Iga Swiatek made a lightning start to her WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh after annihilating Madison Keys 6-1 6-2 in just an hour and one minute of play.
Right out of the gate, Swiatek was all over the reigning Australian Open champion, taking the opening five games of the match before closing out the set on her serve in the seventh game.
Keys, who was out since the US Open due to a wrist injury, had a pretty rough first-set stat line as the world No. 7 had only one winner and 15 unforced errors. Also, the American won a total of eight points during the opener.
1 winner to 15 unforced from Keys in that set
She said she was healthy, and maybe that was true, but it's still extremely tough to return from being out so long, especially when you're facing someone like Swiatek. pic.twitter.com/AqvOoT53Bu
— Tennis Updates (@TennisUpdates25) November 1, 2025
After a one-sided first set, Swiatek also started the second set with a break but got broken back instantly in the second game. However, the second-ranked Pole remained unfazed and continued with her dominance, winning the next five games to complete her win in style.
Swiatek made a perfect start on the fast hard courts of Riyadh
The hard court surface at this year's WTA Finals in Riyadh has been described by players as fast. In the past, the six-time Grand Slam champion had a bit of trouble dealing with such surfaces. However, in her pre-tournament presser, the world No. 2 insisted it wouldn't be an issue.
"I think technically for sure the way I played on faster surfaces, the way I handled sometimes faster balls that were an issue for me in previous seasons, this was something that I felt improved totally. Also the speed of the serve. I think I was in some kind of a ranking of fifth or something in aces this year. That's impossible," the Pole explained.
In her second WTA Finals clash, Swiatek will play against the winner between Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova.
