Iga Swiatek Blames ‘Karma’ After Shock WTA Finals Exit to Amanda Anisimova in Riyadh
- Defending WTA Finals Champion Swiatek Eliminated in Group Stage, Jokes ‘Karma’ for Dominant Season
RIYADH: Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek faced a disappointing exit from the WTA Finals group stage here on Wednesday, jokingly attributing her 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 defeat at the hands of USA’s Amanda Anisimova to “karma.”
The loss, which eliminated the defending WTA Finals champion for the second consecutive year, came after Swiatek, 24, took the opening set in a tight tie-break. Anisimova, however, staged a powerful comeback, replicating her recent success against the Pole. This victory adds to Anisimova’s wins over Swiatek in the US Open and now Riyadh, avenging a comprehensive 6-0, 6-0 drubbing the American suffered against the former World No. 1 in the Wimbledon final.
Swiatek’s mid-season resurgence included securing titles at Wimbledon, Cincinnati, and Seoul, yet she found herself struggling to escape the group stage in Riyadh. The Polish star, who won five titles in 2024, acknowledged that her immense efforts were no longer yielding the same consistent results as in previous dominant seasons.
Following the match, Swiatek admitted to feeling confused by the loss, stating that she felt good mentally, physically, and tennis-wise. “When you do everything and it’s still not enough, I guess it means that you just need to get your tennis better,” Swiatek said. “But I felt good mentally, physically and tennis wise. It was nice looking at the conditions and everything.”
Reflecting on her unexpected elimination, the 2023 season-ending champion offered a humorous, yet candid, assessment. “So, I don’t really get why I couldn’t go out of the group [stage]. Maybe I won too much last year and this is karma. It feels kind of weird,” she commented. She further expressed her surprise, noting that historically, her dedication has paid off: “It’s not like I’m expecting [anything], but from my experiences, if I put so much intensity and grit and I care that much it usually kind of paid off.”
The victory propelled Anisimova into the semi-finals, while Swiatek will now turn her focus to the next season, looking to recapture the form that secured her a WTA Finals title just a year prior.
