Iga Swiatek starts Australian Open with a solid opener

 

The courts at Melbourne Park are not always the easiest for Iga Swiatek to navigate.

But when she steps onto them for first-round matches at the Australian Open, she’s tough to stop.

The world No.2 improved to a flawless 7-0 in AO first-round matches, and 23-1 overall at this stage of a Grand Slam tournament, by seeing off the challenge of Katerina Siniakova.

The talented Czech is ranked 50th and is currently the world No.1 doubles player, but Swiatek has spent a cumulative 125 weeks atop the singles rankings, and it showed at John Cain Arena on Monday.

Her 6-3 6-4 win, achieved in a tidy one hour, 21 minutes, saw her finish with more winners than unforced errors, almost 80 per cent of first-serve points won, and not a single double fault.

It was almost as clean as it could get for a tournament opener, a win setting up a second-round clash with Slovak Rebecca Sramkova.

The Pole was told by a reporter that she was the only woman this decade to reach the second round at every Slam she had played.

“Yeah, I know,” she replied, then added with a smile: “I think I only lost once in the first round. It was at Wimbledon in 2019. I wish I didn't play so my stat would be perfect.”

It’s pretty close to perfect – she has now won 21 first-round Grand Slam matches in a row.

“I'm happy. It shows that I'm consistent,” she continued. “I'm just more confident before a Slam, even playing the first match. I know that no matter what's going to happen, I have kind of this stat.

“I should just do what I always do, and it will be good.”

It’s been extremely good for Swiatek at Roland Garros, where she is a four-time champion and boasts an outstanding 35-2 record in Paris.

In Australia, wins have been harder to come by, with the Pole failing to reach the quarterfinals in her past two visits after a semifinal finish in 2022 – her best result Down Under.

It could be a different story at AO 2025 for Swiatek, who arrives in Melbourne with new coach Wim Fissette as well as a dedicated hitting partner in her team, something she did not have here 12 months ago.

Signs have been encouraging so far, with Swiatek winning five of her six matches on Australian hard courts this season. The only loss came in the United Cup final to Coco Gauff who, along with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, sits in the opposite half of the draw to Swiatek.

Sabalenka and Gauff are considered by most to be the title favourites, while Swiatek has slipped somewhat under the radar in such discussions. Coincidentally, this was reflected in the order of play, with Sabalenka and Gauff beginning their AO 2025 campaigns at Rod Laver Arena while Swiatek, for the first time in three years, competed at John Cain Arena.

This was by no means an example of Swiatek being slighted. Monday’s order of play was one of the densest in AO first-round history, with superstars Swiatek, Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic all in action on Day 2.

Observed Australian champion Sam Stosur on the eve of the tournament: “There's a lot of decisions ahead for schedulers – what court are we gonna put all these guys on and when do we find the spaces?”

Swiatek didn’t mind returning to JCA for the first time since her second-round win over Rebecca Peterson at Australian Open 2022.

In fact, the court assignment brought back great memories.

“Honestly, I love playing here on every stadium. On John Cain I played some amazing matches,” she said.

“I remember with [Anett] Kontaveit, we played fourth round. That was my first chance to go on to the quarters on hard courts. Also some nice tournaments, nice matches.

“I like this court."

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Not a bad start for Iga. Showed some solid hitting. Sramkova could be tricky but if Iga stays focused I see her taking it in 2. 

I think Iga will only get better as the matches goes on. 

Maybe they should put her on John Cain more often flying under the radar could be good and help her relax with all the attention on center.

Iga Swiatek dismisses fitness concerns after physical United Cup effort

SYDNEY -- Iga Swiatek downplayed any concerns about her fitness ahead of the Australian Open.

The World No.2 endured a heavy workload as she helped steer Poland into its second straight United Cup final. Along the way, she notched four wins, which included high-intensity, physical victories over US Open semifinalist Karolina Muchova, Great Britain's Katie Boulter and World No.6 Elena Rybakina.

In the final, Swiatek lost 6-4, 6-4 to No.3 Coco Gauff in another grueling all-court battle. Team USA swept the tie, defeating Poland 2-0 to win its second United Cup title.

