Iga Swiatek wins another battle of the Poles this time in Wuhan

No. 7 seed Iga Swiatekand No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina kept their bids for a spot at the WTA Finals alive with second-round wins at the Dongfeng • Voyah Wuhan Open on Wednesday, albeit in contrasting fashion.

Swiatek had the easier path, scoring a 6-2, 6-1 win over fellow Polish player Magdalena Frech in 1 hour, 43 minutes. The victory was her 40th of the season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz and her 149th in WTA 1000 events, moving her past Serena Williams (148) into outright seventh place on the all-time list since the format's introduction in 2009.

"I'm happy to get the first match on the center court because I didn't get a chance to play there before," Swiatek told the media after her win. "At the beginning of the match, it was point by point, but then I was happy that I started making less mistakes and I used my chances till the end of the match. For sure it was tougher than the score."

With her second win in as many meetings against the World No. 56, Swiatek improved to 19-2 against opponents ranked outside the top 50 this season. Her only two losses have come against No. 52 Maria Sakkari in Doha and No. 121 Zheng Qinwen at the US Open.

Swiatek has also recorded at least 40 wins in a season for the fifth consecutive year, a run of consistency she is pleased with.

"I mean every year has been so much different that there's no like recipe or solution," Swiatek said. "I'm happy that even though every year was different and presented different challenges, I'm able to be consistent and for sure this one has been.. toughest so still getting every win means a lot and you know I'll try to have as many as possible obviously."

Swiatek believes this season has been particularly challenging and she reflected on what she has learned from the struggles.

"Probably the biggest lesson will be that nothing will come easy because you know it kind of has been pretty up in my career going like always forward a little bit," she said. "When when I had some bad periods, I suddenly won something and I felt great. This year it's been a bit tougher. I think I will learn to have more grit and to find also little successes, not only be happy with the results, but also with the process and everything."

Swiatek will next face either Ashlyn Kruegeror Lanlana Tararudee. It would be her first meeting with either player.

wtatennis.com

This was a bit of a weird one, a very misleading one sided score line while the match was quite the opposite. 

Seemed like at times Iga really couldn't decide whether to be passive or aggressive, but slowly figured it out. 

I'm gonna chuck it up to Iga getting used to the conditions of the court. To the naked eye the court looks quite slow. 

Hopefully she'll play better in her next match as she'll have to make adjustments again playing her first night match of the tournament. 

Iga Swiatek makes 6th quarterfinal of the season at China Open

In the first career meeting between six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek of Poland and rising American teenager Iva Jovic, Swiatek advanced to the quarterfinals of the China Open in Beijing with a 6-1, 6-3 victory Wednesday.

Swiatek dominated the opening set, winning the first five games and earning two set points in the sixth game before Jovic held serve to get on the scoreboard. The Pole then held serve to close out the set on her fifth set point.

The second set began with Swiatek breaking early to take a 2-0 lead, but Jovic began finding more range and depth on her groundstrokes. The 18-year-old, ranked a career-high No. 13 in the world, broke back to level the set.

Jovic, who entered the match on a six-match winning streak after winning the Guadalajara title last month, saved two more break points in the next game to take a 3-2 lead. But Swiatek broke twice in a row to complete the victory in 1 hour, 36 minutes.

"For sure (today), I was using more of the chances that I got," Swiatek told the media after the win. "I was more proactive. Maybe changing the directions more instead of just being solid, more intense. When I needed that, I could play long rallies and be in defense, as well. Everything was working today."

Here are some of the notable numbers from Swiatek's fourth-round win:

9: Swiatek now has nine wins against players ranked in the top 20 on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz in 2026, against eight losses. She also recorded her 35th win against a player outside the top 10 this season, against eight losses.

31: Swiatek is through to her 31st career WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Among active players, only world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka has reached more, with 33.


36: Swiatek has 36 wins against top-15 opponents at WTA 1000 events. Among active players, only Serena Williams, with 44, and Sabalenka, with 41, have more.

126: Swiatek has now won 126 of 128 WTA 1000 matches in which she won the first set. Both those losses have come in 2026 - to Maria Sakkari
 in Doha and to Magda Linette in Miami.

