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The final weeks of the womenâ€s tennis season showcased one last twist in the furious race to determine the qualifiers for the WTA Finals. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, finally caught fire after a year of near misses, bulldozing through her opponents to win a title in Ningbo, China that solidified her spot in Riyadh among the eight best players in the world.

Just as significant as Rybakinaâ€s qualification, though, was its consequences for the player she usurped. Mirra Andreeva, the 18-year-old prodigy who won WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells this year, had seemed like a sure bet to qualify in singles for the WTA Finals. Her failure to do so underscores the fact that this year has been the toughest and most competitive womenâ€s tennis season in years.

At the top, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have further strengthened their claims as the two greatest players of their generation. While Sabalenka put together another supremely consistent year as the best player in the world, winning her fourth grand slam title at the US Open and reaching the Australian and French Open finals, Swiatek captured the one tournament she never imagined she could win, earning her sixth grand slam title at Wimbledon.

Still, the other top players have allowed them no rest and the intense competition has inspired countless epic high-stakes matches throughout the year. It took consecutive colossal performances from Madison Keys against Swiatek and Sabalenka to finally win her first grand slam title at the Australian Open. In Paris, Coco Gauff outsmarted Sabalenka in a dramatic, wind-afflicted three-setter to win her second grand slam title at just 21 years old. Two days earlier, Sabalenka ended Swiatekâ€s three-year reign in another unforgettable duel.

At the US Open, womenâ€s semi-final day turned out to be one of the best days of tennis this year as Sabalenka overcame Pegula in a breathless, high-quality battle before Amanda Anisimova continued her long-awaited breakthrough season by dragging herself past Naomi Osaka to reach a second consecutive grand slam final. Even Swiatekâ€s 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Anisimova in the Wimbledon final turned out to be part of one of the most compelling storylines this year. Two months later, Anisimova showed her toughness by exacting revenge on Swiatek at the earliest opportunity in New York.

Iga Swiatek enters the WTA Finals as a Wimbledon champion. Photograph: Robert Prange/Getty Images

This may have been a great year for womenâ€s tennis on the court, but on the eve of another WTA Finals, the eternal question remains whether the tour can provide its talent with a strong enough platform to turn the sport into a thriving product again. As the WTAâ€s flagship event, in recent years this tournament has reflected the tourâ€s struggles. It should actually be in the middle of a 10-year residency in Shenzhen but the Covid-19 pandemic and the WTAâ€s fleeting objections to the disappearance of Peng Shuai led to the cancellation of their agreement after the first edition in 2019.

The event then bounced between different countries each year, with various difficulties, a period that also left the WTA in a deep financial hole. The WTAâ€s inevitable embrace of Saudi Arabia addressed some of those financial issues and in recent years the organisation has been restructured. In 2023, the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners acquired a 20% stake in the WTAâ€s new commercial arm, WTA Ventures. Last August, the WTA appointed Portia Archer as its new CEO.

For all the recent changes at the WTA, which included a significant image rebrand at the beginning of the year, it remains to be seen if it can put itself on the right path. Aside from changing the graphics of their website alongside a beige new slogan – Rally The World – not so much has changed to its public offering since that rebrand. The WTA marketing budget remains a fraction of the ATPâ€s and it shows in their paltry output on social media and the lack of original content on its YouTube account.

Eight years after initiating its own bespoke subscription-based streaming product, WTA TV, the service still does not have its own app or a global presence. This also starkly contrasts with Tennis TV, the ATPâ€s streaming platform, which suffocates viewers with content. A particularly concerning development at the WTA, which does not reflect well on the organisationâ€s judgement, was the decision to end its WTA Insider initiative, one of the few ways that it effectively showcased the storylines within the sport. Otherwise, the WTA has been dire at marketing its players and their personalities for so long.

At a time when womenâ€s sport is enjoying significant growth and momentum around the world, the WTA should be leading the way. Instead, it is still stunted by its own problems and the path forward is unclear. What is certain, though, is the quality provided by the athletes on the court. As play begins on Saturday, with Gauff attempting to defend her title in a brutal field composed of the best players in the world, there will be more great tennis to come.

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The Montreal Canadiens have had a solid start to the 2025-26 season. After losing their season opener to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 5-2 final score, they have followed that up with wins against the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks in their last two games. Now, they will be looking to keep their winning streak going against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 14.

One reason for the Canadiens’ success early on this season has been the impressive play of new forward Zack Bolduc. The 22-year-old has had a very hot start to the new campaign, as he has scored a goal in each of his first three games with the Canadiens. He also had his first multi-point game as a Canadien during their Oct. 11 matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, as he not only kept his goal streak going, but also recorded an assist.

