WTA FINALS PREVIEW WITH CHANDA RUBIN: RYBAKINA, SABALENKA AND THE GAME'S ELITE FACEOFF | PODCAST

Chanda Rubin joins the show to preview the WTA Finals, as the Top 8 players in the world head to Indian Wells to compete for the final trophy of 2026. Rubin breaks down the two groups, and reflects on the seasons of each of the competitors, with World No. 1 and defending Finals champ Elena Rybakina leading the charge. The broadcaster explains how Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula can find success in the windy California desert, and examines what state Aryna Sabalenka will be in as she looks to reassert herself at the top of the sport. Rubin shares her thoughts on the other players in the field, from young major champions Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova, to exciting veterans Karolina Muchova and Elina Svitolina. The commentator also looks at all of the drama in the Paris Masters, where the final spots for the ATP Finals hang in the balance. And Rubin discusses her new project as the author of a children's book: "Alora's Pajama Party and Her Secret Sleepover Squad." Hosted by Mitch Michals. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 1:00 Halloween recap 1:38 The 2026 WTA Finals are taking place at Indian Wells 2:30 Charlotte will host the WTA Finals for the next five years 3:10 Adjusting to the conditions at Indian Wells in the fall 4:00 Rubin on the atmosphere to expect in the desert 4:50 There's no easing into a draw at the tour finals 5:50 The final tournament of the WTA season kicks off this Sunday 6:40 Getting used to the Round Robin format 7:40 Tons of scenarios emerge in group play regarding who advances 8:53 Looking at the two groups of the WTA Finals 9:30 Both Americans Gauff and Pegula land in the same group 10:05 Elena Rybakina heads to the Finals having clinched the year-end No. 1 Ranking 11:05 Rybakina is the defending WTA Finals champ, having gone undefeated last year 11:50 The field realizes Rybakina is at the top of the mountain right now 12:25 Coco Gauff is looking for the biggest prize of her 2026 season 13:02 Rubin on Gauff's competitiveness and chances at this tournament 13:55 Gauff can adjust to and handle any conditions 14:36 Jessica Pegula aiming for her first WTA Finals trophy 15:30 Pegula trying to set herself up nicely in 2027 16:50 Linda Noskova qualifies for her first WTA Finals on the back of a Wimbledon title 17:40 Rubin on Noskova's serving prowess 18:57 Aryna Sabalenka enters her 6th straight WTA Finals 19:30 Where will Sabalenka's game and headspace be at Indian Wells? 20:17 Sabalenka is now ranked No. 2 and reached two major finals in 2026 20:55 Sabalenka defeated Rybakina to win this year's Indian Wells 22:13 Mirra Andreeva makes her WTA Finals debut 23:05 Andreeva won her first major title at Roland Garros this spring 24:00 Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova round out the field 24:40 The honor of making the WTA Finals as one of the game's Top 8 players 25:30 Svitolina has added power and other elements to her game 26:40 Karolina Muchova will compete in the the WTA Finals for the first time 27:47 Rubin's thoughts on what to expect at the WTA Finals 29:00 A lot of lower seeds have done well at this tournament in recent memory 29:35 ATP Paris Masters Quick Thoughts 30:20 The race to the ATP Finals 31:00 Luca Van Assche, Rinky Hijikata and Nuno Borges all have breakout Paris Masters 32:00 Rubin's thoughts on Ben Shelton adding coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to his team 33:25 Chanda Rubin wrote a children's book! 34:15 Rubin's daughter inspired her book 35:57 "Alora's Pajama Party and Her Secret Sleepover Squad" is available for pre-order 36:26 Rubin on finding fulfillment and passion outside of tennis 38:08 Thanks to Chanda Rubin for appearing on The Inside-In Tennis Podcast! You can listen to this episode here: Apple: https://t.co/16VO0QGuNo Spotify: https://t.co/OQCMrJqEyk iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-th... #tennis #podcast #sports #InsideInTennisPodcast #WTAFinals