148: The victory was Swiatek's 148th WTA 1000 main-draw win, moving her level with Serena Williams. Among active players, only Sabalenka, with 156, has more. Overall, Swiatek and Williams are tied for seventh place for most wins since the WTA 1000 format was introduced in 2009.

Swiatek will face No. 13 seed Elise Mertens in the quarterfinals. Mertens, who defeated No. 3 seed Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in another fourth-round clash on Tuesday, has not beaten Swiatek in their two previous meetings.

"I feel like my game has improved," Swiatek said reflecting on her recent form. "Obviously sometimes playing the tournament is a bit tricky. Not everything is depending on you. I believe what I'm doing makes sense moving forward.

"That gives me the most confidence. For sure when you have great results on a match, it's always a good boost of confidence. But tennis is tough. You need to be ready for every match. Your previous results are not going to give you anything. I'm going to push no matter what and we'll see how it goes."

wtatennis.com

Iga was absolutely in the zone in the first set looked like she might score another bagel. 

In the 2nd set Jovic started playing much better and Iga's level dipped a tiny bit, but she she stayed solid and finished it off. 

An excellent performance. 

Mertens next which is a bit of a surprise since she had an 0-5 H2H with Gauff. 

If Iga plays like today should make the semis with no issues.

Jazda!

6 - Iga Swiatek is the second player since the format's introduction in 2009 to reach 6+ WTA-1000 quarter-finals for four years in a row (2023-2026) after Simona Halep (2015-2018). Strive.

40 - Since 1990, only four players have reached 40 Tier I/WTA-1000 rounds of 16 in fewer main draws than Iga Swiatek (49) – Martina Hingis (43), Lindsay Davenport (45), Conchita Martinez and Serena Williams (46 each). Rise.

Iga Swiatek comes back from brink of defeat to reach round of 16 at China Open

Iga Swiatek had won all four of her previous meetings with Donna Vekic, dropping just one set. But in their China Open third-round match Monday in Beijing, No. 30 seed Vekic appeared poised to end that run after taking a 6-4, 5-2 lead.

Swiatek, the 2023 champion, refused to let the match slip away. She broke Vekic twice to level the second set at 5-5, then won the tiebreak without losing a point to force a decider.

After the players exchanged breaks to open the third set, Swiatek broke again for a 3-2 lead and closed out a 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2 victory in 2 hours, 40 minutes.

"For sure I was in a bad position score-wise, didn't really know after the first set what to change to play better," Swiatek told the media after the win. "Later on in the second set I was playing more brave and more aggressive, changing more down the line. At the end I think it's what changed the rhythm of the match.

"I don't know how many points we both had, but I felt like I'm playing good. I felt like we might be even, but maybe she was winning the more important points. I knew I had my opportunities; I should push a little bit more. I just needed to go level up because she played really good, used these chances that I didn't use in the first set."

For Vekic, the loss marked her third defeat to a top-10 player in 2026, having previously lost to Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open and Jessica Pegulaat Indian Wells.

Swiatek is through to the round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event for the 40th time in her career and will be bidding to win her 13th title at this level.

It was also Swiatek's 147th win at WTA 1000 events. Only Serena Williams, with 148, and Aryna Sabalenka, with 156, have more.

She moves on to face No. 10 seed Iva Jovic next. The American defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 7-5 in another third-round battle on Monday.

wtatennis.com

Another tournament another wild rollercoaster from Iga. I'll admit at 5/2 down I had my finger on the power button of my tv and honestly considered turning it off. 

I honestly didn't think she had a chance at a comeback the way the first 2 sets went.

She couldn't make any headway on return in Vekic's service games and only had one break point all match which she didn't take. So I pretty much deemed it a lost cause. 

But Iga had other ideas. 

She said in her post match interview that she was really pissed, because she didn't think she was playing that badly. 

And to be fair in the fist set she really wasn't she just had one bad service game.

Maybe she should get pissed more often because it really worked :D. 

At 5/2 30 love on Vekic serve she became a different player. 

Probably a combination of having nothing to lose at that point and just wanting to try something different. 

She upped her aggression and suddenly all her returns started going it. 

