US Open champion Coco Gauff faced a challenging defeat in round-robin play at the WTA Finals held in Cancun, Mexico, as she lost 6-0, 7-5 to Iga Swiatek.
Gauff’s difficulties included a significant moment where she double-faulted four times consecutively while serving for the second set.
The temporary hard court event in Cancun had noticeable empty seats, an issue that Swiatek pointed out, expressing regret over the situation and hoping for improved attendance in the future.
The decision to hold the WTA Finals in Cancun was revealed quite late, announced in September. The event is a competition among the top eight women in tennis, with another singles match witnessing Ons Jabeur defeating Marketa Vondrousova with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
As the tournament progresses, two players will advance to the semifinals from this group, which will be determined after matches on Friday.
Gauff, who led at one point in the match, was a game away from forcing a third set but faced a tough moment with a series of double faults that ultimately led to her defeat against Swiatek.
Throughout the game, Gauff faced moments of frustration, evident when she hurled her racket after an errant shot in the first set, and later spiked it and tossed it aside following a challenging series of double faults in the second set. Despite her efforts, Swiatek emerged victorious, continuing her dominance against Gauff.