Elena Rybakina opened a bakery in Riyadh — serving Iga Swiatek a bagel and a breadstick that the Pole devoured, only to leave full of regret. In the Serena Williams Group, the Kazakhstani dropped the first set but came roaring back to win, moving to 2–0 at this year’s WTA Finals.
Despite being the last player to secure her spot in Riyadh, Rybakina proved why she belongs among the elite, snapping a four-match losing streak against Swiatek. After dropping the opening set 3–6, the sixth seed found her range and completely flipped the script, storming through the next two sets 6–1 6–0 to hand the 2023 WTA Finals champion one of her heaviest defeats of the season.