Swiatek Kicks Off the Riyadh Finals with a Ruthless 61-Minute Masterclass

Match Day Drama

There are no easy matches at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where the world’s eight best players convene inside the King Saud University indoor arena. In the opening singles, two Grand Slam champions faced off; after a light strawberry snack, Poland’s second seed Iga Swiatek, the Wimbledon champion, defeated seventh seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2 in 61 minutes.

Keys, who hadn’t played in 68 days after a first-round loss at the US Open, looked slow and out of sync, struggling to match the intensity of training on the big stage. Swiatek took control, breaking serve five times from eight chances and racing to a straightforward victory, her sharpness on display from the start.

Swiatek won 12 of 15 games and 58 of 87 points, and she now leads their head‑to‑head 6‑2 after two meetings earlier this year, with both players having secured wins in different bouts this season.

With 62 wins on the season so far, Swiatek owns the most triumphs on the WTA Tour this year, underscoring her form as the event’s favorites begin to take shape.

Swiatek’s Evolution on Hard Courts

Following a tough clay season that culminated with a Roland Garros title run, Swiatek’s coach Wim Viset has steered a more aggressive approach on hard courts. The shift has involved taking calculated risks and pressing for that extra pace, a strategy she says aligns with the faster surfaces and the needs of high‑level competition.

Swiatek told reporters that her acceleration on quicker courts and handling of faster balls have improved markedly this year, noting that her serve speed has become a more complex weapon as she aims for consistent efficiency across matches.

Her readiness to embrace risk in the right moments reflects a broader tactical evolution that could prove pivotal as the event unfolds.

Outlook for the title remains bright for Swiatek, who is chasing the Riyadh crown in addition to her 2023 Cancun triumph. She has already claimed a meaningful win over Serena Williams’ era lineage and enters the group stage with momentum and confidence.

Keys, by contrast, has had some injury concerns this summer and admits she’s had to manage recovery and pace as she returns to elite competition. Her current record at the year‑end championships stands at 1‑3, and she will need a strong run to advance to the semifinals.

Numbers

Opta notes Swiatek now holds the fourth-most first-round wins at the year-end championships with 10, a list led by Maria Sharapova (17) and Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams (14 each). She hasn’t dropped a first match in the event in four years across 69 starts since a 2021 setback, a streak that reflects her consistency at the season’s finale.

The Riyadh event, the 54th edition of the year‑end championships for singles, runs from November 1–8 and features the world’s top eight players of 2025. The field is split into two groups named after tennis icons: “Steffi Graf” and “Serena Williams.” In Graf, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Jasmine Paolini compete, while Swiatek is joined in the Williams group by Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina, and Keys. Matches began today as the round‑robin phase gets underway.

For fans, the Riyadh finals promise a mix of relentless pace, strategic depth, and the kind of pressure that makes players either legends or humble commentators who pretend to be weather reporters when the roof leaks. And yes, the ball still has a mind of its own—sometimes it chooses the winner, sometimes it just chooses the winner’s racket.

Punchline time: If Swiatek keeps this up, the trophy might need a tiny little crown, because clearly the queen is here to rule the court. And if Keys finds her rhythm, she might just prove that a 68-day break is the only thing standing between champions and snacks.