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U.S. Tennis Veterans Ready for ATP and WTA Finals Debuts

Career-best seasons earn Asia Muhammad, Christian Harrison, and Evan King sports in year-end tournaments.
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Asia Muhammad will be making her WTA Finals debut in the doubles event.
Asia Muhammad will be making her WTA Finals debut in the doubles event. | Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the fortunate few, what the ATP and WTA tours bill as a “race” toward their respective year-end events might feel like a brisk jog, with a spot on the blocks achieved early and often.

Asia Muhammad, Christian Harrison, and Evan King, though, can attest to it being more like a marathon. After lengthy stints on the pro circuits, the Americans have earned spots at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.

One of the more consistent doubles players in the women’s game over the past several years, Muhammad entered 2025 with 11 career titles under her belt with eight different partners.

Having turned pro nearly 20 years ago, the Las Vegas native has made her biggest moves the past two seasons, winning Cincinnati with Erin Routliffe last year and Indian Wells this season with her new partner, Demi Schuurs.

Muhammad and Schuurs also took the title at Queen’s Club this summer, further pushing them up the rankings and helping them secure that last spot in Riyadh.

On the men’s side, the ascent of King and Harrison is one of the more remarkable stories of the year. Teaming up at the end of 2024 for the final stretch of Challenger tournaments, the pair found near-instant success with a 7-1 record in two events.

As promising as that run might have been, few—if any—could have predicted what 2025 had in store. Battling through the qualifying rounds in Dallas and Acapulco, the Americans came out on top at both of those 500-level events, made deep runs at 1000-level tournaments, advanced to the semifinals at the French Open, and added a third title on the year just a couple of weeks ago in Brussels, Belgium.

Now, the fairytale season gets to continue in Turin for King, the former collegiate All-American who’d spent years grinding it out on the tour, and Harrison, whose promising career had been impacted by multiple injuries.

The journey to a spot in the season-ending showcases has been a long one for Muhammad, Harrison, and King. However, as with any race, it doesn’t matter how you start, but rather how you finish.

The 2025 WTA Finals began today and runs through November 8. The ATP Finals runs from November 9-16. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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Van Sias
VAN SIAS

Van Sias has covered the professional game for more than a decade. His work has appeared at TENNIS.com, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, The New York Times and Racquet, among others, and he’s been a featured guest on NPR programs discussing topics ranging from the US Open to the impact of Serena Williams’ retirement. Tennis has long been a part of Van’s life, from playing as a junior in Alabama to currently captaining USTA teams in New York. You can reach him at siasorama@gmail.com.

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