Coco Gauff has secured her place in the WTA Finals semi-finals by achieving a notable victory against defending champion Iga Swiatek. The American triumphed over second seed Swiatek in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, joining Aryna Sabalenka in the final four in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This outcome also ensures that Belarusian Sabalenka will be the year-end world number one, as Swiatek, ranked second, can no longer surpass her in the standings. This victory marks only the second time Gauff defeated Poland’s Swiatek in their 13 meetings.
The No. 3 seed Gauff not only needed to end a four-match losing streak against Swiatek to progress from round-robin play, irrespective of results from the Orange Group, but she also required a straight-sets win. Gauff accomplished both objectives, finishing the match in one hour and 48 minutes on Center Court in Riyadh.
Following a breakout 2023 season, which concluded with her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, Gauff has experienced a mix of ups and downs. Although she started the year with consecutive major semi-finals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, struggles with her serve and forehand plagued her throughout the summer, leading to her early exit in the Flushing Meadows title defense amid a series of double faults.
Gauff made a slight comeback in Asia, claiming a WTA 1000 title at the China Open but experienced another unfortunate serving day at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, where she narrowly lost in the semifinals to Aryna Sabalenka. In Riyadh, under the guidance of her new coach Matt Daly, the 20-year-old young player started the tournament with a strong performance against fellow American Jessica Pegula. This set up a matchup against Swiatek, who impressively overcame a set and two breaks down to defeat Barbora Krejcikova.
Facing the Pole on hard courts for the first time since last year’s WTA Finals, Gauff applied early pressure on Swiatek, forcing her to save three break points during her second service game. Although Swiatek, who is also at the WTA Finals with a new coach—having enlisted Wim Fissette after a quarterfinal exit at the US Open against Pegula—managed to survive that lengthy game, she continually found herself under pressure and ultimately surrendered two breaks, granting Gauff the first set.
The second set became more competitive as Gauff’s serving issues resurfaced—recording nine double faults compared to just two in the first set—and Swiatek took the lead by breaking serve twice. Gauff swiftly regained her momentum each time and delivered a strong service hold, putting herself on the verge of a significant victory.
Swiatek showed clear signs of frustration while facing a relentless barrage from Gauff, who outplayed the Pole to secure a match point. A daring final attempt by Swiatek did not succeed, as her forehand swing volley went long, allowing Gauff to cross the finish line in just under two hours. Gauff will conclude her round-robin stage against Krejcikova, while Swiatek will compete against Pegula for the first time since her loss to her at the US Open.
When asked how it felt to triumph over Swiatek only for a second time, Gauff said, “It feels great. I knew going into it despite our head-to-head, I had a lot of confidence. I felt like I was playing great tennis. Even when I was playing a bit sloppy, the games I lost were still going to happen. They gave me confidence. I knew if I could stay solid, I’d have the chance to close out the match.”
From the ground and return of serve. In the first set, I had like three straight games in a row with breakpoints. I didn’t let it discourage me. I knew I’d get it eventually. Even in the last game, I missed two forehand returns in the net, and I told myself, ‘It’s okay, I’ll get the next one’ and I did, Gauff expressed.
