Rybakina Rallies Past Swiatek in Riyadh to Reach WTA Finals Semis

Elena Rybakina produced a dramatic turnaround to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, recovering from a first-set deficit to defeat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 on Monday. The Kazakh displayed renewed poise and power to notch a rare victory over Swiatek after previous losses.

Swiatek dominated the opening phase, racing to a 3-0 lead and closing out the first set 6-3 as Rybakina battled with her backhand returns. The match shifted markedly in the second set, however, as the Wimbledon champion found her timing and capitalised on a growing number of errors from the Polish star.

The statistics told the story: Swiatek committed an astonishing 36 unforced errors across the final two sets, while Rybakina kept hers to 17. The sixth seed grabbed an early break in set two with a decisive forehand winner, surged to 3-0 and sealed the set 6-1 with an ace.

Rybakina carried that momentum into the decider, producing near-flawless tennis as Swiatek’s frustration mounted. The 25-year-old served and struck aggressively, handing Swiatek a rare 6-0 'bagel' to complete the win after just under two hours on court.

“It was difficult to be down, but in the second set I pushed myself. My serve improved, and I’m really happy with how I played each point,” Rybakina reflected after the match.

The victory was Rybakina’s second straight in the round-robin phase, following her earlier success against Amanda Anisimova on Saturday, and it guaranteed her a place in the semi-finals.

Earlier on Monday, Amanda Anisimova engineered her own comeback, overcoming fellow American Madison Keys 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Keys earned the opening set 6-4 behind powerful serving, but inconsistency and costly mistakes — including 12 double faults, four times more than Anisimova — undermined her bid. That allowed Anisimova to seize control as the match progressed.

Anisimova, who has enjoyed deep runs at the season's majors, shifted the momentum with aggressive baseline strokes and sharp cross-court angles, racing through the final set in 34 minutes to claim her first victory at this Finals.

“It was quite a battle out there. I’m really happy with how I managed to turn it around in the second set,” Anisimova said with a smile after her win.

Rybakina will meet Madison Keys in her final round-robin match, while Swiatek faces Anisimova in a must-win encounter to keep her tournament hopes alive.

In the other group, top seed Aryna Sabalenka — who opened her campaign with a win over Jasmine Paolini — is lined up to face Jessica Pegula on Tuesday. Pegula arrives seeking to build on her earlier victory against Coco Gauff.