Iga Swiatek explains what she ‘forgot’ about during tennis comeback at the WTA Finals

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Iga Swiatek was given a harsh reminder at the WTA Finals where she suffered defeat to Coco Gauff.

The 23-year-old lost just her second defeat in 13 meetings against the American in the round robin stage in Riyadh.

Swiatek struggled to find any sort of consistency against Gauff, who recorded a 6-3, 6-4 win to advance to the semi-finals.

Following the defeat, the former World number one’s spot in the last four is in doubt, and will need to defeat Barbora Krejčíková in her final group match to have any chance of progressing.

What did Iga Swiatek ‘forget’ about during her comeback at the WTA finals?

The WTA Finals is Iga Swiatek’s first tournament since the US Open in September.

A tournament featuring the world’s best eight players gives her no chance to ease into the event, and she certainly was not given that opportunity against Coco Gauff.

World number three Gauff, took full advantage of an erratic Swiatek, who recorded 47 unforced errors in her defeat to the American.

The five-time Grand Slam champion did not seem her usual composed self in the pressurised moments, something she has not experienced in two months due to her lack of matchplay.

Commenting on this feeling, Swiatek admitted: “I had to have my head kind of on a leash and control it all the time. So I didn’t have those tight moments in two months. So I kind of forgot how it is and how much energy it takes.

“It’s a reminder that nothing comes for free. You always seem to work 100 percent because in tennis the momentum can change pretty quickly. You need to be consistent throughout the whole match, basically to win.”

Who does Iga Swiatek play next?

Despite her loss to Gauff, Swiatek can still qualify for the semi-finals of the WTA Finals, where she is the defending champion.

To have any chance of progressing, she needs to defeat Jessica Pegula in her final group stage match on Thursday.

The 30-year-old is already eliminated following heavy defeats to Gauff and Wimbledon winner Krejčíková in Riyadh.

Swiatek has won six of her 10 meetings against Pegula, but she lost their last meeting at the US Open quarter-finals in September.

Swiatek defeated Pegula in the WTA Finals championship match a year ago, but one of them certainly will not make it back there, while the other’s progress is not guaranteed.