WTA Finals: Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina earn dominant opening victories

There was no doubt that Swiatek, winner of the 2023 title, would win after an error-filled start from Keys, who was playing her first match since losing in the first round of the US Open in August.

Swiatek, ranked second in the world, broke his American opponent’s serve at the first opportunity thanks to two double faults and did not relent from that moment on. Keys won by just three points as she found herself 5-0 down.

Keys, who ended her wait for her first major title in January, held serve at the third attempt to temporarily halt Swiatek’s advance, but the 30-year-old finished the first set, which lasted 23 minutes, with just one victory and 15 unforced errors.

Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, maintained her momentum by breaking serve immediately in the second set, but a lapse in concentration in the next game gave Keys her way back into contention.

But two more double faults by Keys handed the initiative back to her opponent, and Swiatek won five of the last six matches to complete her inevitable victory.

When asked what pleased her most about her performance, the 24-year-old told the crowd: “Everything. All the things I’ve trained for, I brought together today to play with the right balance of strong and aggressive play.”