Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff will meet once again, this time at the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh, where they were drawn in the same group.
The WTA Finals have a specific format, which cannot be seen anywhere else on the WTA Tour. The eight best players in the world are split into two groups of four, with the two best advancing from each group into the final.
Not only is each win important, but also each set and game won, as those can prove to be tie-breakers if multiple players end up tied on the same amount of wins after the round-robin stage.
That need to win as many games as possible will be on show for Gauff in this match, as she's been absolutely dominated by Swiatek in their previous matches.
However, they come into this match in a completely different situation. Gauff was on a nine-match winning streak before losing to Aryna Sabalenka at the Wuhan Open.
On the other hand, Swiatek hasn't played since the US Open, as she withdrew from multiple tournaments. Since then, she started working with a new coach, Wim Fissette, who previously worked with Naomi Osaka.
Fresh collaboration with Fissette was the reason for her latest withdrawal, as she wanted to settle with the new coach and compete well at the year-end championship in Saudi Arabia.
It would be very difficult to find a more one-sided rivalry than the one between Gauff and Swiatek. The two played 12 matches, with the Polish player winning 11 of those.
She first beat the American at the 2021 Italian Open before beating her four times in 2022, four times in 2023, and twice this year. Seven of their matches were played on the hard courts, and two at the WTA Finals, with Swiatek winning on both occasions, quite dominantly.
In 2022, the Pole won 6-3, 6-0, and last year, Swiatek triumphed 7-5, 6-0. This year, Gauff will want to avoid the same faith, and she might be able to do that, with her only win against Swiatek from the 2023 Cincinnati Open providing a clue why.
| Coco Gauff | Iga Swiatek | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | H2H | 11 |
| 3 | Rank | 2 |
| 20 | Age | 23 |
| 48-15 | 2024 W/L | 54-7 |
| 223-97 | Career W/L | 335-73 |
From the first reports after the initial practices in Riyadh, the courts at the 2024 WTA Finals should be playing really fast, which will provide an advantage to players like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Qinwen Zheng, and Gauff.
On the other hand, Swiatek, who enjoyed the vast majority of her success on the slow clay courts, might be at a disadvantage. Of course, the Polish player proved multiple times that she can win also on fast hard courts, but her advantage over her rivals will certainly be taken away.
Swiatek's recent lack of playing time and Gauff's great form at the end of the season compared with the fast court in Riyadh might provide a big enough advantage for the 20-year-old American to win this match and record just a second win against her nemesis.
Prediction: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.