Iga Swiatek's WTA Finals hopes come to an end with tough loss to Anisimova

 

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Sometimes, at this late juncture of the WTA Finals’ round-robin matches, the semifinal scenarios can be daunting. Calculators and slide rules -- maybe even a compass -- might not be enough to navigate the obscure tiebreakers that can come into play.

Thankfully, there was only one possible outcome on Wednesday evening when No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek

 faced No. 4 Amanda Anisimova at the King Saud University Indoor Arena:

Winner take all.

No. 6 Elena Rybakina had already clinched the Serena Williams Group’s first semifinal berth and top seed before her 6-4, 6-4 victory over alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova, leaving this match to decide the final spot.

It was a banger. In what was undoubtedly the best stroke-for-stroke match of the tournament so far, Anisimova advanced with a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2 win over Swiatek.

Coming into the tournament, Anisimova was asked if she had surprised herself this season. Yes, she said.

But was she surprised by this second successive victory over Swiatek?

“No, I don’t think I was surprised or shocked at any point in the match,” Anisimova said. “I knew it was going to be really tough, and I was preparing for that. Yeah, I think I just tried to enjoy it.

“I feel like I belong at this point and I’ve played a lot of tough matches this year. I know my capabilities. And I know if I can play my best tennis, I can give it my best shot.”

Anisimova has beaten all four of this year’s Grand Slam winners, including Swiatek twice.

It was the first time in Swiatek’s career she’s lost back-to-back matches after winning the opening set.

Afterward, Swiatek was understandably upset.

“Honestly,” she said, “I did everything I could today, so like no regrets. I felt like I was really in the zone, positive mindset. I fought and really didn’t give up -- it wasn’t enough, which makes me sad.

“I don’t know, maybe I can find some understanding … when you do everything and it’s still not enough, I guess it means you just need to get your tennis better.”

Rybakina and Anisimova will await the results of Thursday’s two final round-robin matches that will determine their Friday semifinal opponents from the Stefanie Graf Group.

The first 23 games, constantly fraught with tension, did not feature a single break of serve. The match ran 2 hours and 36 minutes. Anisimova won 107 points, to Swiatek’s 103.

Anisimova is the first player to hit more than 40 winners in a WTA Finals' match since Caroline Garcia versus Daria Kasatkina in 2022 (42).

Anisimova, currently ranked a career-high No. 4, came in with some impressive credentials. She was the only player to qualify here from outside the Top 20 of the PIF WTA Rankings and the only one to beat each of the current Top 3 players -- Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek and Coco Gauff-- this season. This is her first WTA Finals appearance.

The charged recent history between the two brought a distinct edge to this match. Swiatek was responsible for what almost certainly was the most difficult professional loss of Anisimova’s career, a 6-0, 6-0 scalding in the Wimbledon final. Showing remarkable fortitude, Anisimova returned the favor, knocking Swiatek out of the US Open with a 6-4, 6-3 quarterfinal victory.

For 59 minutes on Wednesday, it was a dead heat. Twelve straight service holds -- a rarity these days -- delivered them to a first-set tiebreak. To get there, Swiatek needed to save four break points, two of them serving at 5-all. Anisimova didn’t face even one.

It was 1-all when Swiatek asserted herself, hitting three straight winners to take a 4-1 lead that Anisimova never challenged. After playing so cleanly, a few cracks began to emerge in her game. When her last forehand soared long, an Anisimova anguished, extended groan climbed at least an octave.

And so it went, with service hold after hold. Finally, with Anisimova leading 5-4, Swiatek was broken and the match was level at a set apiece.

Swiatek saved two break points in each of her first two service games in the ultimate frame -- but not a third. A double fault gave Anisimova a 3-1 lead. Given the tightness of the match, it felt like a lot more.

This was an encouraging outing from Anisimova, who edged ahead in the head-to-head 2-1. In a season of career firsts, she’s into her first semifinal at the year-end championship.

wtatennis.com

Iga went from playing one of her worst matches at the WTA Finals vs Rybakina 2 days ago to one of her absolute best today, but sadly still wasn't enough. Came up just a bit short on the big points today. 

Had her chances in the 2nd those wasted break points proved decisive to the match. 

This marks the first time Iga has lost back to back matches in a single tournament in 4 years (mind boggling!). 

And the first time in her career she has lost back to back matches from a set up. 

That's how good her best has been.

I know a lot of people are disappointed, and there's talk as there always is of changing something in the team, when the reality is we don't know the intricacies of it and clearly it works for Iga. 

In this sport every player has one or 2 bad seasons after years of dominance. Some of the best players in the world have had it happen to them. It happened to Roger, to Rafa and to Novak even Serena. 

And now it's happened to Iga. 

But amazingly despite not being able to reach the dizzying heights of previous years she still give her fans fantastic triumphs on 2 of her worst surfaces grass and the fast hard courts of Cincinnati. 

No one expected that (least of all Iga herself) and yet she did so in spectacular fashion. 

So much so I think maybe Anisimova really took that Wimbledon double bagel very personally. 

The season is not quite over for Iga since she'll be taking part in 2 BJK Cup ties in Poland, but I'm already hoping and dreaming about big things for Iga in 2026. 

She achieved one of the biggest dreams for fans of Polish tennis, being the first ever Pole to win the prestigious Wimbledon Championship. Something I always thought she would achieve last (if ever).

Next year she'll have a chance for a Career Slam at the Aussie Open, she has been so close made the semis for 3 years now and was a point away from the final last year.

Having really figured out the quick courts this year I have big hopes for it in January.

When it comes to the WTA Finals this year Iga got dealt a bit of a bad hand with all the big flat hitters (players that give her the most trouble) ending up in her group. 

That bad loss to Rybakina was a bit of a nail in the coffin. 

Seeing Iga looking quite down in her interviews despite trying to sound positive hurts to watch a bit, wish the media would give players more time to process before asking them to order their thoughts after a heartbreak. 

