Rout in the Gauff–Paolini Match at the WTA Finals. Another Player Drops Out of the Semifinal Race
During Tuesday’s competition at the WTA Finals, the second round of matches in Aryna Sabalenka’s group was on the schedule. Before the Belarusian faced Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini took the court in Riyadh. What we witnessed was domination by one player. In the end, the American triumphed 6–3, 6–2. That result means we now know another player who is out of contention for a semifinal spot.
The first round of WTA Finals matches in Sabalenka’s group began with a convincing victory for the Belarusian over Jasmine Paolini. The Italian did what she could, but after failing to take her chance to level the score at 4–4 in the first set, she was no longer able to compete on equal terms with the world No. 1. The final score was a rout — 6–3, 6–1 for the 27-year-old. The next match, featuring two Americans, produced an intriguing result: Jessica Pegula avenged her loss in the Wuhan final by defeating Coco Gauff 6–3, 6–7(4), 6–2.
Because of those results, both Sabalenka and Pegula entered today’s matches with a chance to secure a spot in the semifinals in Riyadh after just the second round of group play. Aryna’s fate depended solely on herself — a straight-sets win over Jessica would guarantee her a place in the top four regardless of the outcome of the Gauff–Paolini match. A combination of victories by the player from Minsk and by Paolini would also secure Sabalenka the top spot in the group standings. In that case, Pegula and Paolini would play on Thursday for the second qualifying position. Conversely, wins by Jessica and Coco would give the older American first place in the group, leaving Sabalenka and Gauff to battle for the remaining semifinal berth.
Just after 3 p.m. Polish time, Coco and Jasmine took the court. The Italian could not afford a straight-sets defeat — such a result would mean immediate elimination from the tournament, regardless of the outcome of the Aryna–Jessica clash. The player from the Apennine Peninsula, who is also competing in doubles in Riyadh, was hoping to get revenge on the 2025 Roland Garros champion for her recent loss in Wuhan.
