Iga Swiatek withdraws from Bad Homburg semis due to food poisoning

No.1 seed Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from her Bad Homburg Open semifinal against Lucia Bronzetti, citing GI illness, the tournament announced Friday.

"I'm so sorry but I have to pull out of my match today," Swiatek said in a statement. "I had a restless night because of some fever and possible food poisoning. I'm not able to perform today and I need to take care of myself. I hope I'll be fine soon. Your support in Bad Homburg was amazing, thank you."

Swiatek had defeated opponents including Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria and No.9 seed Anna Blinkova to reach her first grass-court semifinal in Bad Homburg.

Read more: 2023 Wimbledon seeds: Inside the numbers

Having captured her fourth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last month, she will carry a 10-match winning streak into Wimbledon next week, where she opens up against Zhu Lin.

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Well damn. I was really looking forward to this, Iga had a real chance of grabbing her first grass court title. 

Hopefully it really is just a case of bad food poisoning and she'll be ok in a few days. 

Of course many people think she's faking it in order to get a few extra days rest before Wimbledon. 

While there may be some truth to her wanting more rest before a Grand Slam, I believe she really wanted this title and wouldn't have withdrawn if she were able to play. 

It's just not in her nature to give opponents walkovers. The very fact that this is her first ever WTA match withdraw is proof of that. 

Hopefully we'll get more information on Iga's physical health at tomorrow's Wimbledon presser. 

Fingers crossed she feels better. 

Sending a prayer to the tennis gods for a speedy recovery for the World #1.

Iga Swiatek on a 10 match win streak moves into Bad Homburg semis

 

World No.1 Iga Swiatek continues to break new ground on grass. The three-time French Open champion advanced to the first grass-court semifinal of her career after defeating Anna Blinkova 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Bad Homburg Open.

Swiatek will face Italy's Lucia Bronzetti next for a spot in her first grass-court final.

Playing her first tournament since her successful title defense at Roland Garros, Swiatek's victory over Blinkova extended her current win streak to 10 matches. Making her Bad Homburg debut, Swiatek dropped her first set against Tatjana Maria in her opening match but has lost just 11 games across six sets since.

"I'm happy that I can play such solid tennis," Swiatek said. "Usually, there's not much time to practice on grass so I'm pretty happy that I used that time 100 percent between Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

"I'm happy that I'm feeling confident and hopefully I can play like that for the next two weeks."


In her first meeting against Blinkova, Swiatek eased through her opening service games before breaking for a 4-2 lead in the first set. Serving at 75 percent first serves in for the match, Swiatek went unbroken for her sixth consecutive set in Bad Homburg.

Swiatek finished the 72-minute match with a remarkably clean stat sheet, hitting 24 winners to just seven unforced errors. Blinkova, who broke through to make the Round of 16 at Roland Garros earlier this month, finished with seven winners to 13 unforced errors.

"I wouldn't put myself close to being an expert on grass, but I'm making progress and that's the most important thing for me," Swiatek said. "The time here really helped me. Every year I feel like it's easier to get used to the conditions."

Swiatek will face No.65 Lucia Bronzetti in the semifinals on Friday. The 24-year-old Italian advanced to her first grass-court semifinal after defeating France's Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-3.

The second semifinal will feature No.60 Emma Navarro, who advanced to her first tour-level semifinal after Rebaka Masarova was forced to retire due to knee injury after leading 7-6(2), 1-1. The 22-year-old American will face either No.2 seed Liudmila Samsonova or Katerina Siniakova.

After splitting the first two sets, Samsonova and Siniakova saw their quarterfinal suspended due to light. That match will resume on Friday.

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Iga Swiatek makes first career quarter-final on grass in Bad Homburg

World No.1 Iga Swiatek advanced to her first-career grass-court quarterfinal after defeating Switzerland's Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-1 in the Round of 16 at the Bad Homburg Open.

Swiatek will next face Anna Blinkova.

The key game came early for Swiatek, who saved three break points in her opening service game to come through an 18-point game and hold. Teichmann did not see another break point until Swiatek's final service game of the match.

"I think it's my first grass-court quarterfinal, so pretty excited," Swiatek said on court. "For sure, today was a good day. I was happy with my performance. I felt like I had everything under control and that's great."

