Rybakina’s win extends a dominant stretch of play not just in Riyadh, but across the last month that helped her secure the eighth and final WTA Finals berth.
She’s now unbeaten in her last eight matches, and has won 10 of her last 11, with the only loss in that spell coming to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. She also became just the second player to beat Swiatek in 2025 after dropping the opening set, a feat previously accomplished by Keys at the Australian Open.
“I think I started a little bit slower, and Iga started well,” Rybakina said after the one hour, 37-minute opening match. “She was serving good, and I feel like my serve was not there, and she took a break straight away, and after I was down. So it was difficult to catch up in the first set. But again, it was only one break, and other games were very close, same as second and third set.
“It was some key moments, some tough games where it was very close and I managed to win and get the lead. And of course, after you get confidence, and it was easier for me, and I had a score where I could risk a bit more.”