Hold your head up Iga, you ended the season on a high and showed a fantastic level, even played your best tiebreak of the  year. In fact this match was the best showcased at the WTA Finals in this year thus far. 

Lot's to be proud of. 

Not the least of which making it through another grueling season injury free, when so many players didn't even finish the season due to mental of physical exhaustion. 

Your superior conditioning will always be a big plus and something to be extremely proud of. 

See you in Gorzow Iga! 

Iga Swiatek starts another season ending WTA finals with a clinical performance

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- There are no free lunches at the WTA Finals, not when you have the world’s best eight singles players from 2025 all gathered under the same roof at King Saud University Indoor Arena.

Right out of the box on Saturday night, in the very first singles match, two of the four Grand Slam winners faced off.

After a prematch snack of fresh strawberries, No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek, the Wimbledon winner, defeated No. 7 Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2.

“Kind of [happy] with everything,” Swiatek said. “Mostly my serve and overall focus. I was in the zone from the beginning to the end, and I really wanted to keep it that way.”

Did Swiatek think Keys’ extended layoff was a factor in the result?

“I’m not in her head -- so I can’t really say,” she said. “But from my experience, yeah, not playing for a longer time can make you a bit rusty.”

Keys, who hadn’t played in 68 days after losing in the first round of the US Open, looked sluggish and her timing seemed off. Coaches will tell you it’s difficult to replicate the intensity of match play in practice.

Swiatek won 12 of 15 games and 58 of 87 points, converting five of eight break points. It was over in 61 minutes. The 24-year-old from Poland now leads the head-to-head 6-2. Previously, they had split this year’s two matches. Swiatek has won 62 tour-level matches so far in 2025, the most on tour.

After winning on the red clay at Roland Garros four times in five years (2020-24), Swiatek lost in semifinals earlier this year to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

 What followed was a stunning victory at Wimbledon, a slick surface she wondered if she’d ever master.

One of this year’s initiatives under coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek explained, was playing more aggressively on hard courts. In essence, she accepted more risk to reap greater rewards.

“I think technically for sure the way I played on faster surfaces, the way I handled sometimes faster balls that were an issue for me in previous seasons,” Swiatek told reporters Friday. “This was something that I felt improved totally.

“Also the speed of the serve. I don’t know, I think I was in some kind of a ranking of fifth or something in aces this year. That's impossible. But my serve improved. I would love for my percentage to always be consistent. That’s the next goal.”

The more immediate target is a title here, to go with her 2023 victory in Cancun. Swiatek recorded her first win in the Serena Williams Group, while Keys may well have to win her last two matches, against No. 4 Amanda Anisimova and No. 6 Elena Rybakina, to advance to the semifinals.

Keys, who returned to the practice courts after Saturday's match, said she picked up a minor injury during the summer.

“I just kept trying to play through it,” she said. “It was just one of those things where I couldn't ever be 100 percent. Just felt like the best decision for me to have the best opportunity for the Finals was to kind of take some time, get healthy.”

Keys is participating in her second year-end championship, going back to her initial breakthrough in 2016. Her record is now 1-3.

wtatennis.com

69 consecutive tournaments without losing the opening match 73 consecutive tournaments winning at least one match

Iga Swiatek is now undefeated in opening matches at WTA events in four years - including United Cup and WTA Finals: 69 events played since losing to Maria Sakkari at the WTA Finals 2021 in Guadalajara. Welcoming.

10 - Only Maria Sharapova (17), Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova (14 each) have now won more WTA Finals in Round Robin matches than Iga Swiatek (10). Group.

Iga Swiatek has won the most WTA-level matches in 2025 (61) becoming the first player with 60+ wins for 4+ consecutive seasons (2022-2025) since Martina Hingis (1997-2001) and Lindsay Davenport (1998-2001). Countdown.

WTA Finals 2025 top 8 in Riyadh

 

Women’s tennis thriving on the court as season wraps but WTA must catch up

Sabalenka and Swiatek head to Saudi finals after epic year yet organisers remain dire at marketing their product.

The final weeks of the women’s tennis season showcased one last twist in the furious race to determine the qualifiers for the WTA Finals. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, finally caught fire after a year of near misses, bulldozing through her opponents to win a title in Ningbo, China that solidified her spot in Riyadh among the eight best players in the world.

Just as significant as Rybakina’s qualification, though, was its consequences for the player she usurped. Mirra Andreeva, the 18-year-old prodigy who won WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells this year, had seemed like a sure bet to qualify in singles for the finals. Her failure to do so underscores the fact that this year has been the toughest and most competitive women’s tennis season in years.

At the top, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have further strengthened their claims as the two greatest players of their generation. While the former put together another supremely consistent year as the best player in the world, winning her fourth grand slam title at the US Open and reaching the Australian and French Open finals, the latter captured the one tournament she never imagined she could win, earning her sixth grand slam title at Wimbledon.

Still, the other top players have allowed them no rest and the intense competition has inspired countless epic high-stakes matches throughout the year. It took consecutive colossal performances from Madison Keys against Swiatek and Sabalenka to finally win her first grand slam title at the Australian Open. In Paris, Coco Gauff outsmarted Sabalenka in a dramatic, wind-afflicted three-setter to win her second grand slam title aged just 21. Two days earlier, Sabalenka ended Swiatek’s three- year reign in another unforgettable duel.

At the US Open, women’s semi-final day turned out to be one of the best days of tennis this year as Sabalenka overcame Jessica Pegula in a breathless, high-quality battle before Amanda Anisimova continued her long-awaited breakthrough season by dragging herself past Naomi Osaka to reach a second consecutive grand slam final. Even Swiatek’s 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Anisimova in the Wimbledon final turned out to be part of one of the most compelling storylines this year. Two months later, Anisimova showed her toughness by exacting revenge on the Pole at the earliest opportunity in New York.

