By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, November 3, 2025Photo credit score: Matthew Stockman/Getty for WTA
Winless in 4 conferences with Iga Swiatek this season, Elena Rybakina took the court docket with a palate for payback.
At present, Rybakina dished a declarative shutout set to bagel queen Swiatek in a powerful Riyadh assertion victory.
Rybakina reeled off 9 video games in a row finishing a titanic turnaround in thrashing Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 on the WTA Finals.
After surrendering serve in her opening service recreation, Rybakina dropped the hammer on the second seed. Rybakina force-fed Swiatek her first bagel set since she misplaced to American Emma Navarro 4-6, 6-4, 0-6 on the China Open in Beijing final month.
It’s Rybakia’s first win over Swiatek because the 2024 Stuttgart semifinals. Rybakina not solely served sharply, she broke Swiatek in 5 of her final six service video games. General, Rybakina received 14 of 23 second-serve factors and transformed 5 of seven break factors.
“It’s at all times very powerful to play in opposition to Iga—she brings a lot depth to the court docket,” Rybakina instructed Andrew Krasny. “She began rather well the match. She broke me. It was troublesome to be down.
“The second set I pushed myself, the serve improved… I’m very pleased with the efficiency. Thanks a lot for the assist.”
The final girl to qualify for the elite eight in Riyadh, Rybakina is now the front-runner to advance to the semifinals. Rybakina improved to 2-0, together with 4-1 in units, within the Serena Williams Group of the round-robin occasion.
Rybakina dismantled Amanda Anisimova’s forehand in a 6-3, 6-1 rout on opening day. If Anisimova defeats Madison Keys in as we speak’s second round-robin match then Rybakina qualifies for the ultimate 4.
Resilience, a booming serve and her willingness to assault Swiatek’s forehand wing and pressure the Pole to counter deep drives from that forehand nook had been all important components to Rybakina’s spectacular comeback win as we speak.
“Mentally I positively stayed targeted regardless of if I misplaced the primary set I used to be nonetheless making an attempt to remain aggressive,” Rybakina mentioned. “I used to be making an attempt to comply with the tactic and focusing extra on my serve. I bought some confidence main within the second set and every part was going my approach.”
An absolute comeback! @lenarybakina grabs her first win of the 12 months over Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/DMclMlJwOP
— wta (@WTA) November 3, 2025
Swiatek saved a break level in her opening service recreation, then locked in and reeled off 11 consecutive factors on serve.
Spreading the court docket with twisting topspin forehands, Swiatek drew successive errors breaking for a 2-0 lead.
The Wimbledon winner backed up the break at love for a 3-0 benefit after 11 minutes of play.
Because the set progressed, Rybakina was dialing in her drives extra successfully. Nevertheless, Swiatek’s superior motion and consistency helped her maintain the lead.
Thumping a heavy serve down the T, Swiatek sealed the 35-minute opener on her second set level. Swiatek received 90 p.c of her first-serve factors and used the slice serve down the T sharply within the first set.
Although Rybakina doubled Swiatek’s winner output within the opener—10 to five—she dedicated 11 extra unforced errors (17 to six) as effectively.
Shaking off the primary set, Rybakina was placing with extra authority to begin the second set. Although Swiatek hits her forehand with extra topspin than any of the elite eight in Riyadh, internet clearance grew to become a difficulty. Swiatek double faulted into the web to face break level then bashed a forehand into the underside of the web as Rybakina broke within the second recreation.
Rybakina rifled an ace down the T holding at love for a 3-0 second-set lead.
General, the sixth seed did a greater job of blending up her serve spins. At instances, Rybakina hit confounding kick serves broad on the advert facet and down the T on the deuce and different suggestions she sped decrease slice serves unsettling Swiatek. Displacing the Pole with the broad kick, Rybakina ripped a forehand winner holding for 4-1.
The second seed spit up three errors in a row as Rybakina broke once more for 5-1.
On her second set level, Rybakina closed the second set forcing a decider after 68 minutes. Swiatek sabotaged her personal trigger committing 19 unforced errors within the second set and 17 errors within the third set.
Within the ultimate set, Rybaking was calling the pictures as a scratchy Swiatek couldn’t keep in step. It was as if Swiatek didn’t belief her capability to remain in prolonged rallies and tried to squeeze pictures nearer to the strains.
The outcome was ache and punishment.
A sliding Swiatek netted a stretched forehand as Rybakina broke to begin the decider.
Two video games later, Rybakina blasted a backhand return by means of the center drawing a deep backhand reply breaking once more for a 3-0.
Even on the uncommon event when she was compelled to defend, Rybakina turned protection to offense ripping a forehand crosscourt winner holding at 15 for 4-0.
By then, the previous Wimbledon champion mainly beat the will out of Swiatek. Rybakina reeled off 12 of the ultimate 15 factors.
On match level, Swiatek didn’t much more as Rybakina smashed an ace down the T snapping her four-match dropping streak to the Pole in a single hour, 37 minutes.
“I’ve been enjoying rather well the previous few weeks,” mentioned Rybakina, who surpassed Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva to qualify. “To begin with I used to be bettering in every match and outcomes had been following.
“Even right here I’m making an attempt to deal with little particulars. I’m actually excited for my subsequent match and hopefully I can carry the identical depth and similar recreation.”
