Coco Gauff secured her second win over Iga Swiatek in 13 career meetings, triumphing 6-3, 6-4 at the WTA Finals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals.
The victory also ensures that Swiatek will remain at No. 2 in the rankings, allowing Aryna Sabalenka to claim the No. 1 spot for the first time at the end of the season.
It was Gauff’s first victory over Swiatek since the 2023 Cincinnati Open, snapping a four-match losing streak in their head-to-head meetings. Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, also ended Swiatek's six-match unbeaten run at the WTA Finals, an event the Polish star won a year ago.
The win moved Gauff to 2-0 in the Orange Group, while Swiatek fell to 1-1. Swiatek had rallied to beat Barbora Krejcikova in three sets on Sunday in her first match in two months.
Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, kept her chances of advancing alive with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jessica Pegula. That result eliminated Pegula, who lost in straight sets to Gauff in their opening match in Saudi Arabia.
Krejcikova was the last player to qualify for the event as one of the top eight players on the women’s tennis tour, earning her berth thanks to her Grand Slam title at the All England Club in July.
At No. 13, she became the lowest-ranked player to win a WTA Finals match since Magda Maleeva 22 years ago.