This may have been a great year for women’s tennis on the court, but on the eve of another finals, the eternal question remains whether the tour can provide its talent with a strong enough platform to turn the sport into a thriving product again. As the Women’s Tennis Association’s flagship event, in recent years this tournament has reflected the tour’s struggles. It should actually be in the middle of a 10-year residency in Shenzhen but the Covid-19 pandemic and the WTA’s fleeting objections to the disappearance of Peng Shuai led to the cancellation of their agreement after the first edition in 2019.

The event then bounced between different countries each year, with various difficulties, a period that also left the WTA in a deep financial hole. Its inevitable embrace of Saudi Arabia addressed some of those financial issues and in recent years the organisation has been restructured. In 2023, the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners acquired a 20% stake in the WTA’s new commercial arm, WTA Ventures. Last August, it appointed Portia Archer as its chief executive.

For all the recent changes at the WTA, which included a significant image rebrand at the beginning of the year, it remains to be seen if it can put itself on the right path. Aside from changing the graphics of their website alongside a beige new slogan – Rally The World – not so much has changed to its public offering since that rebrand. The WTA marketing budget remains a fraction of that of the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and it shows in its paltry output on social media and lack of original content on YouTube.

Eight years after initiating its own bespoke subscription-based streaming product, WTA TV, the service still does not have its own app or a global presence. This also contrasts starkly with Tennis TV, the ATP’s streaming platform, which suffocates viewers with content. A particularly concerning development at the WTA, which does not reflect well on the organisation’s judgment, was the decision to end its WTA Insider initiative, one of the few ways that it effectively showcased the storylines within the sport. Otherwise, the WTA has been dire at marketing its players and their personalities for so long.

At a time when women’s sport is enjoying significant growth and momentum around the world, the WTA should be leading the way. Instead, it is still stunted by its own problems and the path forward is unclear. What is certain, though, is the quality provided by the athletes on the court. As play begins on Saturday, with Gauff attempting to defend her title in a brutal field composed of the best players in the world, there will be more great tennis to come.

the guardian.com

Now this is the kind of reporting more people need to read because it is the absolute truth. The WTA likes to pretend it's making progress but in reality it continues to be stagnant when compared to the ATP.

All these years later and despite plenty of progress it still feels like women are still being treated as 2nd class citizens. 

Whether it's prize money or money spent on marketing to sell the sport better. It is beyond sad, and perhaps more importantly incredibly frustrating. 

In 2025 WTATV still doesn't have an app (I have to watch the matches through the Amazon Silk browser). While the ATP app has had at least 3 revamps over the years and continues to improve. 

What's worse is that the WTA app still isn't global and only available in North America. Talk about an opportunity missed. 

How are people suppose to follow their favourite player around the world if it's not available to watch anywhere. 

It is such a simple and smart business solution yet no one in the organization seems to see it. Or maybe it's just that they don't much care.

And that's heartbreaking. As a woman I wouldn't even be a tennis fan if it weren't for the WTA.

Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz will once again start 2026 with Team Poland at United Cup

Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek are running it back. Two-time defending finalists Poland are the first team to commit to the 2026 United Cup.

The 2025 Wimbledon champion and former ATP World No. 6's early commitment ensures Poland will feature at the event for the fourth time in four editions after reaching two consecutive title bouts. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Hurkacz and Swiatek, Poland was runner-up to the United States in 2025, and Germany in 2024.

Swiatek, who has won 14 of her 16 career singles matches at the event said in a news released confirming her participation that "it's always an amazing experience and just an honor to represent your country and especially alongside such great players."

“I love being part of the team and have great memories of playing this event," she added. "This tournament is different. It brings more excitement than normal tournaments we play during the year.”

This January, Swiatek went unbeaten in the competition before losing to Coco Gauff in the women's singles rubber in the final in the U.S.'s 2-0 win. Last year, she and Hurkacz had championship points in the deciding mixed doubles match against Laura Siegemund and Alexander Zverev before falling.

Seventeen other countries will join Poland in the field at the mixed-gender team competition ahead of the 2026 Australian Open, and participation is subject to players committing to the event by the tournament’s entry deadline of Nov. 11. Perth will host the first day of United Cup action on Jan. 2 at RAC Arena, while the group stage in Sydney will begin on Jan. 3 at Ken Rosewall Arena.

Other details of the fifth edition of United Cup, to be held from Jan. 2-11, include:

At the entry deadline, 10 countries will qualify via the five highest-ranked men and five highest-ranked women entered, based on their PIF ATP Rankings and WTA Rankings.

Eight teams will qualify according to the best combined ranking of the highest-ranked men’s and women’s players from the same country.

At the second qualification date on Nov. 17, if there is a player in the Top 10 (maximum 1 ATP and 1 WTA player) of the latest PIF ATP Rankings or WTA Rankings who has entered and has an eligible team but has not been accepted based on their individual ATP/WTA ranking, they will be accepted -- and their team will replace the lowest-ranked team with combined ranking.

Australia is guaranteed entry, either directly via ranking or as a wild card.

Each city will host nine teams each: three groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format, and each tie will comprise one men’s singles and one women’s singles match featuring the No.1-ranked singles players, and one mixed doubles match.

Group winners in each city advance to the quarterfinals with one quarterfinal spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city.

Winners will progress to the semifinals and final to be played in Sydney.

wtatennis.com

Iga Swiatek reaches quarterfinals in Wuhan debut

In Thursday night’s first match, No. 2-seeded Iga Swiatek became the fifth WTA 1000 champion to advance to the quarterfinals at the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open. In the nightcap, No. 3 Coco Gauff made it six.

Gauff was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Chinese wild card Zhang Shuai, while Swiatek defeated No. 13 Belinda Bencic 7-6 (2), 6-4.

They could meet in the semifinals, but first there is the matter of Friday’s supercharged quarterfinals.

Swiatek meets No. 7 Jasmine Paolini, who came back to defeat No. 10 Clara Tauson 3-6, 6-1, 3-1 via retirement.