"I'm for sure happy, because I played some heavy hitters as well this week and also some girls that played tough," Swiatek said after the match. "I was able to play against both really great tennis.

"For sure today I wasn't able to give 100 percent. Coco also played amazing, and she's for sure improving. But overall I'm really happy with the week. I feel like things I worked on really improved."

Swiatek's efforts required two rare medical timeouts for upper leg issues. The first came in her near-three-hour duel with Katie Boulter in the Sydney quarterfinals. The second came before she served to stay in the match against Gauff.

"The volume at the beginning of the tournament especially has been pretty big," Swiatek said, "but honestly, it's all good."

Setting the disappointment of the result aside, Swiatek reveled in the team environment provided by the United Cup. This year, Poland's squad included her childhood friend, No.128 Maja Chwalinska, who contributed points for Poland in mixed doubles and will play in the qualifying tournament at the Australian Open.

Chwalinska was able to help Swiatek cut through the tension of her pressure-packed matches, playfully holding ice bags on her head and cracking jokes from the bench.

"Today it wasn't my day, for sure," Swiatek said. "I needed the energy and I needed also to get some distance from everything that was happening. For sure, Maja was able to give me that. It was pretty funny. There's a reason why we won all these junior tournaments and Junior Fed Cup [together] and everything. She's pretending that she's not my friend but she is.

"So for sure, not only from Maja, but the whole team, I think the support has been amazing. We respect each other so much that we really have been here together no matter who was playing."

Now Swiatek's attention will turn to Melbourne. She made her first hard-court Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open in 2022 but has not progressed past the Round of 16 since. Last year, after going 5-0 at the United Cup, she suffered an early exit to Linda Noskova in the third round.

"This week and Australian Open is a different story," Swiatek said. "So still I'm gonna do everything step by step and continue the work that I have been doing."

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 Good to have Iga herself put those concerns to rest.

It's heartbreak for Team Poland once more as USA takes the title at United Cup

Always good to see Iga smiling in the post presser despite the emotional heartbreak

It's heartbreak again for Team Poland. Every year they give it their all and keep falling short. It's a little depressing at this point. 

All in all I don't think this was Iga's best match of the week. Serve was lacking and there were quite a few unforced errors( brought on by Coco's athleticism and having to retrieve a lot of extra balls). 

But it's not like Iga didn't have her chances to turn it around (had breaks in both sets). It just wasn't her day.

Perhaps winning with Rybakina the other day took a mental toll, not to mention the physical toll of the last few days has been pretty intense too.  

All that combined caused Iga to regress into the panic mode habit of overhitting the ball (which she really wasn't doing all tournament). 

Maybe the frustration of expecting Coco to play a certain way and not getting that was a bit of a catalyst to Iga not being able to find solutions as well. 

Iga will have to look at this rivalry from a different angle now (Coco has definitely matured and changed and improved her game (it's giving her all the belief and confidence) so Iga will have to adjust her tactics accordingly. 

That's where working with new coach Wim Fissette will come into play. 

The win over Rybakina was without a doubt the most valuable out of this whole tournament. It give her the belief that she can win with big hitters on a fast hard court.

Hopefully she'll be able to call on that bielief at Aussie Open in a weeks time. 

Having said all that I do have to wonder whether participating in this event is truly worth it in the grand scheme of things. 

Iga gets so emotionally invested and puts so much pressure on herself trying to win for her country. 

It's energy that maybe could be put to better use at an individual tournament like Brisbane or Adelaide. 

Sabalenka won Brisbane without having to face any tough opponents. I guess the question becomes is it better preparation to face a few tough opponents and not win vs having an easier draw and actually winning a title before a Grand Slam. I suppose that remains to be seen.    

I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm a little concerned about Iga physically. Having pain in both legs before a Grand Slam is not great. 

Hopefully it's all related to exertion over the past week and nothing more serious (as Iga herself mentioned in the post match interviews). 

