WTA Finals: The Staggering Statistics of Anisimova and Keys on the First Day

With four players at the WTA Finals, the American contingent dreams of shining. But Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys completely derailed in their debuts in Riyadh. On Monday, they can no longer afford any mistakes.

Four American players are participating in the WTA Finals this year, a first since 2002. But the debuts of Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys (returning to the event nine years later) were, to say the least, complicated, even catastrophic, as they were defeated 6-3, 6-1 by Elena Rybakina and 6-1, 6-2 by Iga Swiatek, respectively.

Between them, they accumulated 63 unforced errors (30 for Anisimova, 33 for Keys) for only 16 winners. They also struggled with their serve: Anisimova won only 56% of points behind her first serve, while Keys peaked at 47% on her first serve and 17% on her second.

These alarming statistics are something the two Americans will absolutely have to correct on Monday during their duel in the Serena Williams group. It will be their first head-to-head meeting on the WTA tour, and the loser will likely see her qualification hopes vanish, barring an unlikely scenario.