Gauff has an unexpected match against unseeded Laura Siegemund, who advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Magdalena Frech. At 37, and the oldest player left in the draw, the German is looking for her second Top 10 win of the tournament following a second-round upset of No. 5 Mirra Andreeva.

Playing Wuhan for the first time, Swiatek has looked a lot like a six-time Grand Slam champion. The win over Bencic was the 125th WTA 1000 victory of her young career, and Friday will be her 25th WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

Swiatek finished with eight aces and converted four of six break-point opportunities in a match that clocked in at 2 hours and 8 minutes.

“For sure I wanted to play with confidence and make great decisions and not let her dictate,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview after the match. “It was super hard and every game was tough. That’s why it was two sets in over two hours. I’m happy that I was there in the deciding moments to be solid and play one more shot.”

This was Swiatek’s fifth win in six matches against Bencic, but it did not come easily. Since giving birth to daughter Bella in the spring of 2024, the Swiss player has steadily returned to her championship form. She was the winner in Abu Dhabi back in February and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, losing to eventual champion Swiatek.

After dropping the first three games to Swiatek, Bencic came back to win five of six games and found herself serving for the first set at 5-4. Two loose forehands, however, gave Swiatek the equalizing break.

The tiebreak wasn’t competitive. Bencic has made a career of taking the ball early, playing fast and aggressively. But in this instance, Swiatek was sharper. With Bencic serving at 2-4, Swiatek was standing inside the baseline when she sent a first serve back with an eye-opening forehand winner. Winning her third straight point, Swiatek converted her first set point.

In the second set, the two were even at 3-all when Swiatek made her move. A snappy forehand winner, followed by another faulty forehand from Bencic, gave her the decisive break.

wtatennis.com

So we went from this great performance to losing in the quarters 6/1 6/2 to Paolini for the first time. 

Guess this match took a lot out of Iga because she looked like she had nothing left for Poalini the next day. 

Not a surprise though given Iga has once again played the most matches this year (60+ for the 4th year in a row). 

This early loss might be a blessing in disguise, and allow her a bit more rest and preparation for WTA Finals in November.

Hang in there Iga, we're in the home stretch now. 

Go to the WTA Finals and play like you've got nothing to lose. 

Whatever happens it's been a really solid 2025 overall. 

Proud as always.

Iga Swiatek starts Wuhan debut with a convincing win

Iga Swiatek and Mirra Andreeva both lost in Beijing’s fourth round and arrived at the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open hoping to create some momentum heading into year-end championships.

On Tuesday, the No. 2-seeded Swiatek was the first player to advance to the third round, defeating Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 6-1. She’ll meet the winner of Wednesday’s second-round match between No. 13 seed Belinda Bencic and Elise Mertens.

Andreeva, the No. 5 seed, later fell to Laura Siegemund
 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3. The grueling match required 3 hours and 1 minute.

Since reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in early July, Andreeva’s record is 5-4.

Swiatek dominated Bouzkova’s serve, winning 31 of 51 points and breaking her six times in a match that ran 79 minutes.

The 24-year-old from Poland is now 2-0 against Bouzkova, while the Czech Republic player is now 0-7 for the year against Top 10 players. Bouzkova defeated wild card Camila Osorio 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.

Swiatek was the top seed in Beijing, but fell to Emma Navarro 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.

She’s the No. 2 player in the PIF WTA Rankings and one of the game’s most consistent players. But even the six-time Grand Slam champion knows there’s a far better chance of losing than winning a title. She’s played in 17 events this year and come away with three crowns -- Wimbledon, Cincinnati and Seoul.

“There are many tournaments that you win [and] the next week you lose,” Swiatek told reporters in Wuhan. “So it is disappointing. It’s hard to be winning all the time and be consistent.

“It’s not something I would expect, but I just try to focus on developing and just working every day to play as well as possible.”

That long-term approach has worked nicely for Swiatek, who collected her 60th match-win for 2025. She’s the only woman this century to do it for four consecutive years. Martina Hingis (1997-2001) and Lindsay Davenport (1998-2001) were the last to manage that feat.

Swiatek has been lethally sharp in WTA 1000 events. Look at these numbers:

She’s won 31 consecutive opening matches; since 1990, only Hingis (40) has done better.

This was Swiatek’s 100th straight-sets win -- in 153 matches. Only Serena Williams (144) got there in fewer matches.

Since the format came into being, Swiatek’s straight-set win percentage is .654, second to Serena Williams’ .665.

“Every tournament I go to, I want to play my best game,” Swiatek said. “Sometimes I deliver; sometimes not but yeah, my expectation is to just do my best. Honestly, I don’t set goals like semifinal or whatever -- just really making it step by step.”

wtatennis.com

Iga Swiatek into the last 16 of Bejing via walkover

No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek advanced to the China Open fourth round on Monday after Camila Osorio retired with an abdominal injury following a 6-0 first set.

The first set had been closer than the scoreline suggested, with five of the six games going to deuce, but the Colombian took a medical timeout trailing 5-0. After serving a double fault to fall behind 0-40 in the opening game of the second set, she was forced to call it quits.

The first set was Swiatek's 17th 6-0 set of 2025 so far -- a tour-leading season tally, 10 more than second-placed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has won seven 6-0 sets.

"For sure I'm sorry for Camila, because she's always giving her 100%," Swiatek told press afterward. "She told me she got injured at the beginning of the match. It's always pretty sad to see that because we want to just compete. She wasn't able to. But overall, like besides that, I feel like I played good in the first set and really used my game to push Camila."

Swiatek will face No. 16 seed Emma Navarro in the last 16 after the American also advanced via retirement. A left thigh injury forced Roland Garros semifinalist Lois Boisson to pull the plug trailing 6-2, 1-0.

Swiatek has dropped only five games to Navarro across two previous meetings, winning 6-0, 6-2 at the 2018 Charleston ITF W80 and 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January.

wtatennis.com

Iga Swiatek continues her win streak into Bejing

 

BEIJING (AP) — Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek defeated Yuan Yue 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the third round at the China Open and create some WTA Tour history.

