WTA Finals: Iga Swiatek knocked out, Gauff vs Sabalenka set for semis

Defending WTA Finals champion Iga Swiatek was eliminated from the season-ending tournament on Thursday after Barbora Krejcikova defeated Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4, which meant the Polish world number two was unable to advance to the semifinals.

Gauff had already secured her semifinal spot, but Swiatek needed the American to win in order to keep her own hopes alive. Swiatek was hoping to reach the final of the tournament after losing the battle for the No.1 spot to Aryna Sabalenka recently. Meanwhile, the eighth-seeded Czech required a victory to progress. In a competitive first set lasting 54 minutes, Krejcikova saved four break points and clinched it with a powerful backhand down the line.

Gauff, a former U.S. Open champion, came into the match without dropping a set in the tournament, but she struggled with 23 unforced errors in the first set alone. The second set remained tight, but the Wimbledon champion Krejcikova held her nerve, winning in one hour and 42 minutes. Ranked 13th, she became the lowest-ranked player to reach the WTA Finals semifinals since Sandrine Testud in 2001.

With the win, Gauff will now face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a high-profile semifinal, while Krejcikova will take on China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

Earlier in the day, Swiatek had dominated Daria Kasatkina, delivering a clinical 6-1, 6-0 performance. Swiatek raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, closing it with an ace, and continued her momentum to sweep through the second. Kasatkina, ranked ninth and a last-minute replacement for Jessica Pegula (who withdrew due to a knee injury), was unable to match Swiatek’s pace, as the Pole wrapped up the match in just 51 minutes, the fastest win at the WTA Finals in eight years.

Swiatek won an impressive 72% of her points on serve and hit 15 winners, extending her head-to-head lead over Kasatkina to 6-1. Known for her dominant “bagel” sets, Swiatek notched her fifth 6-0 set at the WTA Finals, equaling Serena Williams and trailing only Martina Navratilova (12), Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf (each with seven).