Riyadh is known as a hotbed of heartbreak — who will be the next unfortunate one? Defending champion Gauff has been named.

As the Riyadh year-end finals approach their peak, "heartbreak" has emerged as a central keyword in many people's reflections on this important tournament of the year.

World No. 2 Swiatek was overturned and defeated by Anisimova, making the Polish star the first top-seeded player to be knocked out in the women's singles competition.

Swiatek’s exit marked another significant milestone in Anisimova’s career: reaching the semifinals in her debut appearance at the year-end finals. Currently, some even regard the American as a strong contender for this year’s title, highly optimistic about Anisimova lifting the trophy.

Although many outside observers considered Anisimova’s win over Swiatek a major upset, the American had her own perspective after the match: “I never felt surprised or shocked at any point during the match. I knew it would be tough, and I was prepared for it. I’ve fought many hard battles this year and I’m aware of my capabilities.”

Anisimova’s confidence raises expectations for her upcoming performances, while the defeated Swiatek openly expressed how the loss “made me very sad.”

Swiatek emphasized that she was well-prepared for the match against Anisimova and quickly got into rhythm, giving her all on court. She never expected the outcome to be like this. “When you give your best but it’s still not enough, I suppose it means you need to elevate your tennis level.”

Swiatek’s words have drawn much sympathy because last year she was eliminated in the group stage due to a tiebreak despite a 2-1 record; this year, she gave everything in a crucial do-or-die match but was still dealt a harsh blow by fate. This level of heartbreak explains the helpless and frustrated tone in the Polish player’s post-match remarks.

In fact, at this stage of the Riyadh year-end finals, Swiatek is not alone in her heartbreak; she is accompanied by the Italian player Paolini.

The surprise at the Italian being the first eliminated from the Graf group this year was minimal, as this outcome had already been predicted before the tournament began.

Drawn in the same group as Sabalenka, Gauff, and Pegula, many believed Paolini had landed in the "group of death," and no matter which opponent she faced individually, the Italian was not expected to win.

Ultimately, the result was exactly as fans and netizens predicted before the event: Paolini failed to advance from the group stage.

However, many now think Paolini’s heartbreak is comparable to Swiatek’s, not because she failed to advance from the group stage two years in a row — after all, her singles strength is not outstanding among such strong competition — but because on the doubles court, the Italian player is a completely different story.

Paolini is the only player this year to qualify for the year-end finals in both singles and doubles. Although expectations for her singles performance were low before the tournament, many believed her partnership with Errani could make an impact in doubles.

Unexpectedly, the top-seeded duo of Paolini and Errani were swept 3-6, 3-6 by Kudermetova and Mertens, causing the biggest upset in doubles and resulting in Paolini’s elimination from both singles and doubles. This level of heartbreak naturally rivals Swiatek’s disappointment.

Both singles favorite Swiatek and doubles favorite Paolini suffered early exits at the Riyadh year-end finals, sparking another hot topic in the media: among the current championship favorites, who will be the next unlucky one? Many pointed to defending champion Gauff’s name.

Although Gauff swept Paolini in the second round of the group stage, the American admitted after the match that Paolini was not at her best and was battling a cold. Facing a healthy and in-form Sabalenka next, many believe Gauff faces an uphill battle.

However, others argue it is too soon to say Sabalenka will definitely defeat Gauff and make her the next unfortunate player. “It’s a closely matched contest, and either player has a chance to win.”

Whether Gauff will become the predicted unlucky player and whether the American can prevent Sabalenka from crushing her hopes of defending the title will gradually be revealed no earlier than 11:30 PM Beijing time tonight!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonriver’s Starry Sky)