In a commanding display at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka sealed a decisive victory over her rival Coco Gauff, winning 7-6(5), 6-2 in their crucial round-robin match. This win not only secured Sabalenka a perfect 3-0 record in the Stefanie Graf Group and sent her into the semifinals but also carried the significant weight of personal redemption.

The match was a high-stakes encounter, with the first set featuring a fiercely competitive tiebreak before Sabalenka’s powerful game took full control in the second set, ultimately dismissing the defending champion from the tournament. Following her triumph, Sabalenka sent a clear message about her mindset, directly framing the victory as an act of payback.

As reported by The Tennis Gazette, the Belarusian stated, “Going into this match, I wasn’t thinking about how to get through it, I was thinking [about] how to get the win. It doesn’t matter what is going on in our group. I was just trying to focus on the tennis and try and get revenge after Roland Garros, and that was my focus.”

The revenge Sabalenka sought was for her defeat against Gauff in the final of the French Open just a few months prior, a match that decided the Roland Garros title. That loss in Paris was a particularly painful one for the top seed, who had been aiming to secure her first title on the clay of Roland Garros. The context of that prior encounter made this WTA Finals victory all the more sweet, effectively avenging one of the more significant setbacks of her season.

The head-to-head record between these two titans of the sport is famously tight, and with this win, Sabalenka added a crucial victory to their rivalry, which now stands at an even 6-6 in their overall meetings. However, the Belarusian also had a certain message for her fellow tennis player, whom she is going to face in the semifinals.

Aryna Sabalenka had nothing but praise for her opponent

A few months back, Aryna Sabalenka snagged her fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open, taking down the local favorite Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6‑3, 7‑6 (3). But it looks like the rivalry is just heating up! So, she’s made it to the semis of the WTA Finals, and guess what? She’s up against the American once more, and there’s a lot on the line!

After her victory over Coco Gauff, it looks like we’re in for another exciting match against Anisimova. Before going up against the American, Sabalenka mentioned, “She’s always making me work hard. I’ve always had great battles against her and enjoy playing against her. I’m super excited to face her in the semis, and I really hope it’s going to be a high-level match.”

Anisimova seems to have the upper hand when you look at the stats compared to the Belarusian. So, looking at their matchups, it turns out that out of 10 times they’ve faced each other, the American has come out on top 6 times, giving her a win-rate of 60% against Sabalenka. As the clocks tick away, we’ll just have to wait and see what unfolds in Riyadh between these two amazing players.