After fighting off break points in the opening set, Swiatek earned her first chance to break three games later. She converted, breaking Teichmann for a 3-2 lead with a well-struck tweener. With a break in hand, Swiatek cruised for the remainder of the match by controlling the baseline and keeping the Swiss on the run.

Serving for her ninth consecutive victory at 6-3, 5-1, Swiatek coolly saved two break points from 15-40 down to close out the match in 79 minutes. She finished with 14 winners to 16 unforced errors and saved all five break points she faced. Since getting broken to lose the opening set of her tournament to Tatjana Maria, Swiatek has not been broken. She has lost just six games across those four sets.

"It's getting easier every year to convert my clay-court style to more grass-court style," Swiatek said. "I think it will come with experience. I have a coach who knows how to coach players who are good on grass court like Aga Radwanska, so I'm pretty positive about my future on grass."

Swiatek will next face No.39 Blinkova, who defeated Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-2. It will be the first meeting between the two.

In earlier results, Italy's Lucia Bronzetti came from a set down to defeat Mayar Sherif 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 to advance to her first grass-court quarterfinal. Bronzetti will face France's Varvara Gracheva.

The remaining quarterfinals will see No.2 seed Liudmila Samsonova take on Katerina Siniakova and Spain's Rebeka Masarova will face Emma Navarro.

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Step by step Iga is definitely figuring this whole grass thing out. 

An even more solid performance than her previous match. 

You could actually see her confidence growing through her shots as the match went on. 

She's also showing real patience in point construction on grass which is great. 

Jazda Iga!

 

Iga Swiatek starts grass season off with a win in Bad Homburg

World No.1 Iga Swiatek won her first grass-court match of the season after coming back to defeat 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open. The victory is Swiatek's eighth consecutive win and moves her season record to a tour-leading 36-6.

Swiatek will play Switzerland's Jil Teichmann in the second round.

Match notes: In her first competitive appearance since winning her second Roland Garros title two weeks ago, Swiatek was made to work in her Bad Homburg debut. After earning a break advantage early in the opening set to serve at 4-3, 40-30, Swiatek lost her rhythm to give Maria a foothold in the match. Three consecutive unforced errors allowed Maria to level the set at 4-4, and the German mother of two held her serve with ease to lead 5-4.

Using her backhand slice with tactical efficiency, Maria continued to flummox Swiatek, drawing errors from the World No.1. She broke Swiatek for a second time to seal the opening set.

Swiatek has been open about her learning curve on grass. Despite winning the Wimbledon girl's title in 2018, grass remains the only surface on which she has yet to win a Hologic WTA Tour title. Wimbledon is the only major at which she has yet to make it past the Round of 16.

Given the opportunity to doubt her game after losing the first set, Swiatek responded by losing just two games for the rest of the match.

"She has a different game style and at the beginning it was tricky," Swiatek said. "But I'm pretty glad that I figured it out because I guess problem-solving on grass is the most important thing.

"So I really just wanted to look forward and thank what I could change. I know I have the game for that. I just had to find it a little bit."

Turning point: Swiatek opened the second set by winning the first nine points, building a 2-0 lead that she would not relinquish. Her improved aggression paid off quickly, as she won 31 of the 46 points in the second set to force a decider. That momentum continued in the third, where she won 25 of the 35 points played to dish out her third-ever 6-0 set on grass.

Key stats: Despite losing the opening set, Swiatek served 82 percent of first serves in. She did not face a break point in the second and third sets.

The match was just her sixth three-set match of the season. She is now 4-2 in third sets this season. Her 6-0 final set is her 15th of the year.

Next up: Swiatek will face Teichmann for a second time in their careers. The Swiss advanced after a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Claire Liu in the first round. Swiatek won their first meeting 6-3, 6-2 en route to the 2021 Adelaide title. A victory would boost Swiatek into her first tour-level quarterfinal on grass.

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A very solid first grass win of the season. You can already see huge improvements compared to last year. 

Iga is learning to problem solve instead of just fighting. Very impressive serve as well.  

And good mental toughness coming from a set down on her least favourite surface. 

Pluses all around.

On to the next one. Jazda!

Iga Swiatek nominted for best athlete ESPY Award

Iga Swiatek's historic 2022 season has earned her a top ESPY Award nomination by the American sports network ESPN and ABC.

