In a stunning reversal at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Elena Rybakina mounted an epic comeback to defeat Iga Swiatek, overturning a first-set deficit to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. This victory handed the world No. 2 a rare bagel and shifted the momentum in the Serena Williams Group, putting Rybakina in a commanding position with two wins from her first two matches. The match began with Swiatek’s characteristic intensity, as she broke Rybakina’s first service game and efficiently closed out the opening set.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically from there, with Rybakina winning 12 of the final 13 games in a display of overwhelming power and focus. In her post-match on-court interview, as reported by The Tennis Letter on X, Rybakina revealed the key to her victory was a combination of mental fortitude and a crucial tactical adjustment.

She acknowledged the difficulty of facing Swiatek, stating, “Yeah, it’s always very tough to play against Iga. She brings so much intensity on the court and I feel like she started really well the match and I was a little bit slow so the serve straight away she broke me so it was difficult to be down but in the second set I pushed myself, the serve improved and yeah really happy that I stepped in and played better each point so yeah very happy with the performance and thank you so much for support.”

Well, this kind of performance allowed her to maintain her aggressive strategy and execute her game plan even when the match seemed to be slipping away. The most significant tactical change was the dramatic improvement of her serve.

Elena Rybakina stressed this tactic and how her mentality gave her the strength make this comeback, stating, “Well mentally definitely I’m happy that I stayed focused no matter if I lost the first set I was still trying to stay aggressive and do what we actually talked with the coach so I was trying to follow the tactic a bit and of course focusing more on my serve and after I got some confidence leading in the second set and everything was going my way so yeah I continued and hopefully I will play like this throughout the whole tournament.”

This win was particularly significant for Rybakina, as it marked a break from a recent pattern of losses to Swiatek, who had won all four of their previous encounters in the 2025 season. The victory also served as a statement of intent, demonstrating that Rybakina, with her formidable serve and powerful groundstrokes, can dominate even the very best players when her mental focus and tactical execution align. However, just a few days before, the tennis star withdrew from an event, causing a lot of concerns.

Disappointment in Tokyo to a surge in Riyadh

In Tokyo, Rybakina kicked things off really well  with a solid 6-4, 6-3 victory over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, and then followed it up by defeating the teenage sensation Victoria Mboko with a score of 6-3, 7-6(4). So, Rybakina was set to face off against the Czech star, Linda Noskova, in the semifinals.

Just a few hours before the match, the Kazakh star shared a statement saying, “I’m very sorry I can’t play today. I’ve been having problems with my back this week & can’t play 100%. I’m disappointed that my fans will not see me today, but I hope to see you next year.”

Rybakina, who has faced illness and fatigue over the last couple of seasons, really didn’t want to give in this time. Fans who were excited to come together and watch her signature baseline power in the semis ended up feeling let down in Tokyo. But the main worry was whether she would actually make it to Riyadh or not.

But not only has Elena Rybakina made it Riyadh, she’s even on a winning streak. Her wins over Amanda Anisimova and now Iga Swiatek were no flukes; Rybakina was the final player to qualify but could she be the dark horse to watch out for?