Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs offered sharp insights after Elena Rybakina produced one of the most impressive turnarounds of the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, dismantling former World No. 1 Iga Świątek to book her place in the semifinals. Stubbs praised Rybakina’s adjustments and pointed out the key factors that swung the match in the Kazakh’s favor, while also noting where Świątek faltered in her approach.
How Did Rennae Stubbs Break Down the Key Turning Points in the Elena Rybakina-Iga Świątek Clash?
The 2022 Wimbledon champion, placed in the Serena Williams Group, kicked off her Riyadh campaign with a straight-sets win over Amanda Anisimova. In her clash with Świątek, Rybakina rebounded from a 3-6 opening-set loss by shifting into top gear, overpowering her opponent 6-1, 6-0 in the following sets to clinch her maiden semifinal appearance at the year-end tournament.
Rybakina’s victory ended a four-match losing streak to the Polish star.
Analyzing the match, Stubbs highlighted the shift in momentum after the opening set. “Rybakina not missing anything now. Making a lot more shots in court and Iga forcing when it’s not there,” Stubbs wrote on X.
She credited Rybakina’s serving consistency and improved shot tolerance for turning the tide, explaining that Swiatek’s inability to vary her game plan proved costly. “The obvious improvement from Elena in serving and standard from Iga is the difference. Iga not mixing anything is what kills her in these types of matches,” she added.
Rybakina not missing anything now. Making a lot more shots in court and Iga forcing when it’s not there. The obvious improvement from Elena in serving and standard from Iga is the difference. Iga not mixing anything is what kills her in these types of matches.
— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) November 3, 2025
With two wins in the group stage, Rybakina is now set to face seventh-seeded Madison Keys in her final round-robin encounter, using the match as preparation for her first WTA Finals semifinal appearance.
Following her victory over the six-time Grand Slam winner, Rybakina reflected on the match during her on-court interview, saying, “Yeah, it’s always very tough to play against Iga. She brings so much intensity on the court and I feel like she started really well the the match and I was a little bit slow. So the serve straight away, she broke me.”
MORE: Elena Rybakina Reveals ‘Pushing Herself’ To Shock Iga Świątek in WTA Finals Comeback
“So it was difficult to be down but in the second set I pushed myself. The serve improved and yeah really happy that I stepped in and played better each point. So yeah, I’m very happy with the performance,” she added.
Looking ahead, sixth seed Rybakina will face Keys for the seventh time on the WTA Tour, with their head-to-head record tied at 3-3.