Still I'll feel a whole lot better once Maciek Ryszczuk her physio arrives in Australia (he just always knows how to keep Iga in top condition and pain free). 

Regarding the opponents I have to add that unlike their 2021 meeting at the United Cup, this year I found the entire team USA interaction with Poland very disingenuous to put it politely. 

I think Danielle Collins sort of set that tone when she rolled her eyes as she barely shook Iga's hand as the teams were wishing each other good luck. The woman is truly insufferable. 

And if I'm honest even Coco at the end seemed to be shaking team Poland's hand out of politeness more than anything else (didn't stop for more than a second to shake the hand of each team member). It just looked so obligatory and fake.  

I'm not trying to disrespect or take away from her win in anyway she absolutely deserves it. Was the better athlete and player on the day no denying that. 

Just wasn't a fan of the American Team vibes I guess. 

I think maybe Iga felt those vibes too which is why she didn't give Coco a warm handshake at the end of their match either. I suppose emotions were running high on both sides.

Now that Coco has won back to back matches with Iga the American ESPN pundits are going to be insufferable as well. It's going to be a lot of Coco is the best, she's the contender for the Australian Open, she's one of the best athlete right now and so on. 

I get really tired of this narrative (makes me grateful to have other broadcast options).

I realize this next statement will sound completely biased, but I honestly prefer the European media's understated praising of their athletes. Sure we tend to criticize them more, but we also don't go overboard with boasting.

Still immensely proud of Team Poland despite the loss. Hopefully Iga can get a bit of R&R now to rest and rehab those legs before getting back into the grind in a week's time.

Bring on the Aussie Open!

Team Poland takes out Kazakhstan to make back to back United Cup finals!

Iga Swiatek sent Poland soaring into their second straight United Cup final by battling past one of her most challenging rivals in their semifinal tie in Sydney on Saturday.

In a clash between Top 10 players and Grand Slam champions, Swiatek bested Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 7-6(5), 6-4, sealing an insurmountable 2-0 lead for the 2024 runners-up. Hubert Hurkacz had queued Swiatek up by giving Poland the 1-0 lead with a swift victory over Alexander Shevchenko.


"I think that’s the first time I was able to win with Elena on a faster surface, so it means a lot," Swiatek said on court after her win. "I for sure didn’t start well, I felt like I [was] on the hand-brake a bit.

"I wanted to really work and change the momentum, and I’m happy that I kind of did that at the last possible chance in the first set. I kind of told myself that I’m not going to miss anymore, and I’m happy because for sure it was tough. It’s always tough against Elena."

One of the rare players who regularly troubles five-time major champion Swiatek, 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina came into Saturday’s match having won four of their six previous meetings. Indeed, Rybakina's deep, imposing hitting in the early stages again troubled Swiatek, who misfired on multiple forehands to cede a 5-3 lead to the Kazakh.

Staring down another deficit against Rybakina, Swiatek clicked into gear, accelerating through rally groundstrokes and breaking back for 5-5 on her fourth break point of that game. Swiatek then had two set points at 6-5, but Rybakina powered through a 13-minute game to hold on and scrap into the tiebreak.

After the first eight points of the breaker went to the returner, Rybakina fired two consecutive backhands long to give Swiatek another pair of set points. Swiatek converted her fourth chance after 72 minutes to narrowly close out the first set.

After missing out on two early break points in the second set, Swiatek took control for good by breaking Rybakina at love for a 4-3 lead. Swiatek had to use exceptional defense to save one break point in the final game, and the former World No.1 held on for the win. Swiatek now holds a 12-1 singles record at United Cup.

In the day’s opening match, Hurkacz continued his short and long-term redemption at the United Cup by dismissing Shevchenko 6-3, 6-2.

After losing both his singles matches in group play to Casper Ruud and Tomas Machac, Hurkacz backed up his quarter-final win over Billy Harris with a 58-minute victory over the Kazakhstani.

Hurkacz last year held two championship points in the tournament final against Alexander Zverev only to see the current World No. 2 rally to a comeback win and then team with Laura Siegemund to beat him and Swiatek in the deciding mixed doubles.

