Coco Gauff upsets Iga Swiatek to enter WTA Finals semifinals

Aryna Sabalenka has clinched the year-end No.1 title following Coco Gauff's victory over Iga Swiatek in the WTA Finals. Ahead of the WTA Finals, Iga Swiatek was a strong contender for the year-end title despite missing the entire Asian swing of the WTA Tour. Sabalenka, despite winning the Wuhan Open in Swiatek’s absence, could only climb to the top spot after a late reshuffle in the WTA Standings points. Now, Coco Gauff has joined Aryna Sabalenka in the last four at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Coco Gauff beats Iga Swiatek at WTA Finals

Coco Gauff squared off against World No.2 Iga Swiatek in a round-robin match in Group Orange. Iga Swiatek came into her second clash following a stunning win over Barbora Krejcikova to open her campaign in Riyadh. The five-time Grand Slam champion had endured a successful WTA Tour season before taking a break after her quarter-final exit from the US Open. The reigning Roland Garros champion also made changes to her coaching staff, replacing Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski with Naomi Osaka's former coach, Wim Fissette. Despite the extended hiatus, the Polish ace held her form against the Wimbledon champion in their opening encounter.

However, Swiatek could not hold her own against the in-form American. Like Swiatek, Gauff also opened her WTA Finals campaign with a victory. Gauff’s win, however, came more seamlessly, as she downed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. While Swiatek took a break from the tour, Gauff added another title to her credit, beating Karolina Muchova in the China Open final. Building on her successful run, Gauff finally overcame the Polish star, despite their head-to-head record not being in Gauff’s favor. This round-robin win at the WTA Finals marked Gauff’s second victory over Swiatek in 13 face-offs.

Entering the clash with 11 defeats in her 12 encounters with Swiatek, Gauff flipped the record in Riyadh, defeating Swiatek 6-3, 6-4 for her second straight-sets win. Aside from the match's opening game, Gauff managed to create break-point opportunities in each of Swiatek’s service games during the first set. Gauff seized her chance in the seventh game, breaking for a 4-3 lead, and then wrapped up the set with another break, taking a 49-minute advantage.

Swiatek fought back in the second set, finally breaking Gauff’s serve on her sixth break point in a long third game. However, she was unable to maintain the lead. Both players exchanged breaks, with Gauff’s double faults adding up and Swiatek making frequent errors. In the end, it was Gauff who found her composure, securing victory as Swiatek committed her 47th unforced error. With this victory, Coco Gauff has joined Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals.

Aryna Sabalenka claims the year-end World No.1 title over Iga Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka was the first to secure a place in the last four at the WTA Finals after defeating Qinwen Zheng and Jasmine Paolini in the round-robin stage. Furthermore, Sabalenka’s unhindered run to the semi-finals fortified a dominant position for the Belarusian in the race for the year-end World No.1 title. The confirmation, however, only came when Iga Swiatek lost to Gauff on Tuesday. This is the first time that 26-year-old Sabalenka has claimed the coveted title in the WTA Rankings. The Belarusian came close last season; however, Swiatek swiftly snatched it away by winning the WTA Finals.

The Polish star, however, could not replicate her brilliance this season as she returned to the court in Riyadh after September. While Swiatek has lost the year-end World No.1 title, she can still defend her WTA Finals title. In another Group Orange clash, Barbora Krejcikova eliminated Jessica Pegula from semi-final contention. Now, if Swiatek manages to defeat Pegula in her last round-robin match and Gauff beats Krejcikova, Swiatek can secure a berth among the last four.