final when playing as the No 1 seed and is bidding to become the first Ukrainian to lift the ASB Classic trophy. Her straight-sets semifinal win over Iva Jovic suggested she has managed her energy well after earlier battles this week.
Wang, by contrast, is chasing her first WTA singles title. The Auckland final represents the best hard-court result of her career, surpassing previous semifinal finishes, and continues a resurgence that included a runner-up finish at Berlin on grass last year.
Her aggressive game has been on display all week, backed by a willingness to stay in long rallies when required.
Svitolina knows better than most how fine the margins can be on finals day in Auckland. She was runner-up to Coco Gauff here in 2024 and said that experience still lingers.
“You are very close to getting a title, but you’re still very far,” she said, describing the unique pressure of a final.
“You need to put in a lot of work in the final and the other player is doing exactly the same.
“So of course, it’s who adjusts the best, who regroups, if needed, after losing a set.
“I experienced that two years ago here, I lost in the final. It was a really painful one, because I won the first set. But I think this experience is hopefully going to give me this push.”