“The last match here gave me a little bit of confidence and I’ve been playing better with every single match,” Hurkacz said.

After struggling against the weight of shot in his defeats to Ruud and Machac, World No. 16 Hurkacz was the one to dictate from the baseline against Shevchenko. He was also dominated on serve, putting 76 per cent of his first deliveries into play, winning 80 per cent of first-serve points and 73 per cent of second-serve points.

Shevchenko played his best tennis early in the second set when he had more success moving Hurkacz out of the centre of the court, but after missing a 30-all opportunity in the fourth game, he made three unforced errors to get broken to love in the following game and never recovered.


Hurkacz now leads Shevchenko 4-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

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Iga winning in straight sets against Rybakina on the fast courts of Australia is the best beginning to 2025 I could have asked for.

Talk about an absolute confidence booster before the start of Austalian Open. 

Really liked Iga's demeaner in this match she stayed calm despite nerves and tension. 

She was mixing up her spins, varying heights on her shots, relying on her amazing defense instead of ball bashing and trying to outhit Rybakina. 

She even varied her position on return.  Nothing but positives to take away from this one. Wim's calming influence is slowly but surely taking effect. 

If Poland ends up playing USA I hope Iga can make it a shorter one against Gauff for the sake of her leg (skipping mixed was definitely wise for the extra rest before tomorrow).

Iga Swiatek secures semis for Team Poland in dramatic 3 set marathon vs Britain at United Cup

 

Iga Swiatek sealed the win for Poland over Great Britain at the United Cup quarterfinals, boosting last year's runner-up into Saturday's final four with a 6-7(4) 6-1, 6-4 win over Katie Boulter. On the heels of Hubert Hurkacz's 7-6(3), 7-5 opening win over Billy Harris, Swiatek's victory secured Poland an insurmountable 2-0 lead.


"This match was crazy," Swiatek said. "So many changes of momentum. I thought I had it under control in the first set but for sure I got tight and I didn't work on it. I didn't want to repeat the mistake in the third."


Poland will face Kazakhstan for a spot in its second straight United Cup final. Last year, Poland held championship points before losing to Germany.

In the first career meeting between Swiatek and Boulter, No.24 Boulter stood toe-to-toe with Swiatek from the baseline. She matched the former No.1 in pace and power in the first set. The United Cup has consistently brought out the best from Boulter, who scored the first Top 5 win of her career last year against Jessica Pegula in group play.

But the stakes were higher on Thursday night at Ken Rosewall Arena, where Great Britain came in as a heavy underdog against the experienced Polish side, which advanced to its third straight United Cup semifinal.

Swiatek earned an early 3-0 lead in the first set by fighting off four break points in the longest game of the match to consolidate her early break. She extended the lead to 4-1 but Boulter's ability to trouble Swiatek from the baseline with her flat hitting laid the foundation for the Briton's comeback.

Boulter's backhand was the shot that ultimately turned the tables. While Swiatek struggled to find her baseline consistency, Boulter came back to force the tiebreak. There, Boulter struck back-to-back backhand winners to take the 74-minute set.

The physical effort took its toll on Boulter. Swiatek responded immediately by securing a double-break lead, which she parlayed into a 6-1 second set. After striking 17 winners in the first set, Swiatek held Boulter to just four in the second.

But after failing to see a break point in the second set, Boulter broke at love to earn the early edge at 2-1 in the deciding set. Swiatek took an off-court medical timeout and returned with strapping on her upper right leg. On the resumption, Swiatek won eight consecutive points to put the set back in the balance.

The final set came down to the wire with both women finding her best when it mattered. Serving down 4-3, Boulter saved two break points with gritty baseline play, besting the Pole in two extended rallies. Swiatek responded by painting the sideline to wipe out a break-point chance for Boulter and move ahead 5-4. It would be Swiatek's final service game, as the WTA's best returner broke Boulter at love to take the 2-hour and 57-minute win.

"I tried to keep pushing knowing that I had to keep up the quality," Swiatek said, "because with quality I wouldn't have to play these longer rallies if I'm more precise. But for sure it's harder to be precise under so much pressure.

