Coco Gauff has advanced to the WTA Finals semifinals following a standout win over the defending titleholder, Iga Swiatek. Winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, the American now stands alongside Aryna Sabalenka in the final four here in Riyadh. This victory also settles the race for the top spot, confirming that Belarus's Sabalenka will finish the year as world number one since Swiatek no longer has a mathematical path to surpass her. Notably, this is just the second time Gauff has managed to beat Swiatek in their 13 head-to-head matchups.
Coming into the match, the third seed Gauff faced a dual challenge: she had to snap a four-game losing skid against Swiatek and secure a straight-sets victory to guarantee her spot in the knockout stage, regardless of what happened in the rest of the Orange Group. Gauff delivered on both fronts, wrapping up the contest in an hour and 48 minutes on the Center Court in Riyadh.
After the heights of 2023, where she captured her maiden Grand Slam at the US Open, Gauff's recent form has been a rollercoaster. She began the current year on a high note, reaching the semifinals of both the Australian Open and the French Open. However, her summer was marred by inconsistency, particularly with her forehand and serve, which plagued her during her US Open title defense and resulted in a premature exit fueled by several double faults.
Gauff found some rhythm again during the Asian swing, winning the China Open (WTA 1000), though she suffered another serving collapse in the semifinals of the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, where she fell just short against Aryna Sabalenka. Now in Riyadh, working with her new coach Matt Daly, the 20-year-old opened the tournament with a convincing win over Jessica Pegula. This victory set the stage for her clash with Swiatek, who had fought back from a set and two breaks down to defeat Barbora Krejcikova.
This was the first time Gauff and Swiatek had faced off on hard courts since the previous year's WTA Finals. Gauff came out aggressive, putting Swiatek on the defensive early and forcing her to fight off three break points in her second service game. While Swiatek—who is also debuting a new coaching partnership with Wim Fissette after her US Open quarterfinal loss to Pegula—managed to hold that game, she remained under constant pressure and eventually dropped two service games, handing Gauff the first set.
The second set was a more balanced affair. Gauff's serve became a liability again, as she committed nine double faults compared to the two she had in the opening set. This allowed Swiatek to seize the initiative and break twice to take the lead. However, Gauff showed great resilience, quickly breaking back and holding her serve to put herself within striking distance of the win.
As the match reached its climax, Swiatek appeared frustrated by Gauff's relentless pressure. Gauff eventually earned a match point, which she converted when Swiatek's final attempt—a risky forehand swing volley—sailed long. The victory was sealed in just under two hours. Looking ahead, Gauff will wrap up the round-robin stage against Krejcikova, while Swiatek faces Pegula in a highly anticipated rematch of their US Open encounter.
Reflecting on the significance of beating Swiatek for only the second time, Gauff admitted, \"It feels amazing. Despite our history, I went into this match feeling very confident in my game. I felt I was playing at a high level, and even when things got a bit messy, I didn't let the lost games get to me. I knew that if I could just stay composed and solid, I had a real chance to win.\"
Gauff elaborated on her mindset, focusing on her returning and baseline play: \"In the first set, I had three consecutive games with break point opportunities. Instead of getting discouraged, I kept telling myself that the break would come eventually. Even in the final game, after hitting two forehand returns into the net, I just reminded myself to focus on the next ball—and that's exactly what I did.\"