WTA Finals 2024: Iga Swiatek out after Barbora Krejcikova beat Coco Gauff

Eighth seed Krejcikova’s victory was bad news for Swiatek, who has been eliminated in the group stage of the WTA Finals for the first time since 2021.

Swiatek has been the dominant player on the Tour for the majority of the past two years and started this season strong, winning Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome and the French Open.

However, her high levels have declined in the second half of the season, allowing Sabalenka to overtake her at the top of the rankings.

In his search for answers, Swiatek decided to switch coaches, replacing Tomasz Wiktorowski with Wim Fissette in the run-up to the WTA Finals.

Improving the four-time French Open champion’s service game and tweaking her skills in a bid for more success on the faster surfaces are the priorities.

On a fast court in the King Saud University Indoor Arena, Swiatek battled Gauff on Tuesday – a straight defeat that ultimately proved costly.

But there were positive signs against Kasatkina. Swiatek played with more pace and intensity to sweep past the Russian, who looked unprepared after her late call.

“I hit the ball really well and picked the right shots to play faster,” Swiatek said.