The WTA said Swiatek, with Saturday's win, became the first player to register 25 or more wins at WTA-1000 events for three consecutive seasons.

Top-seeded Swiatek, who won last week's Korea Open in Seoul, has also won the French Open four times and the US Open once among her six Grand Slam singles titles.

tennis.com

Fantastic start to another Bejing campaign for Iga. In the zone and fearless hitting throughout. The court conditions of this tournament undoubtedly suit her to a tee. 

Iga Swiatek wins 25th career title in Korea Open thriller

The phrase “numbers don’t lie” is a common misconception – especially in tennis.

Take Sunday’s Korea Open final for example, where Iga Swiatek
 was outperformed by Ekaterina Alexandrova in nearly every single statistical category, including total points won.

Yet it was Swiatek who prevailed in Seoul, rallying to defeat Alexandrova 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in 2 hours and 41 minutes. The victory marked her third title of the season and the 25th of her career.

She is now 25-5 all-time in WTA finals.

“First of all, I want to congratulate Ekaterina for an amazing week and an amazing final,” Swiatek said during the trophy presentation. “Honestly, I don’t know how I won it because you were playing great and I just tried to stay alive.

“Hopefully we’re going to play more finals because it’s always tough against you, but it’s also entertaining.”

That “tried to stay alive” mentality ultimately gave Swiatek the edge in a match defined by razor-thin margins – aside from the lopsided opening set.

Alexandrova, the clear underdog, came out swinging and needed just 30 minutes to take the first set in convincing fashion, breaking Swiatek in the opening game and never looking back.

Swiatek flipped the script to start the second set, breaking Alexandrova immediately. But the momentum shifted again as Alexandrova broke back in the next game. The two then traded holds until it came time for a tiebreak, where Swiatek finally looked to be the one in control for the first time in the match.

She jumped out to a 3-0 lead, extended it to 5-2 and closed out the tiebreak 7-3 to force a decider.

Early in the third, Swiatek handed Alexandrova a break with three double faults in one game, falling behind 2-1. But she recovered, leveling the set at 3-all and taking the lead for just the second time in the match in the next game.

From there, scoreboard pressure worked in Swiatek’s favor. As Alexandrova served to stay in the match, Swiatek turned up the heat – blasting a cross-court forehand winner on her second match point to put away her opponent and seal the comeback.

Despite the loss, Alexandrova led nearly every key stat: she had more aces (6 to 2), fewer double faults (6 to 9), a higher first-serve percentage (595 to 535), a higher percentage of first serves won (66% to 58%), more winners (30 to 23), fewer unforced errors (25 to 40), more break points created (8 vs. 7) and a better conversion rate (63% to 43%), and most notably, more total points won (108 to 97).

But Swiatek was simply more clutch.

In the moments that mattered most – serving down 5-4 in the second set while Alexandrova was two points from victory, during the tiebreak, or when she trailed by a break in the third set – Swiatek showed exactly why she once held the world No. 1 ranking, and why she may reclaim it in the not-so-distant future.

For now, Swiatek remains No. 2 in both the PIF WTA Rankings as well as No. 2 in the Race to the WTA Finals.

But that’s not what matters most to her at the moment. With this title, Swiatek finally delivered a lasting legacy in Seoul – something her father, Tomasz Swiatek, narrowly missed.

“I’m happy that I could win here because of the family history,” Swiatek said. “My dad couldn’t win the Olympics [here] but at least I won this tournament. So hopefully he’s going to come next year to enjoy everything.”

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Iga went from no titles to winning a Grand Slam, a WTA 1000 and a WTA 500 in a span of a few months. 

Not a bad way to turn your season around. This one was extra special given how hard she had to fight to win it (as well as her dad taking part in the 1988 Seoul Olympics). 

Not having her best tennis on the day. Champions always find a way as the saying goes, she continues her great run when it comes to finals. 

 First final in her career  she had to won from a set down too. With how much she has done in her young career thus far sometimes it catches me off guard that there are still firsts she has yet to experience.

I have been watching this sport since my teens and to this day I'm still surprised how one player can win a match despite playing worse than their opponent. 

Iga had a negative ratio of winners to errors and only made just over 50 percent of serves the entire match yet somehow she still won. Tennis truly is about winning the clutch points, and the definition of not how you start but how you finish. 

I think it's one of the things that reminds why I love this sport so much and stick with it year after year.

I hope these type of matches remind Iga once more that she is capable of scrapping and fighting and making a comeback even when not at her best on the day. I hope she uses this as a great confidence builder for the remainder of the season.

So that's 25 out of 30 finals that Iga has played at just 24 years of age. It's the stuff of legends and her career has barely begun. 

Phenomenal.

With this win Iga became only the 2nd Polish woman to win in Seoul since Aga Radwanska in 2013 (who coincidently was also seeded first and also came back from losing the first set).

Iga Swiatek pulls off double duty to reach Korea Open semis in tournament debut

A rainout the previous day created a packed Saturday schedule at the Korea Open, with both the quarterfinals and semifinals being held just hours apart.

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek handled the challenge with ease.

She opened against Barbora Krejcikova in what was expected to be a competitive quarterfinal. Instead, Swiatek dominated, blanking the former Grand Slam champion in the first set. After trading breaks early in the second, she broke for a 4-3 lead and closed out the match 6-0, 6-3 in 1 hour and 23 minutes.

Following a brief break, Swiatek returned to the court to face rising star Maya Joint in their first career meeting. Joint had upset No. 3 seed Clara Tauson in the quarterfinals earlier in the day, also by a score of 6-0, 6-3.

But the 19-year-old’s run ended in the semifinals. Swiatek, unfazed by the quick turnaround, delivered another commanding performance, winning 6-0, 6-2 in just over an hour to secure her spot in the final.

