Gauff defeats Swiatek to secure semi-final spot and cement Sabalenka’s No.1 status

RIYADH: Coco Gauff triumphed over defending champion Iga Swiatek with a decisive 6-3, 6-4 win at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, advancing to the semi-finals and ensuring Aryna Sabalenka finishes the year as world number one. Gauff’s victory on Tuesday marks her second win over Swiatek in their 13 encounters, underscoring her growing form and confidence as she remains undefeated in the orange round-robin group.

The 20-year-old American continued her dominant run, following her victory over Jessica Pegula in the previous round. Gauff entered the match brimming with self-assurance despite a challenging head-to-head history with Swiatek. “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,” Gauff shared after her victory.

Gauff breezed through the first set without facing a single break point, capitalizing on Swiatek’s mounting 32 unforced errors. Although Swiatek managed to secure a break twice in the second set, Gauff quickly regained control each time. Despite struggling with nine double faults, Gauff held steady as Swiatek’s errors, totaling 47 by the end of the match, sealed the Polish player’s defeat.

Swiatek now faces a must-win scenario against Pegula to keep her semi-final hopes alive. She will also be counting on Gauff to overcome Barbora Krejcikova in their upcoming match to keep her chances intact.