What's buzzing in Riyadh: Taylor's bows, diehard fans and wild stats

There's nothing quite like the WTA Finals, from the format to the exclusivity to the exotic location to the elegance.

It's truly unique to the Hologic WTA Tour calendar, and we're here to provide access from every angle.

Below is a snapshot of what's buzzing in Riyadh, both on the court and off, and what's catching our attention at the prestigious year-end tournament.

A Few Words With a Legend

One of the best things about the WTA Finals is we get to reunite with some of the legends of our game.

One of those legends, Angelique Kerber, shared some insights about retirement life. The former World No. 1 initially enjoyed the newfound opportunity to catch up on sleep, but after giving birth to her second child in June, that's out the window (and likely will be for some time).

Though she's retired from the tour, the three-time Grand Slam champion did play as recently as two weeks ago, in the Luxembourg Ladies Tennis Masters. (She won the title, because that's what she does.)

She also shared her post-retirement goals, and some motherhood wisdom. Check out the chat below.

There's No Bond Like a Doubles Bond

Think Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani are enjoying their week in Riyadh?

This spirited embrace says it all.

After dropping their opener to Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, they knocked off Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider on Tuesday and followed that up with a win over defending WTA Finals champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe. They'll play their semifinal match on Friday.

Shout Out to the Fans

The Hologic WTA Tour has made quite a footprint in Riyadh over the past two years, and it's been evident in the crowd reaction and overall atmosphere at this year's event.

Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka both shouted out the fans, and acknowledged their growing interest in the sport, after their wins on Thursday.

The Power of the Bows

Townsend and Siniakova are into the semifinals after winning their third straight match in Riyadh, their latest a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Shnaider and Andreeva.

What makes them such a potent team? Is it how they play to each other's strengths? Their diversity of shots? Their vast experience and winning pedigrees?

Or maybe it's the bows?

Townsend and Siniakova will play fourth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens in the second doubles semifinal on Friday.

The Stats of the Day

Some incredible stats came out of Thursday's play.

Pegula's 6-2, 6-3 win over Jasmine Paolini was her 53rd of the season. That's the most wins in a season for an American over the age of 30 since Serena Williams in 2015. (She also won 53 that year.)

She'll pass Serena's mark if she can get past Elena Rybakina on Friday. Far more importantly, it would book her a spot in the WTA Finals title match for the second time in her career.

And Sabalenka, Pegula's potential opponent in the final, beat Coco Gauff on Thursday to improve to 38-6 on hard courts this year.

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