Iga Swiatek has been missing the X factor ever since winning the title at the 2024 French Open. She was given a reality check in her second group stage match against Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals. After the match, Swiatek said, “I know what mistakes I made and this match will force me to be more disciplined in the future. I know when I made bad decisions, which shots failed, and how not to repeat them.” Since Jessica Pegula has already withdrawn from the tournament due to a left knee injury, the Polish superstar will next face Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in a must-win match at the WTA Finals. Who’ll win this epic encounter?

Iga Swiatek vs Daria Kasatkina: Preview

Iga Swiatek looked in supreme touch at the start of the season. She has bagged a total of five titles this season, but her performance graph dropped down a bit after her heroics in Roland Garros. Since then she has not only failed to bring home a title but her long absence from the Tour after the US Open cost her the world number one crown to Aryna Sabalenka. Here in Riyadh, she started her campaign with a win against Barbora Krejčíková, but she was defeated by America’s Coco Gauff in the second match by 3-6,4-6. Can Swiatek bounce back from that disappointing result from her previous match?

Daria Kastkina on the other hand has played outstanding tennis this season. She has reached quite a few finals this year but has failed to make full use of her chances in those vital matches. However, despite these disappointments, she still managed to win two titles in 2024. Her first title triumph came at the Eastbourne International and the second one came at the Ningbo Open. She is entering this contest against Iga Swiatek after her loss to America’s Sofia Kenin in the QF of the Japan Open. So, both these tennis stars will look forward to giving their best in this match!

Swiatek vs Kasatkina: Head-to-Head

Iga Swiatek has faced Daria Kasatkina six times in her career. Currently, the Polish superstar leads the head-to-head scoreline against Kasatkina which stands at 5-1.

• 2022 WTA Finals R1: Swiatek 6-2,6-3.
• 2022 French Open SF: Swiatek 6-2,6-1.
• 2022 Doha R16: Swiatek 6-3,6-0.
• 2022 Dubai R32: Swiatek 6-1,6-2.
• 2022 AO R32: Swiatek 6-2,6-3.
• 2021 Eastbourne International R16: Kasatkina 4-6,6-0,6-1.

Prediction: Swiatek to win in straight sets

Iga Swiatek‘s dominance in women’s tennis has been the talk of the town over the last few years. Although she has been struggling a bit recently, still we wouldn’t raise doubt over her potential, especially in these types of do-or-die matches. So, considering all these factors and their performance in the overall season, we’re keeping Swiatek ahead in this contest.

Iga Swiatek is currently ranked 2nd in the world and she has a win-loss index of 60-9 this season. Quite staggering, isn’t it? Now, if we shift our focus to her opponent in the next match, Daria Kasatkina (9) has a win-loss index of 40-22. Talking about their playing styles, Kasatkina is a baseline player with a crafty style of play. She loves employing a variety of shots, including heavy topspin forehands, one-handed slice backhands, kick serves, drop shots, and tweeners during her matches. Kasatkina often relies on outsmarting her opponents through tactics rather than hitting overpowering shots. However, her biggest concern at the moment is the high number of double fault counts. Kasatkina has hit 106 aces this season but committed 313 double faults!

On the other hand, Iga Swiatek has an aggressive style of play, and even Swiatek loves bringing in a lot of variations in her game. Her playing style is mainly focused on offense and she typically generates a high amount of both winners and unforced errors during her matches. However, despite having an aggressive style of player, Iga Swiatek is often seen constructing points carefully until she creates an opportunity to hit a winner. Even her forehand and backhand shots are extremely lethal. She also possesses a good volleying skill! Can these skills bring her a win against Kasatkina and help her get a step closer to retaining her title at the WTA Finals? Looks quite likely at the moment!