Swiatek is among four nominees for the Best Athlete, Women’s Sports honor, and was nominated for the top honor for the first time. She's vying for the award against two fellow ESPY rookies: the WNBA’s A’ja Wilson and the NWSL’s Sophia Smith, as well as her good friend, Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin.

Swiatek posted a 67-9 record in 2022, the year in which she ascended to World No.1 following the retirement of Ashleigh Barty. She won eight titles, including her second and third Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, and posted a 37-match winning streak from February to July, the longest such streak this century.

For her efforts, she was named the 2022 WTA Player of the Year, and the 2022 ITF World Champion. The accolades have continued into this year, in which she was also named the Polish Sports Personality of the Year, and landed on TIME's 100 Most Influential People list.

Swiatek, who is also featured in Part 2 of Netflix's "Break Point," also makes up one-fourth of the "Best Tennis Player" category along with Aryna Sabalenka, and the ATP Tour's Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Last year, she was in the category with Ashleigh Barty and Emma Raducanu, the eventual winner.

Awarded since 1993, the ESPY Awards recognize excellence in team and individual sports performance, among other charitable and special categories. The 2023 ESPY Awards will air on ABC on July 12.

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Roger Federer honored in Halle on 30th Anniversary

 

What better 30th anniversary present for the Terra Wortmann Open than a visit from ATP Tour greatness?

Ten-time champion Roger Federer was the guest of honour Wednesday at the ATP 500 event in Halle, where a special ceremony was held to mark the Swiss' achievements inside OWL Arena. The 103-time tour-level champion admitted it was surreal to drop back in on the ATP Tour after he played his final professional event at the Laver Cup last September.

“This is my first time back to a tournament [since I retired], so it feels a little bit strange in a very good way,” Federer told ATP Media on the tournament’s ‘Roger Federer Day’. “I always feel once you’ve retired you need a proper purpose to come back, and that’s why we are here to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the tournament here in Halle.”

Federer boasted a 69-8 career record in Halle, where he triumphed in 2003-06, 2008, 2013-15, 2017 and 2019. He is an integral part of the history of the tournament, and photos of the Swiss lifting the trophy still adorn the site in north-west Germany.

“With Halle, we go way back,” said Federer. “I don’t know the first time I ever came here, maybe 22 years ago, and I played 18 years in those years. More than just a partnership, it’s also become a friendship over the years with the Weber family, first Gerhard Weber and then Ralf, who is now the tournament director. So it’s been a wonderful time, obviously also [I had] a lot of success here.

“[There were] great times, good moments spent as well in the second part of my career with the family. My kids would be running around all across the venue, and also the fans. We got to know them all, there’s been a lot of moments for interactions as well. It’s been really good, to be honest, and I always love coming here, so it’s really nice to come back again once I’m retired.”

While Federer is enjoying his time away from professional tennis so far, he maintains a keen interest in the ATP Tour and the fortunes of his former rivals.

“I’m very surprised at how often and how frequently I check scores,” said the five-time year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “Three times a day maybe. Then of course all of a sudden there’s times when I check out for like a week, and then I’m with the kids and I’m travelling, and you forget about everything around you. But for the most part, actually, I’m really into it.

“I think there’s some great matches going on. I try to check some highlights, reels more than watching games per se because my life is also a little bit busy, but I’m really happy [to]. I think that the level of play is going up again and again and it’s nice to see that. Also the new generation, challenging the likes of Novak and also Rafa. I hope he comes back.

“It’s good times in tennis and I always said that tennis is so great at always keeping on evolving. So [I am a] big fan of tennis and what all the players are doing is absolutely fantastic.”

Despite his continued keen interest in the game, Federer admitted he has not stepped back on court much since he partnered his great on-court rival Rafael Nadal in his final match at the Laver Cup in London.

“I haven’t booked a court yet, called up a friend and said ‘Let’s go play tennis’,” said Federer. “That hasn’t happened yet, but I play a lot with my children, so I try to help them a little bit, try to be a coach, but it’s not easy. It’s going to create some good memories for us.

“Hopefully down the road I can play some exhibitions again, when the body is healed up and all ready to go, but for the time being I’m just really happy away from the game. But like I said, I follow it still pretty closely.”

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Iga Swiatek delivers keynote speech at Rafa Nadal Academy for graduates

Fresh off her Roland Garros victory, World No.1 Iga Swiatek was a guest of honor at the graduation ceremony at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain on Wednesday. The four-time major champion was invited to give a speech to this year's class of graduates, which included 2022 US Open girl's champion Alexandra Eala.

"Honestly, for us it's a huge privilege to have you here today," Nadal said in his remarks. "I know that everybody here at the Academy, the students especially, appreciate your efforts, that after winning Roland Garros you are here inspiring all the kids."

Addressing the Class of 2023, Swiatek paid tribute to her idol Nadal.

"For the last few weeks, I've been looking at one quote at Roland Garros in Paris," Swiatek said. "On Philippe Chatrier Stadium it's written 'The victory belongs to the most tenacious.'

Swiatek said Nadal's example has impacted her version of "tenacity," that he's been a constant reminder of how persevering and never giving up can make a difference in life.

"I often have the feeling that sometimes when I'm playing or when I'm doing things off court, that I should do them better or I should seek perfection," Swiatek said. "But this shouldn't be the sense. We should all focus on the process and giving 100 percent, no matter what you can give, because every day is different.

"So I hope no matter what you do in the future years, if you're going to give 100 percent, if you're going to dedicate your focus and time to do it the best way possible, no matter what the result is going to be I'm sure that you'll have no regrets at the end."

Swiatek also told those in attendance her admiration for Nadal grew steadily as she watched more of his matches, particularly during those moments when he wasn't at his best, when he struggled on the court and still managed to overcome the obstacles.

"These are the matches that inspired me," she said. "So I hope you will be tenacious."

Swiatek also took the time to encourage the graduates to be as tenacious and mindful with their mental health and personal growth as they are with their tennis.

"When I was younger it was really hard to open up, to talk about what I want to do, what I want to achieve, how I feel," Swiatek said. "When I started doing that I felt I could truly work on myself and I became a much better person.

"So whatever you do in the future, don't hesitate to seek help. Don't hesitate to talk about difficult stuff."

After posing with Nadal for individual photos with each graduate, Swiatek got her own opportunity to properly celebrate her own high school graduation, which took place three years ago.

"If I could borrow one of the hats and throw it in the air that would be so cool because when I graduated it was during COVID, so I got only an online graduation," Swiatek said.

The academy was happy to oblige, giving Swiatek a matching royal blue mortarboard and a tassle. Swiatek joined the graduating class on stage and, on cue, moved her tassel to the left and threw her cap in the air in celebration with the graduates.

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Iga Swiatek, the Paris love affair part 3

 

The Champions Photoshoot in front of the Eiffel Tower a fave staple of Roland Garros. 

Iga is making it into a tradition :)

Iga Swiatek reigns in Paris for a 3rd time, wins her 4th Grand Slam title!

Iga Swiatek came into this year’s French Open with a title and her No.1 ranking to defend. On Saturday she left Paris with both intact.

What looked like a routine victory early for Swiatek was anything but a seamless ride to her latest title. Against unseeded Karolina Muchova, Swiatek won nine of the first 11 games before her unseeded opponent staged a remarkable comeback to push the match into a third set.

"Oh, my God, do you want to start that roller coaster?" Swiatek told reporters when asked to explain her emotions during the match.

It was a wild, rousing encounter that featured a dozen breaks of serve and, as it closed in on three hours, it was impossible to know who would win.

But in the end, after Muchova double-faulted on match point, Swiatek would hold on for the 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win late Saturday evening in Paris.

And so, Swiatek defended her title at Roland Garros, winning her third in four years and fourth major overall.

Even in victory, Swiatek was characteristically modest as she turned to address her player’s box.

“Sorry for being such a pain in the …” she said during the trophy presentation. “I’ll try to do better. I’m really happy that we can feel satisfied now and celebrate.

“I love being here. Basically, it’s my favorite place on tour.”

She turned 22 years old only 10 days ago, but her name is already associated with some of the game’s greats.

Swiatek joins Monica Seles and Naomi Osaka as the only women in the Open Era to win each of their first four Grand Slam finals and the youngest since Seles to win consecutive titles at the French Open. She’s also the youngest to win a fourth Grand Slam title since Serena Williams took the 2002 US Open.

Swiatek’s three Roland Garros crowns equal the lifetime achievements of Margaret Court, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Seles and Williams; only players named Evert, Graf and Henin have more. Only Court (95.5 percent) has a higher winning percentage at Roland Garros than Swiatek’s 93.3 percent -- in a single Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Swiatek will continue as the Hologic WTA Tour’s No.1 player. She’s now 28-2 at Roland Garros and 26-2 in Grand Slam matches since becoming No.1.

"Last year for sure it was a confirmation for me that the first time wasn't a coincidence or something like that," Swiatek said. "This one, for sure, it was a little bit tougher in terms of injuries and the pressure, and also coming back to this tournament as a defending champion, I right now feel like it's a little bit different.

"I needed to really handle that."

Coming in, much was made of Muchova’s 5-0 record against Top 3 players. Her comeback against No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals showcased her fearlessness. But when she stepped on Court Philippe Chatrier to face No.1 Swiatek, it was the first appearance in a Grand Slam singles final for the Czech Republic player.

Ranked No.46, Muchova lost four straight points on her first service game with some loose play, and Swiatek raced out to a 3-0 lead. But with Swiatek serving at 3-1, Muchova settled in. She started hitting deep groundstrokes, which allowed her to come to net and finish points. In a game that ran more than nine minutes and with four deuces, Swiatek won Muchova’s only break-point opportunity with a big, lashing backhand.

Swiatek, up 4-1, forged another break point but Muchova escaped with some of the versatility she’s known for, opening up the court and stroking a pair of backhand winners. Serving at 2-5, Muchova lost all four points and the set.

With Swiatek up 3-0 again, the second set began to resemble the first. But this time, when Muchova crafted a second break opportunity, she converted it with a forehand winner down the line to get back on serve at 2-3.

Ultimately, up 6-5 and after a spectacular scrambling point -- the best of the match -- Muchova converted her third set point when Swiatek’s backhand service return was long.

The momentum continued, as Muchova broke Swiatek’s serve for the third straight time. But then, three games later, it was back on serve at 2-all. The decisive break came in the seventh game. A Swiatek double fault made it love-30, an exquisite drop shot 15-40 and then Muchova moved Swiatek all over the court and emerged with a 4-3 lead.

"In the third set I didn't want to have any regrets about the second," Swiatek said. "I just kind of looked forward, and I said to myself, 'Okay, you know what? I'm just going to give it all.' No thinking, no analyzing. Just play my game, use my intuition, and that really helped."

Swiatek broke back to level the match. And then survived another break point to go ahead 5-4. Ultimately, Muchova’s double fault, only her third of the match, was the difference.

"Since Stuttgart I haven't been home," Swiatek said. "So I'm happy that I finished the whole clay court swing so well, and that I kind of survived.

"I guess I'm never going to kind of doubt my strength again maybe because of that."

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This final went from a routine Iga Swiatek straight set domination to an instant classic thanks to Karolina Muchova's net skills. 

There was honestly a moment where I really thought Iga was going to lose after being a set and break up (which would have hurt). 

But instead she stayed steady and calm and just used her experience and skills she has to take the momentum and the match back.

It had everything, breaks, swings of momentum, fantastic rallies, and ultimately a champion's grit and experience won in the end. It doesn't get better than that.

As much as I've enjoyed Iga's straight forward finals this 3 set win (a first ever for Iga in a major) made the victory feel even more special. 

Iga really had to show an incredible strong mental fortitude in order to win, and she did it from twice being a break down. 

It was another facet of the champion and fighter she has become over the last 3 years, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next!. 

I'm still in disbelief about how it all ended and I'm just so happy for Iga she's had a tough year thus far (when you compare it to 2022) with some injuries and tough losses. 

This will undoubtedly give her confidence for the rest of the season. Perhaps even enough to do well on the grass. 

I do hope she plays a warm up tournament this year. It is extremely hard to win Wimbledon with no preparation even if you have a kinder draw.

If Iga keeps going like this in Paris they really will have to rename the tournament Poland Garros. :D 

What a crazy 2 weeks it's been.

Thank you for the ride Iga and for once again allowing me to feel enormous national pride.

Hope you get plenty of rest and lot's of Tiramisu. 

See you on the green stuff Champ. :)