Sabalenka, who this week gained the year-end world No. 1 ranking after a stellar season, was frustrated, error-prone and irritated throughout her match against Gauff.
Her forehand faltered – a key component of her game – and she committed 16 unforced errors in the first set.
She and Gauff traded break points early, but Gauff was calm on serve and was able to extend the match knowing that Sabalenka would eventually make a mistake.
Despite the chaos, Sabalenka led 6-5 and served for the win, but a backhand into the net sent the match into a tiebreaker, with Gauff taking the dominant position.
After a long bathroom break, Sabalenka started the second set better, but another backhand error forced Gauff to break serve early.
Gauff won four consecutive games to lead 4-1, and Sabalenka finally recovered a break point, but she needed eight break points to achieve this goal after Gauff’s serve.
Given the inconsistent nature of the match, Sabalenka’s break in the next game felt inevitable, and it was – just like Gauff’s break on serve at 5-2.
But Sabalenka couldn’t delay the inevitable even as she served, and an eventual backhand into the net – her 37th unforced error of the night – sealed the victory for Gauff.