It was another case of Swiatek wasting no time in asserting control over her opponent, breaking at love in the opening game and needing just 25 minutes to bagel Joint in the first set.

Joint held serve to start the second set to finally get on the board, but Swiatek reeled off four straight games to go up a set and a double break. Joint showed further signs of life by converting a break point later in the set, but Swiatek won the final two games, closing out the match with a smash at the net.

Though she doesn’t know who she’ll face in Sunday’s final just yet, Swiatek is prepared for what lies ahead, taking confidence in the level she’s displayed so far this week.

“Let’s see who I play,” Swiatek said after the match. “But I’ll just focus on myself and on the goals that I had before and continue to do what I was doing throughout the tournament, because it's been working.

“The final is supposed to be the toughest and it always produces a different kind of stress, so I’m just happy that I’ve already played solid matches here.”

It marks Swiatek’s fourth individual final of the season -- all since June. She is 2-1 in finals this year, with titles at Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open, and 24-5 overall in her career.

This will be her first Korea Open final.

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14 - Iga Swiatek has won 14 sets with a 6-0 scoreline in WTA level events this season, twice as many than the second best (Ekaterina Alexandrova with seven). Sailing.

I think this marked only the 2nd time Iga has had to play same day back to back matches in her career on the WTA Tour (last one was on clay in Rome at least 3 years ago).

It was mighty impressive, court conditions in Korea really seem to suit her game.

Iga Swiatek makes winning debut at Korea Open

No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek made a victorious debut at the Korea Open 2025 presented by Motiva on Thursday, defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-2 to post her sixth win in six meetings with the Romanian -- and afterwards, she revealed the family connection that made it extra special.

Swiatek's father, Tomasz, was a rower who competed in the men's quadruple sculls event at one Olympic Games -- Seoul 1988. This may be his daughter's first time in the city, but she's been hearing about it for all of her life.

"The Olympics in 1988 were the highlight of his career, and he's been telling us stories about it since me and my sister were kids," Swiatek said in her on-court interview. "So I'm happy to explore this city -- he's been talking about being here as a great adventure. I play a different sport, but still we're at the Olympic venue and I'm surprised by how the whole city is still appreciating the Olympic tradition. It's great, because this event is the best the world has in any area. Playing here for sure is an honor, and maybe next year my dad will come!"

Playing her first match since losing in the US Open quarterfinals to Amanda Anisimova, Swiatek got off to a fast start against an opponent to whom she has only ever dropped one set -- the first set of their first meeting back at the 2022 Australian Open. She hammered a pair of forehand winners en route to breaking Cirstea in the first game, and swiftly built a 5-1 lead.

Cirstea still battled hard, saving the first five points against her with fine serving and getting one of the breaks back as Swiatek lapsed into error -- but another forehand winner from the Pole sealed her sixth set point. In the second set, Swiatek still had to navigate a few untidy moments -- she tallied 19 winners to 21 unforced errors overall -- but nonetheless saved all three break points against her, and converted her first match point as Cirstea sent a forehand long.

Swiatek advanced to her 13th quarterfinal in 15 tournaments this year (excluding team competitions). She will next face a fellow major champion -- either No. 8 seed Emma Raducanu or Barbora Krejcikova  

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Iga Swiatek falls short of U.S. Open semis as Anisimova avenges Wimbledon title demolition

 

NEW YORK -- After her fourth-round win over Beatriz Haddad Maia on Labor Day, Amanda Anisimova said in her on-court interview that she had hoped for a bit more love from the New York crowd.

She got it in spades on Wednesday. With the fans firmly in her corner in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the American knocked off six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 to reach her first US Open semifinal.

Playing for the first time since Swiatek's 6-0, 6-0 trouncing in the Wimbledon final, they traded breaks to start the match and held to 4-4 after Swiatek forced deuce on an incredible 17-shot rally in the eighth game and took the next two points. Anisimova held in her next game and, on her second set point, a Swiatek forehand sailed long to give the New Jersey native her second break and the set.

The Wimbledon champion jumped out to a quick start in the second set, breaking and consolidating for a 2-0 lead, but with the crowd rallying her on — chants of "We love you Amanda" were consistent all afternoon — the eighth seed took the next three games and the lead. Swiatek held to even it, but that would be her final game of the afternoon.

Anisimova held for 4-3 with the assistance of a net cord, and then broke for 5-3 on a Swiatek double fault. Serving for a spot in the semis, with three match points to play with, Anisimova lost the next two points -- including one on a double fault -- before finishing off her opponent with another ball that hit the net and died before Swiatek could push it into play.

Anisimova finished with 23 winners to Swiatek's 13 and converted four of nine break points. The World No. 2 had just four break point opportunities and converted two of them.

"Today was definitely different than any other match here, or that I've played ever, because of the circumstances," Anisimova said after the match. "But yeah, I think that I was really trying to go in with the right mindset, especially the last 24 hours, really preparing myself more mentally than physically for today. I'm really pleased with the way I was able to go into it and perform."

Despite the lopsided win at Wimbledon, Swiatek knew her opponent would come ready to play and would be anything but an easy out.

"I think everybody knows how Amanda can play," the Polish 24-year-old said. "Yeah, she didn't play well in Wimbledon, but it's not like she's always going to do the same mistakes or feel the same. I know that she's a good player. She can play great tennis. So for me, I was ready for a tough match.

"It's not a surprise. I practice with her. I know how she can play. It was totally different. She moved better, she played better. Yeah, everything was different."

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Well she fell short again, but it was a wonderful run especially given the fact that she later revealed on Instagram she's been having a foot issue the entire tournament (I'm sure all those mixed doubles matches with Casper didn't help).

I saw a photo on social media that surfaced during the tournament of a practice session with Iga's foot being heavily bandaged and her wincing in pain. She kept it hush hush so I doubt too many people knew till her post after the loss today. 

She didn't even say anything about not being able to practice much, nor about the foot itself in her post match press conferences.  

So given all that it's quite amazing she made it as far as she did. 

