Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury

Jessica Pegula in action against Barbora Krejcikova at the WTA Finals, King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 5, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 06 November 2024
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Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals with knee injury

  • Pegula lost her opening two matches in Saudi Arabia in straight sets and had no chance of advancing to the semifinals
  • US Open finalist was due to face defending champion Iga Swiatek and will now be replaced by alternate Daria Kasatkina

RIYADH: American sixth seed Jessica Pegula has withdrawn from the WTA Finals in Riyadh with a left knee injury, the tournament announced on Wednesday.

A runner-up at the WTA Finals last year, Pegula lost her opening two matches in Saudi Arabia in straight sets and had no chance of advancing to the semifinals.

The US Open finalist was due to face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the last day of round-robin action on Thursday and will now be replaced by alternate Daria Kasatkina on the schedule.

“I’ve just been struggling with a little bit of an injury and for whatever reason, it really flared up this week. Not really sure why,” Pegula, 30, said.

“In the few days before practice, it felt really, really good, but it started creeping up right before my first match, and just feel like I’m not feeling comfortable moving on court, so I just wanted to make the decision to unfortunately pull out.”

Kasatkina is ranked No. 9 in the world and recently clinched the WTA 500 title in Ningbo.

She is 1-5 head-to-head against Swiatek, losing her last five consecutive clashes with the Pole. 

Coco Gauff is the only player in the Orange Group in Riyadh to have secured passage to the semifinals.


Record prize of up to $200k for a 9-darter at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters

Updated 15 January 2026
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Record prize of up to $200k for a 9-darter at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters

  • Players who complete a perfect leg will receive $100,000, with the chance to double it by hitting the bullseye with a bonus 10th dart
  • 8 Professional Darts Corporation stars will take on 8 of Asia’s top players in the tournament on Jan. 19 and 20 at the Global Theater in Boulevard City

RIYADH: Players at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters in Riyadh next week have a chance to win a record-breaking cash prize for a nine-dart finish, with up to $200,000 up for grabs for a perfect leg.

Eight Professional Darts Corporation stars will take on eight of Asia’s leading players at the tournament, which is part of Riyadh Season, on Jan. 19 and 20 at the Global Theater in Boulevard City.

Turki Alalshikh, chairperson of the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, revealed on Thursday that any player who hits a perfect nine-darter during the event will receive a $100,000 bonus, with the chance to double it through the Riyadh Season Bullseye Challenge.

With the leg already won, the player will throw a 10th dart, and if it hits the bullseye the prize will be doubled to $200,000, the biggest amount ever offered by a PDC-sanctioned event for a nine-darter.

Reigning world champion Luke Littler, who will head the line-up in Riyadh, previously hit a nine-darter on the World Series of Darts stage at the Bahrain Masters in 2024.

He will be joined by 2023/24 world champion Luke Humphries, world championship runner-up Gian van Veen, and three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen.

The PDC contingent also includes former world champion Gerwyn Price, world No. 7 Stephen Bunting, former UK Open winner Danny Noppert, and 2023 World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.

Asia will be represented by Singapore veteran Paul Lim, who in 1990 famously threw the first televised World Darts Championship nine-darter, alongside Filipinos Alexis Toylo, Lourence Ilagan and Paolo Nebrida, Japan’s Motomu Sakai, Ryusei Azemoto and Tomoya Goto, and Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung.