Defending champion Coco Gauff delivered a strong statement on Tuesday at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 in the Stefanie Graf group. Gauff’s victory gives her a crucial win after losing her opener, and keeps her semi-final hopes alive.

Gauff’s performance was marked by a marked improvement in her second serve, which she won 82 % of the time. That’s a area she had identified as a weakness, and against Paolini she showed noticeable progress.

Paolini, meanwhile, looked visibly fatigued. After playing both singles and doubles and coming in with less recovery time, she struggled to match Gauff’s intensity and precision late in the match.

Next on the schedule is a high-stakes clash between world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. Both players already have a win in the group round-robin and are in position to punch a ticket to the semi-finals with another strong performance. Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 8-3 and enters the match as favourite; Pegula will be aiming to repeat her recent upset of Sabalenka to shift momentum.

Sabalenka opened the tournament with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win over Paolini, showing dominant service games and tactical execution.

For Gauff, the road ahead remains challenging. Despite the straight-sets win, the tournament format means she must keep up the high level or risk elimination. For Paolini, the task is now about recovery and regrouping.

In Riyadh, momentum is key. Gauff captured it today. Sabalenka and Pegula will battle for their shot at securing a semi-final berth.