Why did Coco Gauff get eliminated from WTA Finals even before 3rd group match? All you need to know
Coco Gauff has been eliminated from the WTA Finals after losing her third round-robin match against Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday.
A straight-set win for Gauff would have guaranteed her a spot in the last four, while a three-set win would have resulted in game percentage coming into play after Jessica Pegula’s straight-set win over Jasmine Paolini earlier on Thursday.
Pegula defeated Paolini 6-2, 6-3 in Riyadh, assuring herself a spot in the semifinals. She had previously lost to World No. 1 Sabalenka in a three-setter, while beating Gauff in three sets in her opening clash.
After losing the opening set 7-6(5) against Sabalenka, Gauff lost the second set 6-2, ending her campaign at the tournament with just one win. Sabalenka qualified at the top of the group with no losses to her name, while Pegula took the second spot.
In the semifinals, Sabalenka will face Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of the 2025 US Open final. Meanwhile, Pegula will take on Elena Rybakina in the other clash. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek also failed to qualify for the Final-4 from her group, winning only one match.
Coco Gauff remains World No. 3 after WTA Finals exit
Following her exit from the WTA Finals, Coco Gauff will hold on to the World No. 3 spot for the time being, but it is not guaranteed. The current World No. 4, Amanda Anisimova, has a shot at overtaking her fellow American if she wins the tournament.
Currently, Gauff has 6,763 ranking points to her name, compared to 6,287 for Anisimova. A win in the semifinals will give Anisimova another 400 points, putting her at 6,687. A win in the final, meanwhile, will yield 500 more ranking points, giving Anisimova enough to overtake Gauff for the No. 3 position.
On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are assured of their year-end rankings regardless of what happens on the final two days of the event.
