World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka mounted a remarkable comeback to defeat defending champion Coco Gauff in their WTA Finals round-robin clash on Thursday, securing her place in the semifinals of the year-ending tournament. With both players fighting for a semifinal berth in the final group match of the day, Sabalenka claimed a straight-sets victory, ending Gauff’s hopes of defending her WTA Finals title.
Aryna Sabalenka Revealed How She Beat Coco Gauff at WTA Finals
The match between Sabalenka and Gauff carried significant importance for both competitors, with Sabalenka already holding two wins in the Stefanie Graf Group while Gauff desperately needed a victory to remain in the tournament.
Sabalenka refused to give up during the match and struck the ball with greater aggression, fighting back into the match before claiming the first set through a hard-fought 7-6 tiebreaker. Her serving prowess was particularly evident as she struck 3 aces while keeping her double faults to just 1, compared to Gauff’s 6.
When asked specifically about how she managed to turn things around from that difficult first set, Sabalenka offered a straightforward assessment. “Yeah, if I would know, probably I wouldn’t put myself in that situation,” she said. “I was just trying to stay aggressive, I guess. I was just trying to find my rhythm, find my game.”
Following her tiebreaker triumph, Sabalenka assumed complete control of the match, capturing the second set 4-0 without dropping a game and leaving Gauff without answers to counter her relentless power and pace from the baseline.
Speaking about her performance afterward, Sabalenka reflected with evident relief. “I was, kind of like, working for the second set already, but then magically I was able to turn things around and yeah, super happy with the performance, super happy to get this win in straight sets. Just happy to be through the round robin,” the Belarusian added.
Sabalenka Faces Amanda Anisimova in the Semifinals
The straight-sets victory secured Sabalenka a perfect 3-0 record in her group and guaranteed her spot in the semifinals, while Jessica Pegula also advanced by finishing second, while Gauff’s loss eliminated her from defending her WTA Finals title.
Sabalenka will now face Amanda Anisimova on November 7 in the upcoming semifinal, setting up a rematch of their US Open final earlier in 2025, with Elena Rybakina topping the opposing group to contest the other semifinal.
