Coco Gauff defeated Iga Swiatek in a straight-sets match at the WTA Finals on Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, securing her place in the semifinals and ensuring Aryna Sabalenka finishes the season as the world’s top-ranked player.
Gauff’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over Swiatek marked only her second win in 13 meetings with the Polish star.
Swiatek, who entered the tournament aiming to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking, required a win over Gauff to keep her chances alive.
“It feels great,” said Gauff, reflecting on the milestone victory. “I knew going into the match that despite our head-to-head I had a lot of confidence going in.”
Gauff’s determination shone despite her struggles with 11 double faults throughout the match, which lasted one hour and 48 minutes.
The 20-year-old American displayed tenacity, creating break point opportunities in nearly every Swiatek service game in the opening set.
After seizing a break for 4-3, Gauff maintained her momentum, closing the first set with a second break.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, admitted the match was challenging, partially due to her two-month break after the U.S. Open and adjustments to her new coach, Wim Fissette.
“I’ll force myself to work even better in the next match,” she said, acknowledging the need for adaptation in her game.
Earlier, Barbora Krejcikova dashed Jessica Pegula’s semifinal hopes, winning 6-3, 6-3. Pegula, last year’s runner-up, has faced a rough patch at the Finals, leaving her last in the Orange Group without a set win.
“I was fighting for every ball,” said Krejcikova, the reigning Wimbledon champion.
“I really have to play my best tennis and I was trying to be really solid and put as many balls to the other side as I could.” With her win, Krejcikova kept her own semifinal chances alive.
Both Krejcikova and Swiatek will now await Thursday’s matches to determine their path forward in the tournament.
