In a surprising turn of events at the WTA Finals in Cancun, World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka was defeated by Jessica Pegula in straight sets. Pegula remains the only unbeaten player in Group A and moves closer to the semi-finals. This loss comes after Sabalenka’s dominant victory over Maria Sakkari in her opening match.
On Sunday, Sabalenka had a flawless performance, winning 6-0 6-1 against Sakkari. Pegula, on the other hand, defeated Elena Rybakina with a score of 7-5 6-2. However, it was Pegula who emerged victorious in their clash, securing a 6-4 6-3 win over Sabalenka.
This is only the second time Pegula has defeated the Belarusian in their six meetings. In last year’s WTA Finals, Sabalenka had emerged victorious in the group stage match between the two. But this time, Pegula got her revenge and took a step closer to the semi-finals.
Sabalenka had expressed her disappointment with the conditions at the WTA Finals in Cancun. She criticized the hastily-assembled arena, stating that she didn’t feel safe playing on the court due to inconsistent bounces. She also mentioned that the players were not given enough practice time on the court.
In other matches, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff secured wins in Group B. Swiatek defeated Markéta Vondroušová with a score of 7-6 (7-3) 6-0, while Gauff dominated Ons Jabeur with a 6-0 6-1 victory. Gauff also announced that she has split with coach Pere Riba but is still working with renowned coach Brad Gilbert.
The WTA Finals in Cancun continue with more exciting matches to come. Stay tuned for the latest updates!