Rybakina Stuns Swiatek to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals in Riyadh

Posted : 04 November 2025

Elena Rybakina booked her place in the semifinals of the WTA Finals with a remarkable 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in Riyadh on Monday. The Kazakh star, who entered the tournament as the final qualifier, has now won her last eight matches, continuing her late-season surge in dominant fashion.

After opening her campaign with a straight-sets win against Amanda Anisimova, Rybakina’s triumph over Swiatek secured her the top spot in the Serena Williams Group and a place in the last four. Her form has been building steadily, following a title win in Ningbo and a semifinal appearance in Tokyo that sealed her qualification for the season finale.

“It’s a great opportunity to play against the best players,” said the 2022 Wimbledon champion. “I’ve been improving every match and I’m really happy with how I’ve played these last few weeks. Hopefully, I can keep up the same intensity.”

Swiatek, who had beaten Rybakina four times earlier in 2025, looked set to extend that streak after taking the opening set in 35 minutes. However, Rybakina responded impressively, dominating with her serve and forehand to win 12 of the next 13 games, completing the turnaround in just over an hour and a half.

“It’s always tough to play Iga; she brings so much energy to the court,” Rybakina said. “After losing the first set, I just focused on staying aggressive and improving my serve. Mentally, I stayed strong and that made the difference.”

Swiatek admitted she struggled to handle Rybakina’s power and consistency. “She was more aggressive and solid in finishing rallies,” the Polish star said. “I’ll have to watch and analyse what went wrong, but she definitely deserved the win.”

In the other group match, Amanda Anisimova rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Madison Keys 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in an all-American encounter. The fourth seed’s resilience kept her in contention for a semifinal spot, while Keys’ loss confirmed her elimination from the competition.

“Madi was playing so well—it was quite a battle,” Anisimova said after the match. “I’m happy I managed to turn things around in the second set. It was exciting to fight back and get the win.”

Making her WTA Finals debut, Anisimova will now face Swiatek in a decisive clash to determine the group’s second semifinalist.

Rybakina Stuns Swiatek to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals in Riyadh

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