Sabalenka rallies past Gauff to claim group lead
Under the bright lights of Riyadh, Aryna Sabalenka turned early deficits into a commanding win over Coco Gauff, ending the American's title defense and paving the way for gripping semifinal clashes.
In the sleek arena of Riyadh, where the indoor hard courts hum with swift pace, Aryna Sabalenka overcame a shaky start to defeat Coco Gauff 7-6 (5), 6-2. This victory marked the top-ranked Belarusian's third straight group stage success at the WTA Finals, eliminating the defending champion and reshaping the tournament's final quartet. The match unfolded as a tense battle of momentum shifts, with Gauff's athletic retrievals clashing against Sabalenka's booming groundstrokes, all under the weight of season-ending pressure.
Gauff builds lead then falters
The American jumped ahead early, breaking Sabalenka twice in the first set to forge a 5-2 advantage, her crosscourt backhands and quick inside-in forehands keeping the Belarusian off balance on the fast surface. At 5-4, Gauff served for the set, but a soft drop shot proved costly as Sabalenka tracked it down and ripped a forehand winner down the line to break back. The crowd's murmurs grew as the set dragged into a tiebreaker, where Gauff edged to 4-2 before netting a backhand and double-faulting, yielding two set points that Sabalenka seized with another sharp forehand.
"I was already working for the second set, to be honest," Sabalenka said. "Something clicked and I was able to break, and that game gave me a lot of confidence that I still got it in this set."
Sabalenka's resilience in those closing moments flipped the psychological tide, her improved footwork allowing deeper returns that neutralized Gauff's speed and forced longer rallies from the baseline.
Belarusian power overwhelms in second
With the first set hers, Sabalenka broke immediately in the second, unleashing her one–two combination of heavy serves and inside-out forehands to pin Gauff deep and open angles for crosscourt winners. The American, who had flashed her aggressive patterns throughout the group, struggled to counter the surge, her errors mounting as the Belarusian's depth pulled her wide on the skidding hard court. By the match's end, Sabalenka dictated play with unyielding intensity, turning the contest into a showcase of her baseline dominance.
This result advanced Jessica Pegula to the semifinals alongside Sabalenka, following the American's earlier 6-2, 6-3 win over Jasmine Paolini that lifted her record to 2-1. Gauff closed at 1-2, while Paolini ended winless at 0-3, the group's unforgiving math leaving no room for slip-ups in the round-robin format.
"I had a lot of chances in the first set," Gauff said. "It was a bit disappointing not to get that one. She stepped her level up, and I just couldn't find it after that. Overall, I think I was playing a high level."
Semifinals set up power clashes
Sabalenka now meets Amanda Anisimova in Friday's semifinals, reviving their US Open final showdown where explosive serves and flat hitting defined a hard-court thriller. Pegula faces Elena Rybakina, matching two steady forces in a test of serve holds and return depth on these pacey indoors. For Gauff, the exit caps a season of bold runs across surfaces, her high-level effort here a reminder of the mental edge needed to thrive in elite fields. As the WTA Finals shift to knockouts, Sabalenka's knack for late surges positions her to chase deeper glory amid rising narratives of resurgence and rivalry.
