Coco Gauff stuns Iga Swiatek to reach semifinals at 2024 WTA Finals!
At the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek faced off in a highly anticipated group-stage match, where Gauff defeated Świątek 6-3, 6-4. This victory allowed Gauff to secure her spot in the semifinals, while it also confirmed Aryna Sabalenka as the year-end World No. 1, as Świątek’s chances to reclaim the top spot ended with the loss. Gauff’s win highlighted her growth as a top contender, especially given her impressive 2023 season capped with a U.S. Open title.
World No. 3 Gauff started the championships’ group stage with a 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow American Jessica Pegula. The 20-year-old has been in fine form lately, winning 10 of her last 11 matches, including a title in Beijing and a semifinal appearance in Wuhan. Swiatek, on the other hand, has lacked playing time. She returned to the court after two months when she defeated Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the opening fixture. The Pole, who underwent a high-profile coaching change, struggled against her Czech opponent before finding her rhythm in a third-set comeback.
“It feels great. I knew going into the match that, despite our head-to-head, I had a lot of confidence. I felt like I was playing great tennis. Even when I was playing a little bit sloppy in the games I lost, they were still going to deuce, so that gave me confidence. I knew if I could find my game and stay solid, I’d have the chance to close out the match.” – Gauff said on court.
The tournament’s semifinals are scheduled for November 8, with the final match set to take place on November 9 at the King Saud University Indoor Arena, promising an exciting conclusion to the WTA season in this new Saudi Arabian venue.
Also, ATP Finals face up to life without big three for first time since 2001!
For the first time sine 2001, neither player of the BIg three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic will be a part of the ATP Finals.
While Federer has retired from pro tennis, Nadal missed the qualification mark this year and Djokovic withdrew due to fitness concerns.
The Big Three is a common nickname in tennis for the trio of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, each considered to be among the greatest players of all time. The trio dominated men’s singles tennis for two decades, collectively winning 66 major singles tournaments; Djokovic leads with an all-time record of 24 titles, followed by Nadal with 22 and Federer with 20. They have been ranked as world No. 1s in singles for a total of 947 weeks (equivalent to 18 years); Djokovic for a record 428 weeks, Federer for 310, and Nadal for 209. One of the three finished the season as the year-end No. 1 player every year from 2004 to 2023, with the exceptions of 2016 and 2022. They collectively occupied the top-three positions of the year-end ATP rankings eight times; in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2019.
