Iga Swiatek‘s run at the WTA Finals is not going as planned. While the former World No.1 had a good start, with a win over Barbora Krejčíková. Contrary to expectations, the Pole didn’t have an easy run against the Czech player. However, Iga’s winning streak couldn’t extend further after an unexpected loss to Coco Gauff on Tuesday. The defeat has left the Polish tennis icon extremely disappointed. Well, now she’s revealed the actual reason behind a poor show against Gauff.

Coco Gauff managed to earn a comfortable win over Iga on November 5th. She won 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets, thus leaving the Polish player no chance to make a comeback. It was special for Gauff she beat Swiatek for the first time in 2024. Also, it was just the second occasion in her career that she outplayed the Pole in a match. Following the result, Iga was asked to react on her performance and the possible reasons behind the loss.

It’s worth noting that this is Świątek’s first tournament since the US Open, while Gauff has already competed in two, China Open and Wuhan Open. Per the five-time Grand Slam champion, “I think that a person is not able to create such an atmosphere during training, even though I trained for several weeks at a high level, as during a match. Some things have to be worked through only on the court,” said the Pole, as reported by Sport.Pl.

Adding further, she revealed that “after the match with Krejcikova, I thought that I had prepared myself physically and mentally and that when I go out today, I would have what I usually have – concentration and discipline. But that was not entirely the case.”

Meanwhile, Iga is now focusing on making a return with her next match. “I will make even more of an effort to be more disciplined and I think that thanks to this, I will have a more stable level throughout the match,” she said. On the other hand, it seems like the Polish star is not the actual title favorite this time in Riyadh.

Iga Swiatek is not a favorite to win the WTA Finals

Ahead of the tournament in Riyadh, Iga made a huge decision to split from her previous coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski. Not long after that, she announced a new partnership with Belgian trainer Wim Fissette. However, it seems like he won’t be able to solve all the problems for Iga as far as making improvements is concerned. According to the Eurosport commentator and former Polish tennis player Lech Sidor,

“Fissette was always a very good analyst. He made good tactical plans, but he didn’t get into technical nuances. He wasn’t a fan of big changes, he preferred to come a bit ready-made. He’s not a man who has been introducing a revolution so far. What will happen to Iga? I think that following a similar path may not be enough to maintain the level and continue winning Grand Slam tournaments.” Furthermore, tennis bigwig Marek Furjan recently revealed that Iga is not his favorite to lift the title in 2024.

Per him, “The Polish woman is not the main favorite to win the WTA Finals, Aryna Sabalenka will play this role in Riyadh.” Similarly, former player Coco Wanderweghe also believes that Iga may not emerge victorious in the season finale. She said, “I think Iga’s been so dominant but such a question mark with the new coach and how is she feeling.”

Now speaking of her journey going forward, Swiatek will need to win the remaining matches convincingly. It’s also crucial in order to regain her top spot in the WTA rankings. Currently, Aryna Sabalenka is ruling the list. Thanks to her consecutive victories in the ongoing event, and before it, the Belarusian has solidified her grip on the No.1 position. For Iga to snatch it back, she’ll have to win the WTA Finals trophy. That’s the only way to end the season as the top-ranked player once again.

Do you think the Pole will be able to make a strong comeback in the tournament after her loss to Coco Gauff? Let us know in the comments below.