Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, has been knocked out of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia after Barbora Krejcikova’s win over Coco Gauff secured her semi-final spot. Swiatek, who was second seed, managed a dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in her final group match. However, the Polish player was reliant on Gauff defeating Krejcikova to keep her chances alive in Riyadh.
Krejcikova defeated Gauff 7-5, 6-4, saving four break points in a crucial game before serving out the match to advance to the knockout stages. This result saw Krejcikova top the Orange Group and set up a semi-final clash with Chinese seventh seed Zheng Qinwen.
Swiatek’s early exit marks the first time she has been eliminated at the group stage of the WTA Finals since 2021. After dominating the Tour for much of the past two years, including titles at Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, and the French Open, Swiatek’s form has faltered in recent months. This decline allowed Aryna Sabalenka to surpass her in the WTA rankings.
To address her form, Swiatek replaced coach Tomasz Wiktorowski with Wim Fissette ahead of the WTA Finals, hoping to improve her service game and adapt her play to faster surfaces. However, her struggles were evident in a straight-set loss to Gauff earlier in the week.
Despite this setback, Swiatek showed signs of recovery in her match against Kasatkina. She played with more pace and intensity, overpowering the Russian, who had been a late addition to the tournament. “I was hitting the ball really well and picking the right shots to play faster,” Swiatek said after the match.
