Rybakina turns the tide on Swiatek in Riyadh

Elena Rybakina walked into the Riyadh arena as the final qualifier for the WTA Finals, her headspace clouded by four consecutive losses to Iga Swiatek. The pressure of late entry amplified the stakes, but she transformed it into fuel, dropping the first set before unleashing a torrent of power to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 in 1 hour and 37 minutes. This victory lifted her to 2-0 in the Serena Williams Group, clinching a semifinal berth alongside Amanda Anisimova’s later defeat of Madison Keys, and marking her deepest run in the event.

Early shadows give way to resolve

The opening set unfolded under Swiatek’s relentless pressure, as the No. 2 seed broke in the second game—her 315th conversion of the season, leading the tour. Rybakina had earned a break point right away but watched it vanish on a sharp down-the-line forehand from her opponent, her own game marred by 17 unforced errors as shots flew long on the fast hard courts. Swiatek’s first-serve dominance hit 90 percent points won, her crosscourt patterns dictating tempo and forcing Rybakina into defensive slices from the backcourt.

Yet amid the frustration, Rybakina’s ball-striking hinted at untapped potential; her inside-out forehands occasionally clipped the baseline, signaling the aggression that could exploit the surface’s pace. The Kazakh’s record stood at 8-15 after losing openers this year, but she steadied during the changeover, the Riyadh crowd’s murmurs building as she refocused on deeper returns to disrupt Swiatek’s rhythm.

Serve and forehand ignite the surge

Rybakina flipped the momentum in the second set, sharpening her first-serve placement to capture 83 percent of points and pairing it with a one–two punch that jammed Swiatek in the backhand corner. The Pole’s delivery crumbled to 50 percent efficiency, opening doors for breaks as Rybakina’s forehand evolved from erratic to lethal, firing crosscourt winners that stretched the court wide. Swiatek, who had committed just six unforced errors in the opener, spiraled to 36 across the final two sets, her inside-in attempts landing short and ripe for attack.

This shift extended Rybakina’s red-hot form through the Asian Swing, where she claimed eight straight victories and 10 of her last 11, the only blemish a loss to Aryna Sabalenka. Her 56th win of the season set a career mark, with 40 on hard courts trailing only Swiatek’s total, underscoring how the Riyadh surface amplified her flat, penetrating style over spin-dependent play.

For updates on the tournament, check the scores, draws, and order of play.

Bagel breakthrough secures history

The third set became a rout, Rybakina winning 12 of the last 13 games and serving Swiatek a rare bagel, only the second time in 2025 the world No. 2 fell after taking the opener—echoing Madison Keys’ feat at the Australian Open. Swiatek’s collapse etched unwelcome history, making her the first player since Flavia Pennetta in 2013 to endure three 0-6 third sets in a season, including prior defeats to Sabalenka at Roland Garros and Emma Navarro in Beijing. Rybakina, now 2-0 against top-two foes this year after the skid, notched her 11th such victory since Wimbledon 2022, topping the tour in that span.

The arena pulsed with energy as Rybakina’s down-the-line backhands pierced rallies, her returns pressuring second serves into weak replies that she dispatched with authority. This wasn’t mere revenge; it was a psychological unlock, surpassing her prior 1-2 WTA Finals records and positioning her atop the group.

An absolute comeback! @lenarybakina grabs her first win of the year over Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/DMclMlJwOP

— wta (@WTA) November 3, 2025

“I’ve been playing really well the past few weeks,” she reflected. “I was improving in each match, and the results were following after. Even here, I’m trying to focus on the little details, and it’s a great opportunity to play against the top players. I’m really excited for my next match, and hopefully I can bring the same intensity and the same game.” With Swiatek slipping to 54-2 after first-set wins, Rybakina’s blend of power and poise signals deeper threats ahead, her semifinal path illuminated by Riyadh’s glare and the crowd’s rising roar.