I think even Vekic was surprised with how quickly the momentum changed and all of a sudden it was her feeling all the pressure on serve and failing to hold. 

And that tiebreak was something else. 

Just when you think Iga has accomplished everything  in her career she adds something new. 

For the first time she won a breaker without losing a point. 

It was pretty impressive to watch. 

It's like Iga just let go of all the stress and played with abandon. 

Safe to say everyone wishes she could do that more often but it's easier said than done.

I do hope she takes a lot of confidence for the next match facing a young American Iva Jovic for the fist time. 

This tournament has already been wild with both Sabalenka and new world #1 Rybakina going out early on back to back days.

So no idea what to expect but I'm excited to see it.

Jazda!.

40 - Since 1990, only four players have reached 40 Tier I/WTA-1000 rounds of 16 in fewer main draws than Iga Swiatek (49) – Martina Hingis (43), Lindsay Davenport (45), Conchita Martinez and Serena Williams (46 each). Rise.

For the first time in her LIFE, Iga Świątek wins a tiebreak 7-0. That considers European juniors, ITF juniors, ITF Tour, WTA Tour, and 145 total tiebreaks played.

Iga Swiatek back to winning ways at China Open

 

Former champion and No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek opened her campaign for a second China Open title with a straight-sets win over local wild card Xinyu Gao in the second round in Beijing on Saturday.

Swiatek, who won the title here in 2023, exchanged an early break of serve with the 244th-ranked Chinese player before gaining a two-break advantage to claim the first set 6-2. The Polish star, ranked No. 9, broke twice again in the second set to close out a 6-2, 6-3 win in 1 hour, 27 minutes.

"For sure, it was a solid match," Swiatek said after her win. "Many long rallies. I'm happy about that because I had a chance to get the rhythm of the court, feel the ball. For sure a good start. I'm happy to be back here."

Here are some key numbers from Swiatek's latest win:

5: The number of break points Swiatek converted in the match from eight opportunities. Gao earned only one break point and converted it.

6: This was Swiatek's sixth opening-match win in seven WTA 1000 events this season. Her only opening-round loss at a WTA 1000 event this year came in Miami, where she fell to compatriot Magda Linette

.6: This was Swiatek's sixth win in seven matches against opponents ranked outside the Top 100. Her only loss came to No. 121-ranked Zheng Qinwen in the fourth round of the US Open.

9: Swiatek has captured nine wins from her first 10 matches at this tournament. That is the most of any player, tying her with Coco Gauff and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

146: This was Swiatek's 146th career main-draw match win at WTA 1000-level events. Only two currently active players have more career main-draw match-wins at the WTA 1000 level -- Aryna Sabalenka (156) and Serena Williams (148).

4: Swiatek holds a 4-0 record against her next opponent, No. 30 seed Donna Vekic. Vekic defeated another Chinese wild card, Lin Zhu, 6-4, 6-2 to book her place in the third round. Three of Swiatek's four wins over Vekic have come in straight sets. This will be their fourth meeting on hard courts.

Swiatek added that qualifying for the season-ending WTA Finals remains a big goal for her in the coming weeks

"For sure that's the goal. I'm going to be fighting for that. Obviously I'm aware. But it doesn't change the fact that it still feels pretty far as there are many tournaments where you can gain many points.

"I try to just take it step by step because if I'm focused only on the next match, this is where I perform my best. I've never been in this position, so for sure it's another experience in my career."

 

wtatennis.com    

Good first match, played with depth and margin on the groundstrokes. 

She was building pints with high percentage tennis.  

Even her serve was sold. 

Nothing but positives  for a first match back after a tough U.S. Open loss.

9 - Iga Swiatek has claimed nine wins from her first 10 matches at the China Open, the most of any player at this event - level with Coco Gauff and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Victory.

Iga Swiatek falls in the 4th round of U.S. Open

This one hurts. 

5/1 up it looked like a routine set for Iga and it tuned into anything but. 

I'm still a bit speechless that Qinwen managed to do this twice. 

With Iga and Madison Keys the match prior. 

I guess the adage about qualifiers still rings true they can often be the most dangerous. 

Simply because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Will Qinwen be able to keep this up? 

Who knows. 

