Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, who will face off in the tour’s year-end championships in Riyadh on Tuesday, can both attest to that as they bring their sometimes-superb, sometimes-shaky seasons to a close. After an hour an seven minutes, Swiatek won her fourth Roland Garros title, and tied Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova on the major-title ledger.

Coco Gauff beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-3 6-4 at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals and ensure Aryna Sabalenka would finish the year as world number one. It was Gauff's second win over Swiatek in 13 meetings.

A year ago in Cancun, Iga Swiatek was the player to beat despite Sabalenka’s No. 1 ranking. She duly destroyed the field, thrashing Sabalenka in the semifinals en route to winning the title undefeated and reclaiming the top spot. Sabalenka had been there eight weeks — even less in her memory. “It was like what, one week? Two?” she said.