The latest showdown between Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek is set.
A rallying 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory for Swiatek over Madison Keys powered the world No 2 into the Madrid Open semi-final, where world No 4 Gauff awaits after a 7-5, 6-1 triumph against Mirra Andreeva.
It will be the 15th meeting between the two Grand Slam champions, and while Swiatek has a comfortable head-to-head lead, it would be unwise to rule Gauff out.
The American trails 3-11 in their head-to-head but has won the last two times the pair have met, beating the Pole in the 2024 WTA Finals and at the United Cup back in January.
Swiatek will be determined to regain full control of their rivalry and ultimately reach a third straight Madrid Open final, with the second seed looking to defend her title in the Caja Magica.
However, there is more than just a place in the final at stake, with this semi-final proving crucial when it comes to the WTA Rankings.
Madrid Open News
The 9 women to bagel Iga Swiatek: Madison Keys the first since 2021
Aryna Sabalenka’s impressive Madrid Open record that only Serena Williams can beat
As it stands
Coming into the tournament, Swiatek was the world No 2, comfortably ahead of world No 3 Jessica Pegula and world No 4 Gauff.
However, with 1,000 ranking points to defend as the defending champion, there was plenty of pressure on the five-time champion coming into Madrid.
In contrast, Gauff only had fourth-round points to defend while Pegula had no points to defend, having skipped the event due to injury back in 2024.
Potentially, both US stars could have moved above Swiatek in the WTA Rankings, though that possibility has now been ruled out.
Pegula was unexpectedly beaten in round three by Moyuka Uchijima and will hold 6,273 ranking points come next Monday (May 5).
And, Gauff’s quarter-final victory over Andreeva has boosted her haul of ranking points by 270, moving up to 6,343 ranking points.
That means Gauff is guaranteed to be back as the US No 1 come next Monday’s ranking update, no matter how she fares throughout the rest of the tournament.
In the live rankings, Swiatek is still dropping 610 points and falling to 6,773, though she remains as the world No 2 for now.
What does Gauff need to become world No 2?
Gauff was briefly ranked as the world No 2 last summer, and the equation for her to return to that ranking in Madrid is quite simple.
To overtake Swiatek in the rankings next week, she needs to win the title; if she does not do that, she will be the world No 3
If Gauff were to win her semi-final against Swiatek, she would hold 6,603 ranking points – though that would not be enough to overtake her rival.
However, if the American were to claim the title, she would hold 6,953 points, ahead of Swiatek’s total of 6,773 after a hypothetical semi-final loss.
Swiatek can guarantee she stays at world No 2 with victory in the semi-final.
The Pole will hold 7,033 points if she finishes the tournament as the runner-up, and 7,383 points – her current tally – if she successfully defends her title.
However, she will remain well behind world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who holds 10,333 points ahead of her quarter-final – and would hold a staggering 11,118 points if she were to win the title.
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