I'm just sad that Iga is no longer in the tournament. 

I really do hope her thigh is ok and it's not anything serious as she so rarely takes medical timeouts.

I don't think it was a collapse as some people have said, it really was just Qinwen putting more shot in and Iga making errors. 

Not in panic mode where she's hitting shots a mile long, quite a few were forced errors I'd say. 

Iga didn't give up  though she kept trying to find solutions in the 2nd set. 

Qinwen was just steadier on serve in one key moment and all she needed was one break to finish it. 

I like that she was light hearted in post match about things always going this way for her at U.S. Open. 

As it's happened for her every year aside from 2022. 

And she's right the U.S. Open really is her worst Slam despite actually winning it once. 

I'm glad Iga didn't sound too discouraged in the presser and that she's still feeling positive about her game. 

Devastated about the loss sure, but she's steadfast in terms of not allowing this to deter her from everything she's been doing and all the positive results she's had of late. 

As she said it's just one match, it doesn't erase all the progress prior.

I think it bodes well for the Asian swing however that ends up. 

The Chinese fans really love her there. 

Sometimes it honestly feels like she's more appreciated there then she is in her home country. 

Which is sad for me to say as a fellow Pole.

I would love for her to qualify for the WTA  Finals purely for selfish reason's because I just want to see her play more before the season is through. 

And it'd just be weird to not see her there.

But if it doesn't happen, it won't be the end of the world. It'll give her more time to work on things before Australia. 

Maybe even give her more time to hire that second coach she's been looking for. 

So keep your head  up Iga, lot's of tennis still left to play. Your supporters will be with you though the good and the bad as always.

Jazda!.

Iga Swiatek into the 3rd round with another confident U.S. Open win

 

NEW YORK -- US Open fans had a rare opportunity to watch Iga Swiatek play in a more intimate setting on Thursday, and she rewarded them with a dominant performance that was never in doubt.

Playing each other for the first time since the French Open semifinals six years ago, the World No. 8 made quick work of Argentinian Nadia Podoroska, winning 6-3, 6-2 in the Grandstand in a little over an hour.

Swiatek was highly efficient on her serve, making 79 percent of her first serves and winning 78 percent of those points. She was never broken.

The only legitimate threat from Podoroska, who had defeated Simona Waltert in three sets in her opening match, came late in the first set. After holding to cut Swiatek's lead to 5-3 in the opener, she had three opportunities to break. Swiatek responded with two unreturned serves before bringing it to deuce. After two more deuces, Swiatek converted her second set point when Podoroska's forehand landed just wide.

The second set had no such drama, as Swiatek jumped out to a 5-1 lead and won the match with a gorgeous crosscourt backhand that Podoroska couldn't get to.

Despite the lopsided score, it was a clean match from Podoroska, who hit 11 winners to just 12 unforced errors. (Swiatek's ratio was only slightly better, with 14 winners to 13 unforced errors.) But Swiatek's superior serve, return game and net play kept her comfortably in front throughout.

Swiatek moves into the third round of the US Open, where she'll play 25th seed Marie Bouzkov. Bouzkova defeated Britain's Harriet Dart 6-2, 6-2 later on Thursday to advance.

Swiatek has won all three of her WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz meetings with Bouzkova, the most recent of which was a 6-2, 6-3 win at the Australian Open earlier this year. Bouzkova has never taken a set off Swiatek.

wtatennis.com

Another really good performance from Iga. 

2nd match in a row she didn't face a break point or lose serve. 1st time she played on Grandstand since 2021.

27 - Iga Swiatek has made the Round of 32 in the last 27 Grand Slam events (since the Australian Open 2020): in the Open Era, only Martina Navratilova (35 and 30) and Conchita Martinez (30) had longer such streaks in Women’s Singles Majors. Star.

Iga Swiatek off and running at U.S. Open with confident first round win

NEW YORK -- Iga Swiatek and Wang Xiyu traded holds across the first seven games of the second set before the seven-time Grand Slam champion made her move. A perfectly placed forehand in the corner gave Swiatek the break she needed, and she served out a 6-2, 6-3 win after 1 hour and 28 minutes on Monday night.

