RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek was eliminated in the group stage of the WTA Finals for the second consecutive year, suffering a decisive $6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2$ defeat at the hands of the USA’s Amanda Anisimova on Wednesday.
The loss, which cost the 2023 WTA Finals champion a semi-final spot, prompted a humorous suggestion from the Polish star regarding her recent dominance.
“So, I don’t really get why I couldn’t go out of the group (stage). Maybe I won too much last year and this is karma. It feels kind of weird,” Swiatek joked after the match.
The Anisimova Enigma
Anisimova has proven to be a particularly challenging hurdle for Swiatek this season.
- The American had already avenged a prior 1$6-0, 6-0$ defeat (at the Wimbledon final) by beating the Pole at the US Open.2
- The comeback victory in Riyadh—where Swiatek won the first set only to lose the next two—added another layer of frustration for the World No. 1.
Searching for Answers
Despite winning major titles like Wimbledon, Cincinnati, and Seoul during a mid-season comeback, Swiatek acknowledged that her efforts were not consistently yielding the same results as they once did.
The 24-year-old expressed confusion over the loss, feeling she was physically and mentally ready, which made the early exit all the more perplexing.
“When you do everything and it’s still not enough, I guess it means that you just need to get your tennis better. But I felt good mentally, physically and tennis wise. It was nice looking at the conditions and everything,” she stated.
“It’s not like I’m expecting (anything), but from my experiences, if I put so much intensity and grit and I care that much it usually kind of paid off.”
The defeat means Swiatek’s 2024 season ends earlier than planned, while Anisimova advances in the tournament.
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- Khalid Javed is known as Khalid Minhas is editor of Daily Olympic.He is a seasoned journalist and worked with different national and international media outlets.
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