Rybakina’s Bold Run to the WTA Finals Semifinals as Anisimova Sparks US Interest

Rybakina Advances to Semifinals with a Dominant Swiatek Win

Elena Rybakina, the Kazakh star, walked into Monday’s clash pursuing her first WTA Finals semifinal since 2022, carrying a 4‑match skid against world No. 2 Iga Swiatek. She snapped it in style, rallying to beat Swiatek 3‑6, 6‑1, 6‑0 in 1 hour 37 minutes to stand 2‑0 in this year’s finals.

Later, American Amanda Anisimova beat Madison Keys, sealing Rybakina’s place atop the Serena Williams group and sending her to the semifinals for the first time in her career.

Rybakina became the second player to defeat Swiatek in 2025 after Keys at the Australian Open, a milestone in Swiatek’s otherwise stellar season.

Anisimova Keeps US Hope Alive as Keys Exit

Meanwhile, Anisimova’s comeback over Keys (4‑6, 6‑3, 6‑2) kept her alive in the race, and after two rounds of group play, Rybakina led the group while Anisimova (1‑1) faced Swiatek (1‑1) in a decisive match to decide the other semifinalist.

The match between Anisimova and Keys was tightly contested early, with four consecutive service breaks before Anisimova held to go up 3‑2. Keys steadied, and in the second set Anisimova tightened her serve and rode a late surge to force a decider.

In the final set, Anisimova broke Keys again and reeled off six straight games to seal the win, completing a dramatic victory that kept her in contention.

Swiatek, who began the match strongly, saved a break point in the opening game but was broken in the next. She improved to 45‑2 this season after winning the first set but slumped in the late stages, dropping a rare 0‑6 set in the decider.

Rybakina’s triumph extended her Asian swing dominance: she has won 11 straight matches on the swing and 10 of her last 11 overall, with only a setback to world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka blotting her record on hard courts this year.

That Monday’s results propelled Rybakina into the semifinals, while Anisimova’s results left a final confrontation with Swiatek to determine the other finalist. The group dynamics showcased how depth and resilience can tilt a round‑robin format in a sport that loves dramatic twists.

Punchline 1: If these rallies keep up, the trophy should come with a warning label: may cause excessive cheering and spontaneous upgrades to elevated seats.

Punchline 2: And remember, in tennis as in life, when the serves are sharp, the jokes are sharper—just ask the ball, it’s always in on the punchline.