It's the kind of performance that has come to be expected of Swiatek. Straightforward, and perhaps to the dismay of fans at Louis Armstrong stadium, lacking drama. The same can be said for her head-to-head with Wang, which she leads 3-0. She has won all three of their meetings in straight sets.

Swiatek has now won 28 consecutive opening matches at majors, with her last -- and only -- defeat in a Grand Slam first round coming to Viktorija Golubic at Wimbledon 2019. She is 30-1 overall, with 28 wins in straight sets.

"I don't treat these matches like they should be easy. I don't take them for granted," Swiatek said. "I'm always ready from the beginning (of the tournament) to put forward the intensity and I'm ready with the level."

While it was a forehand winner that sealed an opening hold for Swiatek, it was her work off the other wing that positioned her to take the first set. It's the shot that carried her to a break for 3-1 and the ensuing 4-1 hold.

To Wang's credit, she kept fighting, even from 0-40 down in her next service game. While Swiatek dominated behind her backhand, Wang's forehand kept her in the match. She saved two of the three break points with forehand winners and the other with a stellar volley.Things flipped in the final two games of the first. Swiatek suddenly found her forehand, while Wang's control of the shot vanished. Swiatek struck another forehand winner on game point to hold for 5-2, then hit two in the final game. She then watched as Wang's forehand sailed long to hand her the break and the set.

Swiatek's brilliance extended into the second. A perfectly executed forehand pass gave her a chance to break midway through the set, and while she didn't convert then, she earned the break a few games later. In total, she forced nine break points -- converting three -- while facing none on her own serve. She also won 80% of her first-serve points.

Swiatek will face World No. 449 Nadia Podoroska (former No. 36) next. Swiatek won her only previous meeting with the Argentine in the 2020 Roland Garros semifinals en route to her first Grand Slam title.

A win would give Swiatek her 110th Grand Slam main-draw victory since the start of 2020. She has already claimed the most of any player, with Aryna Sabalenka (106) the only other player with 100 or more such wins over that span.

wtatennis.com

Iga played with confidence and clarity today. 

Knew what she wanted to do and just went for it with no hesitation. 

Her whole game looked just free flowing, something we've rarely been able to see this year. 

I would say the coaching partnership with Roig is a slam dunk. 

It took time to see all the work and instruction bear fruit, but it's really evident in the way she's playing now. 

Things have definitely clicked into place and it is an absolute joy to witness. 

I can honestly say that out of everyone who looked quite nervous in their first rounds today, Iga looked most at ease. 

Came out focused and in the zone and just stayed in it throughout.

On to the next one.

Jazda!

25 - Only three players this century have managed 25 career wins at the US Open in fewer matches than Iga Swiatek (31) – Serena Williams, Venus Williams (28 each) and Kim Clijsters (30). Merchant?

28 - Iga Swiatek (US 2019-US 2026) is the first player to record 28+ consecutive opening match wins at Grand Slam events since Serena Williams (31, RG 2012-WM 2021). Routine.

Roger Federer's legacy as he enters International Tennis Hall of Fame

 

NEWPORT — He raised the level of the tour, created a new way of playing, inspired generations of young players and brought new fans to the sport. Roger Federer, the newest member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, left a mark on the game in many different ways.

Great legends of tennis reflected on the Swiss player’s legacy. A spoiler: none of them speak specifically of wins, titles or records. All agree that what he built goes far beyond that.

“What a positive role model in every sense for our sport,” Billie Jean King told CLAY in Newport, minutes before the 20-time Grand Slam champion was inducted into the exclusive club.


For King, the great impact Federer generated is visible in the leading figures of tennis today.

“Take Carlos Alcaraz. Carlos is born, and the three best players in history played for more than 20 years. Roger had a great rivalry with Nadal, and then Djokovic appeared. Can you imagine growing up watching those three? That is what helps each generation surpass the last: you are watching the greatest. The standard Carlos has seen his entire life is incredibly high,” said the 12-time Grand Slam champion.

Mats Wilander, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, also believes Federer’s greatest contribution was raising the level of competition.

“His biggest impact is that he raised the bar so high that the level suddenly improved remarkably — because he was so dominant in his generation and took it to the next level, which is why today we have Alcaraz and Sinner,” the 1988 world No. 1 told CLAY.