"But I made it today. For sure it's a step forward. In some moments I knew I could be more brave and in the end I was able to so I was happy."

Earlier, Hurkacz clawed past Billy Harris 7-6(3), 7-5 to give Poland the early 1-0 lead. Hurkacz walked into Ken Rosewall Arena having lost both of his singles matches in Group B action. But the United Cup veteran, who has competed in the mixed-teams event in all three editions, was cool under pressure against tournament newcomer Harris.

“Definitely super pleased with myself,” Hurkacz said. “Today was a really difficult battle with Billy. He was playing some really great tennis and definitely really happy to get through this one.”

The Pole saved all three break points he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats and relied on his dominant first delivery, winning 88 per cent of his first-serve points.

Harris, the No. 125 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, served well himself, only losing serve once in the one-hour, 45-minute match. But in the critical moments, he was not as solid.

The Briton missed a backhand long to lose the first set and missed another one in the net at 5-5 in the second set to lose serve for the only time in the match.

“This win is so crucial for me to get more confidence and get another match in,” Hurkacz said.

It was the 150th tour-level hard-court win of Hurkacz’s career and more importantly for Team Poland, he is now 5-0 against players outside the world’s Top 30 at the United Cup. He fell to World No. 6 Casper Ruud and World No. 25 Tomas Machac in group play.

wtatennis.com

Have to say I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this first meeting with Katie Boulter. But I was a little surprised it turned into quite a physical battle. 

Iga should have won it in 2, Katie did steal the break back down 1-4 with clear winners. But those minibreaks lost in the first set breaker could have clinched it.

The medical time out for Iga and the strapping on the upper thigh is a little concerning right before AO (and of course having to face Rybakina next). 

Hopefully it's just muscle pain, and nothing that can't be cured with some physical therapy and some rest. 

Four pain killers is quite a lot though. Hopefully her movement isn't too hindered on Saturday.

Good to see Poland finally pull it together as team with Hubi finally winning his first match of the season, and Jan and Maja winning mixed doubles without Iga or Hubi.

Hopefully they can show that same support against Kazakhstan because Iga is gonna need it. 

Team Poland defeat Czechia to reach United Cup quarterfinals once more

Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz clinched their country's place atop Group B on Wednesday, defeating the Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova and Tomas Machac 7-6(3), 6-3 to seal the critical tie 2-1 and book Poland into its third United Cup quarterfinals.

Poland will face Great Britain for a spot in the semifinals on Thursday.

"Honestly I was sure they were going to play amazing tennis because they have always great teams in doubles and mixed doubles. They are kind of raised that way," Swiatek said. "But I knew that we have the game to win it. For sure we were leading from the beginning.

"In the first set it got tight at the end, but I kind of felt that we were leading anyway so in the tie-break we just used that. In the end it seemed that we had everything under control."

Both countries knew that they would move into the last eight of the mixed-teams competition with a win in the tie. But it was last year's runners-up who found a way through the tie to top their group and advance.

Hurkacz delivered his duo's 12th ace of the match to emerge victorious after one hour and 25 minutes. The Poles broke serve five times from 11 chances against the Czechs.

"Iga is just so solid and you really can count on her shots," Hurkacz said.

The Czechs can still earn a spot in the quarterfinals by finishing as the best-placed second-placed country in Sydney. Machac, Muchova and the rest of their team will need to follow Wednesday evening's Australia-Great Britain tie closely.

Earlier, World No.2 Swiatek notched a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 victory over Muchova to deliver her 10th career United Cup singles victory.

“Honestly, I love playing against Karolina because she always brings precision and intensity and a little bit of a different game than most of the girls,” Swiatek said. “So for sure it’s a challenge. I’m happy that even though I lost my serve when I thought it’s going to be easier, I’m happy that I got my intensity even higher in the last two games to break again.”

Swiatek leveled the Group B tie at one win apiece, after Machac had earlier moved the Czech Republic to the brink of the United Cup quarterfinals with a tense win against Hurkacz.