A foot issue would definitely make it difficult to serve which explains the fluctuations of it match to match (and especially today). 

Nevertheless she soldiered on. 

As great champions always do. 

Sad for the loss but happy she'll be able to rest and rehab that foot properly now before heading off to Asia (I'm kind of hoping she skips Seoul and starts off in Beijing).

Fingers crossed the foot doesn't become a bigger issue for the remainder of this season.

Thank you for an amazing summer of tennis Iga, the Wimbledon win will remain one of the sweetest memories of this year.

See you in the fall champ.

Jazda!

Iga Swiatek back in U.S. Open quarterfinals

Seconds after wrapping up a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the US Open fourth round, Iga Swiatek was on her phone.

Not to check for the latest Taylor Swift updates, as she had been a few days previously, but to get some more hitting time after a one-sided rout that had flashed by in just 64 minutes.

"I asked [my coach] to book 10 minutes of practice court, if it's possible," No. 2 seed Swiatek admitted in her on-court interview with a laugh.

The matchup had, on paper, been a potentially tricky one. Coming into it, Swiatek led the pair's head-to-head 4-2 -- but on outdoor hard courts, Alexandrova held a 2-1 advantage with wins at the Gippsland Trophy 2021 and Miami 2024. Moreover, the 30-year-old has reached a career high of No. 12 after making the Monterrey final last week, and conceded just 10 games over three matches to get to the last 16.

Swiatek has been enjoying a summer surge, claiming the Wimbledon and Cincinnati titles this year -- she has now won 18 of her past 19 matches -- but the first week in New York had not been smooth sailing for the Pole. In the second round, she was stretched to three sets by Suzan Lamens and in the third had to overturn a 5-1 first-set deficit to beat No. 29 seed Anna Kalinskaya. 

Alexandrova has enjoyed a career-best Grand Slam season, making the last 16 at each of the last three majors, but has yet to advance to the quarterfinal stage at this level. Swiatek, too, has put together her most consistent year at the Grand Slams to date, having now reached at least the quarterfinals at each major. The 24-year-old is the youngest player to achieve that feat since an 18-year-old Maria Sharapova in 2005.

Overall, Swiatek has now reached 13 Grand Slam quarterfinals. Among active players, only Venus Williams (39), Victoria Azarenka (18) and Aryna Sabalenka (14) have made more; Swiatek has tied the total of Elina Svitolina and the freshly-retired Petra Kvitova. 

She will next face No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova, who raced past No. 18 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-3 in just 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

It will be a rematch of July's Wimbledon final, in which Swiatek whitewashed Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to claim her sixth Grand Slam title.

'Intensity and focus': Unlike her previous two matches, Swiatek barely put a foot wrong as she dismantled Alexandrova with 21 winners, including seven aces, to just 13 unforced errors. It wasn't surprising that, afterwards, she said she was happiest with the "intensity and focus" she had managed to maintain.

"I felt like I'm really in my bubble, in the zone," she continued. "Sometimes I was making risky decisions, and I think I forced the ball to go in."

Swiatek's redirected backhand down the line was responsible for a slew of highlights, and she dropped serve just once -- in the second game of the match, thanks to a pair of double faults.

Alexandrova, on the other hand, was unable to deliver the blistering power game that has seen her notch 38 match wins this year. Despite holding her own through the first six games, facing a break point at 3-3 in the first set Alexandrova tapped a sitter forehand into the net with the court wide open. Two games later, she conceded the first set with consecutive double faults and another netted drop shot. She won just one more game in the match, double faulting again to go down 5-1 in the second set.

In the final game, Swiatek withstood a handful of fiery returns from Alexandrova to save three break points and convert her first match point with another backhand winner down the line.

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Best match Iga has played all tournament everything worked as she said she was in the zone or bubble as she called it. 

When she's in full flow like this it is an absolute joy to witness. 

Going from one of her worst matches in the last round to one of her best in a span of 2 days is what makes Iga such a great champion. 

I think the day conditions vs night played a big part in it as well. She just really doesn't like playing at night and always plays better early in day.

Iga Swiatek survives a rollercoster at night to reach U.S. Open round of 16

 

Iga Swiatek overcame a slow start to defeat No. 29 seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6 (2), 6-4 in 1 hour and 56 minutes Saturday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, advancing to the Round of 16 at the US Open for the fifth straight year.

Swiatek trailed 5-1 and faced four set points in the opening set before mounting a comeback, winning six of the next seven games and dominating the tiebreak. She carried that momentum into the second set to close out the match in straight sets.

How did she do it? Even the former World No. 1 herself couldn’t explain it.

“Oh, my God, I don’t know,” Swiatek said after the match. “Honestly, Anna was playing great. She was getting all these risky balls in like she once did against me in Dubai. So, I just wanted to make less mistakes, because I felt like I was playing well.

“I felt like I had nothing to lose because I was losing pretty badly. So, at the end (of the first set) I just went for it, because what more can I do?"

The victory marks Swiatek’s 23rd career main-draw win at the US Open. She only has more at Roland Garros (40) in a single WTA-level tournament.

Here are some takeaways following Swiatek’s remarkable third-round comeback:

Serving struggles: After jumping out to a big lead in the first set, it was ultimately Kalinskaya’s serve that unraveled her chances against Swiatek.

Kalinskaya committed 11 double faults on the night, many at crucial moments. She served for the first set three times, but double faults in each of those games led to breaks. By the time the players reached the tiebreak, she had already tallied seven.

Swiatek wasn’t flawless on serve either, landing just over 43% of first serves. Still, she won 76% of those points and converted 50% on her second serve -- 14 percentage points higher than Kalinskaya. Swiatek faced only two break points in the second set, maintaining control as Kalinskaya’s serve continued to falter.

Swiatek’s tiebreak breakthrough: Tiebreaks have been a rare weak spot for Swiatek this season.