“The way he was able to get so many non-tennis fans interested in watching him,” said Jim Courier.

“The elegance that he brought to the game, the way he made something so complicated look so simple, and maintaining his dignity and class all the way through all the combat he endured — it was pretty spectacular,” the North American, a two-time Australian Open and Roland Garros champion, told CLAY.

Redefining the game. Imposing a unique style, as effective as it was pleasing to the eye. Marat Safin, one of his great generational rivals, places Federer’s main legacy right there.

“He was the new way of playing tennis — his technique, his vision, the way he approached the game. He created a new generation of young players who grew up on him. The way he could play with the ball, he brought it to a whole different level of understanding the corners. You can see it in the way he was moving, the way he was anticipating, the way he was behaving on court. It’s the best one,” Safin told CLAY.

“He challenged you to play at 150% to beat his 100%. He’s the most complete player of all time, in my opinion. The margin of error is very small, and if you lose a little bit of concentration, you are gone — and everybody knew it,” the Russian, former world number one and champion in New York (2000) and Melbourne (2005), said in Newport.

In the most technical of analyses, Billie Jean King described a detail that for her makes an important difference.

“He watches the ball better than anybody else, which I love to analyze. The main reason people miss the ball, especially at the pro level, is because they don’t watch the ball all the way to the contact point. When Roger was playing, I said: go watch Roger. He’s versatile, he’s quick, but he watches the ball,” said King, a Hall of Fame member since 1987.

Popular affection is another notable aspect, evident this Saturday in Newport, where never before had so many people gathered for an induction ceremony.

“He’s an all-time great. People adored him, particularly corporate people,” said Billie Jean King. “He just made the game so popular in the world because he’s such a class act,” said Wilander.

claytennis.com

Roger Federer inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

 I thought I was done crying over Roger Federer making speeches after his retirement at Laver Cup in 2022.

I was wrong. So very wrong.

He got me again.

What a wonderfully heartwarming, funny, genuine, eloquent and emotionally impassioned speech. 

I was in tears before he even came on stage due to Mirka who rarely does public speeches introducing him. I think the woman has spoken publicly maybe one other time in Roger's entire 20+ year career. 

But boy, was she good. 

Not a dry eye in the house. 

Roger's whole speech was a reminder of just why I admired him for so many years. Still do in fact.

What's that saying people often utter in tennis, form is temporary class is permanent.

And Roger Federer is the epitome of it. 

Not just in tennis but in life.

It's not the number of victories or titles that make you the greatest of all time, it's who you are when no one is watching as Mirka put it in her speech. 

It's why Federer will always be my G.O.A.T. no one else on the men's side will ever compare. 

There will always be debates with Nadal, Djokovic etc. but to me there's no contest.

Iga Swiatek ends 10 match win streak in Cincinnati semis

 

Well Iga was far from her best today, physical and mental exhaustion caught up to her a bit after Toronto. 

As she herself admitted she was low on energy as the match begun, thus the 13  total service breaks. 

Still Iga should be nothing but proud of herself, she kept fighting  despite not having her level or rhythm for almost 3 hours. 

Iga of 5, 6 months ago would have lost in straights. Here she was still thinking and problem solving on court, trying different things. 

She's staying mentally stronger in matches and finally has belief in her game and shots again.

Didn't work out but she give it her all. 

So definitely lot's of positives to take away. 

Great fight, and a good indicator of what needs some work before NYC.

I think tiredness made Iga a lot less patient in rallies and she at times reverted to ball bashing and trying to outhit out of frustration. Tricky windy conditions certainly didn't help the situation.

Serve let her down with untimely double faults at very key moments towards the end of sets. 

If it weren't for that this match could have honestly gone either way. 

Stats wise it literally came down to a few crucial points. 

By the end of the match Iga actually had a higher first serve percentage and more winners. 

Pegula was just better at taking her opportunities and keeping her advantage (Iga was up 3-1 in the 3rd but couldn't consolidate the break).

Pegula does have a way of frustrating opponents with her flat ball striking, and makes you keep hitting extra balls.  

