At 20, Coco Gauff has already accomplished a great deal. She has solidified her position as a consistent top-five player, secured a grand slam title, and lived up to the immense expectations that have followed her since her early teens. However, one question remained: could she overcome one of the most uneven head-to-head records in the sport – her 1-11 record against Iga Swiatek? In her second match at the WTA Finals, Gauff made a significant stride by maintaining her composure to secure her second victory over Swiatek, the No 2 seed and defending champion. After a strong start with bold play, Gauff managed to stay focused during a period of serving difficulties, eventually sealing a 6-3, 6-4 win over a visibly erratic Swiatek.
With this victory, Gauff improved to 2-0 at the season-ending championship in Riyadh, positioning herself strongly to reach the semi-finals. Swiatek’s defeat means Aryna Sabalenka will end the year as the WTA No 1 for the first time, breaking Swiatek’s streak of two consecutive years at the top. The sparse crowds in Riyadh have been a topic of significant discussion, with Sunday’s matches drawing only a few hundred spectators. While the King Saud University Indoor Arena was not packed on Tuesday, a larger audience was present. Swiatek received strong support from the outset, but Gauff’s performance gradually won over the neutral fans.
Gauff began the match with exceptional sharpness, serving effectively and utilizing her forehand to great effect. She applied pressure on Swiatek with her heavy spin and varied her forehand slices to keep her opponent guessing. Most notably, it was extremely challenging for the world No 2 to penetrate Gauff’s formidable defense. However, as the second set commenced, Gauff’s serve began to falter. The 20-year-old hit three double faults in her opening service game before managing to hold serve. In her second service game, she committed three consecutive double faults. Gauff then resorted to rolling her first serve into the box.
Gauff’s issues with her second serve date back to her early days on the tour, but until recently, they seemed largely under control. However, her serve has deteriorated significantly in recent months, with 19 double faults in her US Open fourth-round loss to Emma Navarro. Last month, Gauff struck 21 double faults against Sabalenka in Wuhan, also losing in three sets. Despite her serving struggles, Swiatek managed to break Gauff’s serve twice in the second set. However, even with her opponent visibly struggling, Swiatek appeared far from her best. Her usually reliable return of serve was poor, and her forehand faltered in the latter part of the match. In a tense and disjointed second set, Gauff summoned her inner strength and determination to win three consecutive games from 3-4 down, securing a remarkable straight-sets victory.
For Swiatek, this loss marks an intriguing juncture in her career. Despite her numerous achievements over the past few years, including five grand slam titles and 125 weeks at No 1, she has struggled to perform at her best in grand slam tournaments outside Roland Garros. A disappointing quarter-final loss at the US Open to Jessica Pegula in September led her to part ways with Tomasz Wiktorowski, her coach of two years. She replaced him with Wim Fisette, her first international coach, who previously worked with Naomi Osaka. After two matches together, Swiatek and Fisette have much work ahead. Swiatek will get another opportunity to regain her form when she faces Pegula on Thursday. However, with both she and Barbora Krejcikova tied at 1-1 in the Orange Group, her prospects in the tournament remain uncertain.
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