“Obviously I knew what’s at stake,” Swiatek said, “so in tough moments I just tried to loosen up my hand and force myself to not change any movements because of any thoughts. That’s the most important thing in tennis, to try and use your intuition as much as possible and I think I did that in the last rallies for sure.”

The tie will now come down to the mixed doubles, with the winner automatically grabbing one of the precious quarterfinal spots in the knockout stages.

World No.22 Muchova had troubled Swiatek in the past, garnering a win in their first meeting at 2019 Prague and pushing the Pole to three sets in their other two meetings, most notably a closely-contested Roland Garros final in 2023.

Indeed, a deep service return by Muchova gave the Czech the first break of the day and a 2-1 lead. But that initial stumble jolted Swiatek’s heavy groundstrokes into top form and she racked up four games in a row to lead 5-2.

Serving at 5-3, Swiatek swatted away two break points with backhand winners and grabbed the one-set lead. Both players were 6-for-9 at the net in the opening frame, but Swiatek was a perfect 2-for-2 on break points.

In the second set, Muchova clawed back from a break down to level proceedings at 4-4, but Swiatek found a pair of blistering backhands to reclaim the break and serve for the match. The former World No.1 needed to save one more break point, but wrapped up the win with a winning volley after 1 hour and 56 minutes of play.

In the day’s first match, Hurkacz won six more total points in a one-hour, 55-minute clash, but Machac persevered to emerge victorious 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 and give the Czech Republic the 1-0 lead.

“It was a difficult match from the beginning. I was a little bit tired from the match with Casper [Ruud],” Machac said. “It was a great match and Hubi is an unbelievable player. It’s always a pleasure to share the court with him. In the end, I was just fighting. I’m really happy with my mental [game] in the end.”

In Hurkacz and Machac’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in last year’s Marseille quarterfinals, Hurkacz did not face a break point in a straight-sets victory.

Machac, who lost a nearly three-hour battle in his opening match of the season against Norway’s Casper Ruud, received leg rubs from coach and captain Daniel Vacek in the Team Zone during changeovers. He struggled to deal with his opponent’s second serve, as Hurkacz won a whopping 70 per cent of points behind his second delivery according to Infosys ATP Stats.

But seemingly out of the blue, Machac earned match point at 5-4 on the Pole’s serve. While Hurkacz saved a break point at 3-4 in the decider with a big backhand up the line, he could not stave off trouble again, launching a forehand long.

Machac roared in celebration and enjoyed the moment with Vacek just outside the Team Zone.

“In the end I was trying to be more aggressive, to push myself to the court,” Machac said. “It was great.”

wtatennis.com


Hubi is yet to win in singles since his return, but at least he showed up a bit for Iga in the doubles. Seems like that new racket is still gonna take him some time to get used to.


Hopefully the win with Iga yesterday propels him to do better against Great Britain in singles tomorrow.


Iga was outstanding against Muchova (sure Muchova may not have served at her usual level had more double faults).


But Muchova is the type of player who doesn't necessarily need her serve to win a match.


It was quite a battle and Iga had to work hard to return a lot of extra shots. If she can show this level in Melbourne in a few weeks I will feel like I have died and gone to tennis fan's heaven. 

Iga Swiatek's new season off to a flier with a confident win for Poland at United Cup

World No.2 Iga Swiatek powered a memorable 2-1 victory for Poland against Norway on Monday evening at the United Cup.

After Swiatek and Casper Ruud earned singles wins in front of the Sydney fans, Swiatek and Jan Zielinski battled past Ulrikke Eikeri and Ruud 6-3, 0-6 [10-8] to clinch the tie for their country.

"It's still the old year, so I'm happy to finish it like that," Swiatek said. "I'm really happy that I could play with Jan and show our game. It was pretty tight, but I'm happy that at the end we stepped up the level and we finished it so Poland could win."

Chants of "Ruuuuuuud!" rang out through the Sydney night to combat shouts of 'Poland! Poland!' Fans were on the edge of their seat at the match reached its climax. Norway led the Match Tie-break 8-6 and Ruud held two served at 8-7, but lost both points.

