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Iga Swiatek was left wondering why she couldn't progress to the last four at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after falling to her second group stage loss in three matches. Swiatek's hopes of ending the year with a flourish were dashed by Amanda Anisimova, who is now on a two-match winning streak against the Pole after suffering a humiliating defeat to her in this year's Wimbledon final.
At Wimbledon, a clearly tense Anisimova, playing in her first Major final, produced an erratic display, with Iga Swiatek ruthlessly dispatching the American 6-0, 6-0 to win her sixth Slam title and her first at SW19. Anisimova, though, avenged her Wimbledon loss at the US Open by stunning the Pole in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
On Wednesday, November 5, Swiatek clinched the first set 7-6(3) in Riyadh. However, Anisimova once again came out on top against the Pole by winning the second and the third sets 6-4 and 6-2, respectively. The result meant a confirmed last-four spot for the American, along with an earlier-than-expected exit for the World No. 2 Pole.
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Later, Iga Swiatek, during an interaction with the media, opined that she did everything in her power to beat Amanda Anisimova, but it simply wasn't enough on the day. The former No. 1 said:
"I did everything I could today, so no regrets. I felt like I'm really in the zone. I had a positive mindset. Okay, maybe some balls went short or something, but tennis is not going to be perfect. So I fought and I really didn't give up. It wasn't enough, which makes me sad. I don't know. I will need to find some understanding I guess, because when you do everything and it's still not enough, I guess it means you just need to get your tennis better."
The 24-year-old went on to suggest that 'karma' probably had a role to play in her early exit from the 2025 WTA Finals.
"But I felt good mentally, physically, and tennis wise also. It was nice, you know, looking at the conditions and everything. So I don't really get why I couldn't go out of the group. I don't know, maybe I won too much in last years and this is karma. It's really hard for me to say. It feels kind of, I don't know, weird," she added.
Amanda Anisimova dismisses 'surprise and shock' suggestion after second successive win over Iga Swiatek
During her post-match, on-court interview, Amanda Anisimova was asked if back-to-back victories over Iga Swiatek surprised or shocked her. The American, in a rather confident manner, said that she feels as if she very much belongs to the elite level of women's tennis now. The World No. 4 said:
"No, I don’t think I was surprised or shocked at any point in the match. I knew it was going to be really tough, and I was preparing for that. Yeah, I think I just tried to enjoy it. I feel like I belong at this point and I’ve played a lot of tough matches this year. I know my capabilities. And I know if I can play my best tennis, I can give it my best shot."
Anisimova's win over Swiatek helped the American join Elena Rybakina in the semis. The two remaining group stage matches (Jessica Pegula vs Jasmine Paolini, Aryna Sabalenka vs Coco Gauff) on Thursday, November 6, will decide who Anisimova and Rybakina, respectively, face in the last four.
