Iga Swiatek routs Madison Keys in 61 minutes to kick off 2025 WTA Finals
The pair's two prior 2025 meetings went the distance, but Saturday was a completely different story.
In their first two meetings this season, Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys went the distance. The American memorably saved a match point to win one of the season’s best clashes in the Australian Open semifinals ahead of celebrating her maiden major title, before Swiatek battled back to prevail in the Mutua Madrid Open quarterfinals three months later.
Opening singles play at the WTA Finals in Riyadh Saturday, their 2025 rubber match was a completely different story. Swiatek dominated from start to finish, 6-1, 6-2, to seal the Serena Williams Group meeting in just 61 minutes.
“All the things that I practiced, I got it together today to play with the right balance in terms of being solid and aggressive,” she said during her on-court interview. “I’m overall happy with the work that I put after the China swing, especially in Warsaw. That gives me confidence to go forward and develop as a player. I’m happy that I could bring my game today and I’ll be ready to do that in the next days.”
📲🖥️ Stream all the action from WTA Finals on the Tennis Channel App!
After a routine hold to start, the Pole broke at love by constructing a point that finished with a close at the net. Swiatek would lose just three points on her serve in the opening set, while Keys—playing her first tournament since an opening-round exit at the US Open—contributed 15 unforced errors to go with a single winner that took 17 minutes to produce.
Keys broke back in the early goings of set two, only to double fault in handing Swiatek the re-break as her struggles to accelerate on a modified service motion couldn't be contained. Swiatek staved off two break points in the final game to move ahead 6-2 in the pair’s head-to-head series, capping her day by claiming 10 of 12 points against her opponent's second serve. Keys finished with a -25 differential in winners to unforced errors.
The world No. 2 is looking to win the year-end event for the second time in three years, having triumphed over Jessica Pegula in 2023 when Cancun hosted. Swiatek now owns nine Top 10 victories this season, picking up her first since denying Jasmine Paolini in the Cincinnati Open final.