Entering Saturday’s match, she was 4-7 in tiebreaks at the WTA level in 2025 and 0-2 in tiebreaks at Grand Slams. Her 7-2 win in the opening-set tiebreak marked her first since defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in a second-set tiebreak in the Bad Homburg quarterfinals in June.

Fittingly, Alexandrova awaits in the next round.

Looking ahead: Swiatek will face Alexandrova in the fourth round Monday.

She holds a 5-2 head-to-head advantage at the WTA level. While Swiatek won their most recent meeting in Bad Homburg, Alexandrova claimed their last hard-court clash in Miami last year.

A win Monday would send Swiatek to her third career US Open quarterfinal.

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I'm just going to chulk this performance especially serve wise to Iga playing her first night match of the tournament. 

Which she's generally not a fan of anywhere, but especially here where it's extra loud and rowdy due to people walking around being a little tipsy etc. 

I think that might have messed up her concentration quite a bit. 

Still have no idea how she won that first set (got a bit lucky with Kalinskaya squandering 3 chances to serve it out) and was also helped out by so many double faults. 

But I give her huge credit for not blowing a gasket when it comes to her service percentage. It was probably the worst I've seen her serve on a hard court in years. 

Thankfully she didn't seem to notice as she pointed out in her post match interview and just went about her business anyway.

She will definitely need to find her first serve against Alexandrova because she will not be gifting Iga chances the way Kalinskaya was today. 

Thankfully Iga will be playing in the afternoon so that should help her serve better. 

And having faced a flat hitter in Kalinskaya she'll at least be well prepared for the same with Alexandrova. 

3 - Iga Swiatek has reached all four Women’s Singles rounds of 16 at Grand Slams in a season for the third time, becoming the first player to achieve the feat in three seasons since Agnieszka Radwanska in 2016. Reference.

20 - Two players (Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka) have claimed 20 Women’s Singles match wins at Grand Slams in a season for the first time since 2016 (Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams). Sabatek.

20 - Since 2000, only three players have reached 20 Women’s Singles rounds of 16 in fewer Grand Slam main draws than Iga Swiatek (27) – Venus Williams (23), Martina Hingis (25) and Serena Williams (26). Company.

Iga Swiatek through to 3rd round at U.S. Open

 

No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek survived a stern test from Suzan Lamens in the second round of the US Open, but eventually pulled through 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 6 minutes to extend her winning streak to seven matches.

After a one-sided opening set, Swiatek twice led by a break in the second, but was unable to put away a valiant Lamens as the Dutchwoman settled into the contest -- resulting in Swiatek's first dropped set since her fourth-round loss in Montreal to Clara Tauson. 

In the decider, she also had to hold off a late charge from 4-1 down by Lamens. However, it wasn't enough to prevent Swiatek from notching her 16th win in her past 17 matches, a stretch that includes the Wimbledon and Cincinnati titles this summer.

The Pole will next face No. 29 seed Anna Kalinskaya, who defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 7-5 to reach the US Open third round for a second straight year. Swiatek and Kalinskaya have split two previous meetings, with Kalinskaya winning 6-4, 6-4 in the 2024 Dubai semifinals and Swiatek avenging that loss 6-3, 6-4 in the Cincinnati quarterfinals two weeks ago.

How did Lamens manage to push Swiatek?

The late-blooming Lamens has little experience at the very top of the game. This year has seen her play each of the Grand Slam main draws for the first time at the age of 26, and her matchup with Swiatek was just the third time she had faced a Top 10 opponent in her career. But there have been signs that she has the game to compete at this level. Last April, she notched her first Top 10 win over Jelena Ostapenko in Billie Jean King Cup Group III action. In October, she captured her first Hologic WTA Tour title in Osaka as a qualifier. In the past 12 months, she's risen from No. 121 to No. 66 in the PIF WTA Rankings.

Though over-matched in the first set, Lamens was able to bring her best weaponry to the court in the second: a heavy topspin forehand which she could direct to every corner for winners, a sneaky drop shot and a fine backhand lob. The latter was responsible for the best shot of the match -- and one with which she broke Swiatek back for 2-2 in the second set.

By now, Lamens had warmed to her task and become accustomed to Swiatek's weight of shot, drawing the six-time major champion into several excellent extended rallies. Down a break again at 4-3, Lamens lost one of the longest, a 22-stroke lungbuster -- but the pressure she had started to exert was evident as Swiatek coughed up two double faults to lose her break lead again. Two games later, Swiatek delivered another error-strewn service game to send the match into a decider.

How did Swiatek get back on track?

"The third set is a reset," Swiatek said in her on-court interview. "You gotta start from the beginning and play a little bit more precise."

That's exactly what she did. Having committed 12 unforced errors in the second set, she reduced that number to seven in the third. And she began to punish Lamens relentlessly for her vulnerability on serve. Four of Lamens' eight double faults came in the third set, including twice to go down break point. Swiatek converted both of those by unleashing on a second-serve return, and leapt out to a quick 4-1 lead.

Lamens battled to retrieve one of the breaks, but Swiatek maintained her focus this time -- and came up with a superb hot shot of her own, a laser backhand winner into the corner off a Lamens smash. She converted her third match point with her seventh ace of the day.

"I know that I kind of let her in after the first set, and she used her chances and she immediately knew what to do with that," Swiatek said. "So for sure, she deserves the games that she won. I wouldn't say surprised. But yeah, I think she got her level up a bit in terms of not making so many mistakes, as she did in the first set."

wtatennis.com

Iga definitely lost her concentration mid way through that match but got it back when it mattered. 

Kalinskya could be tricky in night conditions (and it'll be Iga's first night match too). 

23/23 - Iga Swiatek is the first player in the Open Era to reach the Third Round at all Women’s Singles Grand Slam events for the first six years in a single decade (23/23 in 2020s). Law.


23 - Iga Swiatek is the fourth player in the Open Era to reach the Third Round in 23+ consecutive Women’s Singles Grand Slam events after Martina Navratilova, Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Habit.