Coco Gauff was at her dominant best as she dispatched Karolina Muchova in straight sets to earn a place in Miami Open finals
Gauff has overcome her serving woes to drop just two games against Muchova to notch up her seventh straight win against the Czech star.
The American will now play Aryna Sabalenka in the final as she looks for the first WTA title of the 2026 season.
Gauff’s progress to the Miami Open final has had a knock-on effect to Iga Swiatek, whose misery has been compounded even further following her second round defeat at the Masters event.
Coco Gauff’s Miami Open success affects Iga Swiatek
Gauff has already collected 530 WTA Tour points for reaching the Miami Open final, which has helped her climb the rankings.
The 22-year-old has now usurped Swiatek as world number three and the Pole has now dropped two places in the rankings due to her poor form in 2026.
Do you think Iga Swiatek will win a Grand Slam this season?
15 WTA Tour ranking points currently separate Gauff and Swiatek, although the American can create more distance by winning the Miami Open.
Gauff is now just one place away from her career best ranking, which she achieved in June 2024 following Roland Garros.
Swiatek, however, has plenty of work to do during the clay court season to try and climb back up the rankings.
However, the Pole is not defending many ranking points at the clay court Masters, having reached the semi-finals of Madrid and the third round of the Italian Open.
Should she find some form in Europe, it could be a very intriguing race at the very top of the WTA Tour.
What Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek’s head-to-head record says about the Pole’s decline
Gauff and Swiatek’s rivalry on the WTA Tour is one of the strangest in recent memory as the pair have each shared moments of dominance.
Swiatek started her rivalry with Gauff by inflicting seven straight defeats on the American, but the tables have turned in recent years.
Will Coco Gauff now win the Miami Open title?
Gauff has won her last four matches against Swiatek, which aligns with the Pole’s overall dip in form in recent years.
Swiatek still leads their head-to-head record with 11 victories out of their 16 matches, but that feels like it could change at any moment.
The Pole’s dominance has certainly waned in recent years and she has lost some of the unbeatable aura she had when she first emerged on the WTA Tour.
