Coco Gauff meets Iga Swiatek in an exciting WTA final match in Riyadh

On November 5, 2024By Littum

Gauff defeated Pegula in the final match in a battle for the Americans. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto … (+) via Getty Images)

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Coco Gauff faces world No.2 Iga Swiatek in a thrilling showdown at the year-end WTA Finals in Riyadh on Tuesday as the American star looks to build on her solid form.

World No. 3 Gauff started the championship’s group stage with a 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow American Jessica Pegula. The 20-year-old has been in fine form of late, winning 10 of his last 11 matches, including a title in Beijing and a semi-final appearance in Wuhan.

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Swiatek, on the other hand, has lacked playing time.

She returned to the court after two months, defeating Barbora Krejcikova 4–6, 7–5, 6–2 in the opening match. The Pole, who underwent a high-profile coaching change, battled her Czech opponent before finding her rhythm in a third-set comeback.

“I’ve had a little more matches recently than she (Swiatek) might have, so that could affect (the result),” Gauff told reporters after the win over Pegula.

Head-to-Head record

Swiatek last faced Gauff at the 2024 French Open, beating her 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals. (Photo by … (+) Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Corbis via Getty Images

While recent form shows that Gauff is the favourite, the head-to-head records say otherwise.

Gauff has lost 11 of 12 matches against the five-time Grand Slam champion, and Swiatek is unbeaten. The pair last met at the French Open semi-finals in 2024, with Swiatek winning 6-2, 6-4.

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“Always playing her is tough,” Gauff said. “I think if I just play my game, I’ll just try to do it and hopefully come out with a win,” she added, explaining her plan for Tuesday’s showdown.

Gauff rose to stardom when she won her first major title at the 2023 US Open. (Photo by … (+) Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Swiatek, hoping to regain the No. 1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka, recorded five of her wins over Gauff on the clay courts of Rome and Paris – her preferred surface.

With the WTA Finals being played on the hard courts in the Saudi Arabian capital, fans could expect a different kind of competition.

“The previous times I played her this year were on clay, so obviously it’s going to be a different match on hard court,” Gauff said. “I’m hoping for a different result than the previous two times.”

Difficult task for Gauff

Swiatek is the reigning WTA Finals champion. (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Gauff and Swiatek are in the Orange group at the tournament along with Krejcikova and Pegula. The second group, called Purple, has features SabalenkaJasmine Paolini, Qinwen Zheng and Elena Rybakina.

If Gauff beats Swiatek on Tuesday, it would be her 52nd win in WTA events this year, her best total in a single season.

But Gauff’s task will not be easy as Swiatek boasts a fantastic record at the WTA finals.

According to WTA websitedating back to last year’s title, Swiatek has won six consecutive matches – only Serena Williams (16) and Elina Svitolina (10) have won more since the round-robin format returned in 2003. Additionally, only Serena and Justine Henin, who posted a better win rate than Swiatek’s 77 percent.

Gauff vs Swiatek is scheduled for 3:30pm local time / 7:30am ET. Viewers in the US can watch the match on the Tennis Channel app.

A win in straight sets sends Gauff through to the semi-finals. If Gauff and Pegula win, Gauff will advance as group winner and Krejcikova will be eliminated.

If Swiatek and Krejcikova win, Swiatek advances as group winner and Pegula is eliminated.