She's also very good at taking time away on fast hardcourt surfaces. 

Something that usually Iga does to her opponents.

If you're not feeling it on the day, her solid game will definitely take advantage. And that's exactly what happened.

That said an extra day or 2 to rest before the last Grand Slam of the year is probably not a bad thing for Iga. 

Proud of the way she fought despite not at her best. 

Great run, on to NYC.

Jazda!

Side note as great as Pegula was at times in this match I'll be surprised if she comes out the winner. 

My money is on Gauff (who at the moment is serving better than Sabalenka and Rybakina combined).

Iga Swiatek back in the Cincinnati semis via Rybakina retirement

Elena Rybakina's stay at the Cincinnati Open -- and current quest to dethrone Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the PIF WTA Rankings --- ended on Thursday night when she was forced to retire from her quarterfinal match against Iga Swiatek with a left ankle injury.

Swiatek was leading 4-1 with Rybakina serving at 40-15 when things first appeared to go wrong. Rybakina couldn't finish off a rally at the net, and when Swiatek put a tough passing shot at her feet, the Kazakh missed the follow-up half volley and put her hands to her knees. She struggled to push off on her first serve on the next point, which lasted just three shots, and after a mid-game medical evaluation, Rybakina elected to end the match moments later.

After Sabalenka lost to Sara Bejlek in the fourth round on Wednesday, Rybakina needed to reach the final in Cincinnati to take the World No. 1 ranking. Instead, Sabalenka will retain the top spot going into the US Open next week, and Swiatek, the Toronto champion, will face Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.

"Honestly, I felt a bit like scared because I don't know if I see a player having an injury like that," Swiatek said afterwards. "I wasn't sure because she didn't look good obviously. But then she wanted a treatment, so I wasn't sure if she's going to be back or not. So I wanted to be really focused on just being ready because breaks like that can really throw you off of your rhythm and the momentum. But then I felt really sorry for her, but hopefully it's nothing serious."

“I was feeling anxious just looking at this situation," she added. "I hope Elena will be fine. The next tournament is the priority. I know this one is important as well. But US Open is US Open. I hope she’s gonna be ready for that. She’s super close to being No. 1 in the world. It’s a shame. I thought we were playing a good match. But health is a priority. I hope she’s gonna be OK.”

Rybakina later said that the issue was "bothering [her] for a long period of time," but she felt it was under control until the recent Hard-Court Swing.

"The match against [Magdalena] Frech [in the third round], stopping with the rain delays, I started to feel it more, and I took a day off completely after," she said. "It was feeling OK before the match but unfortunately one wrong movement, one landing, and something happened.”

Admitting that it was even painful to walk after the match, she said she hoped to learn more about the problem in the coming days.

Swiatek is bidding to become just the second woman since 2004 to successfully defending a Cincinnati title, after Serena Williams in 2014-15. She will take a 7-5 head-to-head record into her semifinal with Pegula, but the American has won four of their hard-court matches.

"Jessie looks different than me on the court, but she has a great feeling and great ability to predict where the opponents are going to play," Swiatek said. "So the ball is really hard coming from her racquet and tricky. For sure, it's going to be a challenge.

"American players also are more pumped to play in American tournaments, so I'll be ready for her best version. We played many tough matches against each other, and for sure she likes also playing here, so I'll be ready."

wtatennis.com

Iga was playing quite well and it looked very likely that she was going to advance regardless. 

But no player wants to advance in this way. 

I was quite looking forward to seeing how this one would unfold, so it was a real disappointment it ended the way it did.

Pegula next. 

It's been a while since they met especially on American soil so could be a potential blockbuster. Although Pegula did get a medical time out in her match against Anisimova as well.

Thank you extended WTA 1000's. 

I'll keep saying this till I'm blue in the face, but when will the tennis establishment start putting the players welfare first.

24 - Iga Swiatek has equalled Victoria Azarenka for the third-most WTA-1000 semi-finals reached (24) since the format’s introduction in 2009. Podium.

4 - Iga Swiatek has become the player with the joint-most consecutive semi-finals reached at the Cincinnati Open in the Open Era (four, 2023-2026), equalling Simona Halep (2015-2018). Feeling.