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Sabalenka Roars Back to Beat Gauff, Clinches WTA Finals Semifinal Spot
6 Nov
Summary
- Aryna Sabalenka beats Coco Gauff 7-6(5) 6-2 to reach WTA Finals semifinals
- Jessica Pegula also secures semifinal spot after defeating Jasmine Paolini
- Elena Rybakina qualifies for last four as Serena Williams Group winner
On November 3rd, 2025, world number one Aryna Sabalenka roared back from a slow start to beat Coco Gauff 7-6(5) 6-2 and clinch a semifinal spot at the season-ending WTA Finals. The victory sent the defending champion packing and assured Jessica Pegula of a place in the last four.
Sabalenka, who is seeking her first WTA Finals trophy after reaching the final three years ago, finished top of the Steffi Graf Group. She will next take on Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of their U.S. Open title clash. Meanwhile, Pegula secured a comfortable 6-2 6-3 victory over the already-eliminated Jasmine Paolini and will face in-form Kazakh Elena Rybakina, who qualified for the semifinals as the best player from the Serena Williams Group.
Gauff's erratic serve had been a concern after her opening defeat by Pegula, but it was her aggressive return game that stood out against Sabalenka. The 21-year-old broke to start the match and went 4-2 up, but Sabalenka fought back to take the first set in a tiebreak. The Belarusian then eased to a 4-0 lead in the second set to seal a comprehensive victory.