With his great start to the season, Bolduc currently leads the Canadiens in goals with three. His four points are also second on the Canadiens, as captain Nick Suzuki currently leads the club with five points. With this, Bolduc has certainly been feeling it early on offensively.

While the season is young, it is hard not to feel excited about the way Bolduc is playing right now.  The 2021 first-round pick could very well be on the way to having a breakout season for the Canadiens, and it will be interesting to see if he can this kind of play up from here.

In 72 games last season with the St. Louis Blues, Bolduc posted career highs with 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points. Yet, with the way he is playing now, it would not be necessarily surprising if he gets even better numbers with the Canadiens this season.

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When Son Heung-min arrived at Los Angeles Football Club last month, there was a huge sense of excitement: here was South Koreaâ€s most popular athlete and one of the best Asian footballers in history. In a city with the largest South Korean community in the United States, there was also a belief that – just as with Lionel Messi and Miami – the diaspora would create a strong bridge between club and city.

But this was also about LAFC itself. Undoubtedly, there was much Son could offer to Steve Cherundolo and a squad that was already blessed with attacking talent, including Denis Bouanga, the 30-year-old France-born Gabon international. Just before Sonâ€s debut for LAFC on 9 August against Chicago Fire, Bouanga – a three-time All-Star – had 13 goals in the league and had long served as the main goal threat for the club, who at the time were sixth in the Western Conference.

The potential of adding Sonâ€s production to Bouangaâ€s was tantalizing. But both men presented similar profiles – speedy forwards used to playing on the wing. It was no sure thing that they would gel.

That aforementioned game against Chicago put those concerns to rest. Son won a penalty in the late stages of the game, which was converted by Bouanga, making it 2-2 on the night. But the most important takeaway from that evening was that the two looked in-sync, despite limited training time together.

The next game against New England didnâ€t feature goals from either player but after that, on 23 August against FC Dallas, a magnificent hot streak began. Today, Son and Bouanga have scored 17 consecutive goals between them – an MLS record for any goal scoring pairing in league history.

This past weekend against St Louis City, Son scored a brace while Bouanga netted another, giving LAFC their fourth consecutive win, with a combined 15-4 scoreline.

Quite simply, this is the most lethal pairing in the league.

“We are feeling good,†Bouanga told the Guardian. He has 23 goals in the league and trails Messi in the golden boot race by only one goal. “I feel so good with Sonny on the pitch. As you can see, I get along with him so well and so as a result the team does well when we go forward.â€

Since Sonâ€s arrival, Bouanga has scored 10 goals, including two hat-tricks, which passed Carlos Vela to make him the top scorer in club history. He made even more history by becoming the first MLS player to score 20 or more goals in three straight seasons. Bouanga has never been short of confidence but thanks to Son, it has skyrocketed and itâ€s because his teammates†career achievements inspire him to push himself further.

“Heâ€s such a great football player with a huge reputation,†says Bouanga. “Especially in the Premier League and everyone knows him. And now here? Heâ€s so happy to have joined us and I think we can do even more with him on the squad.â€

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Bouanga has always been a great goalscorer in this league so itâ€s not like much is changing for him on the training ground. For him, itâ€s more about the mentality of wanting to be the very best that he can be, and Sonâ€s presence – alongside the elite depth of this squad, which includes Sonâ€s former Spurs teammate and World Cup champion Hugo Lloris – helps him get even better as a scorer.

“I havenâ€t done anything different compared to last year,†says Bouanga. “Iâ€m still doing the same, I am the same, trying to be a killer in front of goal and this year, itâ€s working too. Iâ€m super happy so far but it is not over.â€

LAFC sit fourth in the West with 30 points, trailing San Diego FC by four points. But they have two games in hand so there is a possibility of topping the table and securing home field advantage at least until MLS Cup. That is another incentive for Bouanga and his team as they want to do everything possible to make sure Cherundolo wins the title in his final season – in April he announced his departure from the club at the end of the 2025 campaign.

“I would like to win this last title for him. I think it would be very important for LAFC and for him to win MLS Cup,†says Bouanga.

As long as the dynamic duo of Son and Bouanga continue to flourish, there is a very real possibility that could happen.

• Luis Miguel Echegaray is a writer, analyst and host specializing in soccer and sports content that also appeals to the U.S. Latino and young audience. He has previously worked at ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and is returning to the Guardian as a contributor.

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