WATCH: Iga Swiatek stumped by WTA Finals qualification scenario, breaks the fourth wall in hilarious fashion after finding out from reporters

Iga Swiatek was stumped upon learning that she missed the WTA Finals semifinal spot despite winning two matches. The Pole defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0 in the final round-robin match of the year-end tournament on Thursday.

Swiatek was on track to defend her WTA title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but her run was halted because Coco Gauff, who initially led the group, was beaten by Barbora Krejcikova 7-5, 6-4. Although Swiatek, Krejcikova, and Gauff each secured two wins from three matches, the Pole did not advance because of the lowest set percentage. Had Gauff won the match against Krejcikova, Iga Swiatek would have booked her spot in the final four.

In a post-match interview after the Swiatek-Kasatkina clash, the former World No. 1 was asked by reporters if she knew that the result of the match wouldn’t affect her chances of advancing to the semifinals. The video showed Swiatek, startled, then humorously reacting as she discovered from the reporters that it didn’t matter.

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Up next in the semifinals, Coco Gauff and Barbora Krejcikova will face Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen, respectively. Both players have had impressive 2024 seasons, with Gauff winning titles at the ASB Classic in Auckland and the China Open, while Krejcikova claimed the Wimbledon championship.

Iga Swiatek on trusting her decisions and learning from Novak Djokovic - “ the most experienced players on tour, they are a bit older, skipping some tournaments”

Iga Swiatek spoke on trusting her decisions and learning from Novak Djokovic - Media Day - Source: Getty

At the opening press conference of the 2024 WTA Finals, Iga Swiatek was asked about appointing Wim Fissette as her new coach and her approach to decision-making. She responded that while decisions can be tough, she rarely regrets them, trusting her judgment despite being an over-thinker. Swiatek added that experience has made these choices easier and observed that veteran players, like Novak Djokovic, often skip smaller events to prioritize Grand Slams.

“But honestly, well, sometimes it's hard to make a decision. But when you do it, I don't have any regrets usually. I'm an over-thinker. If I make a decision, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a good one. So basically I trust myself in that way. But for sure it was much harder, like, couple of years ago to make these kind of decisions. Now I feel like I know a bit more. Probably in the future I'm going to have to also make some decisions.” - Iga Swiatek said

“You can see the most experienced players on tour, they are a bit older, skipping some tournaments, but actually being able to play their best games on Grand Slams, the biggest events that they really care about. I think like Novak, for example, is a great example of that. We can learn from people like that.” She added

In last season's WTA Finals, Iga Swiatek defeated Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, Markéta Vondroušová, and Aryna Sabalenka before beating Jessica Pegula in the final to lift the title for the first time. The last player to successfully defend her WTA Finals crown was Serena Williams, who won the title consecutively from 2012 to 2014.