RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- It’s been 60 days since we last saw Iga Swiatek taking serious swings at tennis balls. That was back in early September when the top seed lost a dispiriting quarterfinal to Jessica Pegula at the US Open.

After skipping the Asian swing, she turned up earlier this week at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF with a new coach, Wim Fissette, and a care-free attitude. But with Aryna Sabalenka’s No.1 ranking still technically in play for the World No.2, there are legitimate questions. What will Swiatek’s game look like on Sunday when she takes on Barbora Krejcikova in her first match of group play?

“I think it’s not going to be a problem,” she said at media day. “I don’t feel rusty. I played some points as well here with Aryna and [Zheng] Qinwen. Also, I’ve been practicing that way.

“I don’t feel like I missed a lot. I spent this time still playing tennis and for sure focusing on finding a new coach, making this transition. It’s always tricky.”

It’s about to get trickier. With the seven top-ranked players -- plus Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion -- assembled here at the King Saud University Sports Arena, there are no easy matches.

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Day 2 schedule

1 p.m. local time

  • Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) / Erin Routliffe (NZL) vs Hao-Ching Chan (TPE) / Veronika Kudermetova

Not before 3:30 p.m.

  • Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)

Followed by

  • Coco Gauff (USA) vs Jessica Pegula (USA)

Followed by

  • Sara Errani (ITA) / Jasmine Paolini (ITA) vs Caroline Dolehide (USA) / Desirae Krawczyk (USA)

No.2 Iga Swiatek vs. No.8 Barbora Krejcikova

Head-to-head: 2-2

Most recent: Krejcikova 6-4, 6-2 in the 2023 Doha final

This one should be fun. These are, after all, the two players who have won the past five titles at Roland Garros.

That head-to-head record is virtually a dead heat -- but it’s worth noting Krejcikova has won the past two on hard courts.

It’s been an uneven, incomplete season for the 28-year-old from the Czech Republic, who enters the tournament with a 16-13 record in singles. She’s the first player to qualify for the year-end championship after the Hologic WTA Tour changed its rules, allowing a current Grand Slam champion into the field if they’re ranked among the Top 20.

“This is the new rule, and I respect the new rule,” Krejcikova said. “I’m happy that I qualified for the WTA Finals for the last eight, eight best players of the season, with the best results. I mean, it’s nice to be part of the group.”

Swiatek has not dwelled on all the complicated No.1 scenarios. She’s not sure exactly what she has to do, but she has a simple goal.

“I want to play the best kind of tennis,” Swiatek said. “That’s what I need to do.”

No.3 Coco Gauff vs. No.6 Jessica Pegula

Head-to-head: Pegula 4-1

This season: Pegula 7-5, 7-6 (2) in the Berlin semifinals

Look at the score from the summer on German grass -- that’s about as tight as it gets. It shows that, at the age of 20, Gauff is closing the gap on her sometimes doubles partner, who is an entire decade older.

This is the first time two compatriots face each other in consecutive years at the WTA Finals since Venus Williams-Serena Williams in 2008-09. There will be no secrets for either player; they practiced last week in Florida.

“Obviously I’m going to play her here -- we’re used to it,” Gauff said. “It’s never been difficult for me. I think it's just something that I guess is embedded in our sport honestly.”

Both players changed coaches this year and both finished the regular season on a strong note. Gauff, who is experimenting with a grip change in her service games, won the title in Beijing and won nine of 10 matches in Asia. Pegula was the winner in Toronto and won 15 of 17 matches in the North American hard-court season.

Pegula is adept on all surfaces, but especially dangerous on hard courts. She’s 3-0 in those matches against Gauff. Over the past two years, Pegula is a sterling 10-6 on hard courts versus Top 10 players.