Coco Gauff meets Iga Swiatek in an exciting WTA final in Riyadh

Coco Gauff faces world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in a thrilling clash at the year-end WTA finals in Riyadh on Tuesday as the American star looks to build on her solid form.

World No. 3 Gauff started the group stage of the championship with a 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow American Jessica Pegula. The 20-year-old has been in top form of late, winning ten of her last eleven matches, including a title in Beijing and a semi-final appearance in Wuhan.

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Swiatek, on the other hand, lacked playing time.

She returned to the court after two months when she defeated Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the opening match. The Pole, who underwent a sensational coaching change, struggled against her Czech opponent before finding her rhythm in a comeback in the third set.

“I've had a little more games lately than she (Swiatek) maybe, that could influence (the result),” Gauff told reporters after the win over Pegula.

Head-to-head record

While the current form shows that Gauff is the favorite, the direct comparisons say otherwise.

Gauff has lost 11 of 12 games against the five-time Grand Slam winner and Swiatek has not beaten anyone. The pair last met in the semifinals of the 2024 French Open, where Swiatek won 6-2, 6-4.

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“Playing against them all the time is tough,” Gauff said. “I think if I just play my game, I'll just go for it and hopefully come out of it with a win,” she added, explaining her plan for Tuesday's clash.

Swiatek, who is hoping to reclaim the No. 1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka, recorded five of her wins over Gauff on the clay courts of Rome and Paris – her preferred surface.

With the WTA Finals taking place on the hard courts in the Saudi capital, fans can expect a different kind of competition.

“The last times I played against them this year was on clay, so obviously it will be a different game on hard court,” Gauff said. “I hope for a different result than the previous two times.”

Difficult task for Gauff

Gauff and Swiatek are part of the tournament's Orange group alongside Krejcikova and Pegula. The other group called Purple consists of Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, Qinwen Zheng and Elena Rybakina.

If Gauff beats Swiatek on Tuesday, it would be her 52nd victory in WTA events this year, her best overall in a single season.

But Gauff's task will not be easy as Swiatek has an outstanding record at the WTA Finals.

According to the WTA website, Swiatek has won six straight matches since last year's title – only Serena Williams (16) and Elina Svitolina (10) have won more since the return of the round-robin format in 2003. Additionally, only Serena and Justine Henin recorded a better win rate than Swiatek at 77 percent.

Gauff vs. Swiatek is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time / 7:30 a.m. ET. Viewers in the US can watch the match on the Tennis Channel app.

A win in straight sets would send Gauff into the semifinals. If Gauff and Pegula win, Gauff will advance as group winner and Krejcikova will be eliminated.

If Swiatek and Krejcikova win, Swiatek will advance as group winner and Pegula will be eliminated.