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After splitting their two finals showdowns on clay, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have circled each other as the WTA Tour crisscrossed the globe. The top-ranked Sabalenka finally met the third-seeded Coco Gauff in the last match of the group stage of the 2025 WTA Finals. Sabalenka defeated Gauff in straight sets: 7-6 (5), 6-2. A pivotal moment came late in the first set when Gauff was serving 5-4, 30/0. Sabalenka battled back to force and win the tiebreak eventually. The second set was less competitive as Gauff's recurring issues appeared near the end. Gauff hit two aces and six double faults. She won points on 54% and 70% of her first and second serves. The American broke Sabalenka in 3/6 opportunities. Meanwhile, Sabalenka tallied three aces and one double fault. She won points on 68% and 50% of her first and second serves. The Belarusian broke Gauff in 5/6 opportunities. Sabalenka was asked how she turned things around in the first set during her on-court interview, "If I would know, probably I wouldn't put myself in that situation. I don't know, I was just trying to stay aggressive, I guess. I was just trying to find my rhythm, find my game. I was kind of working for the second set already, and magically was able to turn things around. Super happy with the performance and super happy to get this win in straight sets and happy to be through the round robin." She later told Sky Sports, "Going into this match, I wasn't thinking about how to get through it, I was thinking 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." Now that Sabalenka has advanced to the semifinal, she will face Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of the US Open final. "She's always making me work hard. Always great battles against her. Always enjoy playing against her. Enjoy fights against her. So I'm super excited to face her in the semis. I really hope it's going to be a great level match." Sabalenka has a record of 62-11 with four singles titles this year. Meanwhile, Gauff ends the year as World No. 3 and a record of 48-16 with two singles titles. The 21-year-old was unable to defend her WTA Finals title, but she has plenty of highlights from her season. The 2025 WTA Finals runs through November 8. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond. More Tennis News