"Even though the second set was 0-6, we knew it was very close. It was a matter of single points, deciding points, 0-30 we had a couple times. We knew this could change at any moment," Zielinski said. "They had their momentum at some point, 8-7 serving, Casper, so we were not in the ideal position. But we stayed tough, we showed some good returns and best tennis when it mattered, so I'm happy with the outcome."

With the result, Norway has been eliminated from the United Cup. The winner between Poland and the Czech Republic on Wednesday will win Group B and advance to the quarterfinals of the mixed-teams competition. Barring any lineup changes, Swiatek will face Karolina Muchova in a rematch of the 2023 Roland Garros final.

Earlier, Swiatek laid down a marker in her season opener in singles, defeating No.404 Malene Helgø 6-1, 6-0.

Swiatek, 23, led the Hologic WTA Tour in match wins (59) and titles (5) in the 2024 season, and she looked as sharp as ever in her season debut. With new coach Wim Fissette sitting in the coaches' box, Swiatek overpowered Helgø from the baseline to tally her first win of the season.

"I'm happy for sure with the performance," Swiatek said. "It's not easy to play for your country, sometimes the pressure is bigger."

Swiatek won the first nine points of the match and raced through the 24-minute opening set behind eight forehand winners, four backhand winners, and just two unforced errors. She held Helgø to just two winners off the ground.

Helgø, 25, has emerged as a United Cup stalwart for Norway, having competed in all three editions. Away from the annual competition, she has yet to compete at a tour-level event, peaking at a career-high No.317 on the PIF WTA Rankings. She has won nine titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

Swiatek continued her march through a clinical second set. After coming through a 10-minute game to break Helgø, converting her seventh break point for a 3-0 lead, Swiatek sprinted across the finish line to seal a 62-minute win. She finished the match with 21 groundstroke winners and just eight unforced errors. She did not face a break point.

In the face of elimination, Ruud responded with a top performance inside Ken Rosewall Arena. The No.6 player in the PIF ATP Rankings surged past Hubert Hurkacz 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 23 minutes to keep his country's hopes alive and force a live mixed doubles clash.

"I think [it was] almost an error-less match... Not many unforced errors, except for maybe one or two there [in] the last game," Ruud said. "But very happy with my performance. It was solid with a good game plan and I was able to execute it well.

"Of course you always go out on court with a gameplan, but you also have to execute it. It's not just given that you will do everything you want to do. So I'm happy that I was able to play well tonight. And I knew I had to against Hubi, he's a great player."

Hurkacz's serve is consistently one of the toughest to break on the ATP Tour. Ruud managed to do so twice to force a deciding mixed doubles match.

The Norwegian told ATPTour.com Sunday after defeating Tomas Machac that he spent time during the offseason testing the limits of his game, swinging more freely than he has to see how consistently he could executive a more aggressive gamestyle.

While he did not come out blasting the ball against Hurkacz, Ruud took the initiative when he needed to, including on set point in the first set, crushing a forehand to Hurkacz's forehand, eliciting an error.

Hurkacz only won 44 per cent of his second-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats. It was the 27-year-old's first match under new coach Nicolas Massu.

wtatennis.com

Really great start for Iga already seeing some slight improvements in the shortened forehand swing. The commentators even noticed serve motion has gotten smoother.

I do have to say even though I absolutely love watching Iga in this event especially in mixed doubles, part of me wishes she would skip it in favor of a singles warm up tournament like Brisbane or Adelaide as prep for the Aussie Open.

I completely understand why Iga chooses to play it because she loves playing for her country and the camaraderie you get from it vs playing by yourself on tour. 

But every year it feels like she's carrying the whole team on her back (the way she did at the BJK cup in November). 

It's basically Iga vs everyone else with no support from her team. They never seem able to match her level and do their part to actually support her. 

With Hubi this year I do cut him a lot of slack, because he's coming back from injury and he's not only changed his coach and clothing sponsor but also seems to be testing out a new racket. 

It does put so much pressure on Iga and in a team event like this she simply cannot do it alone. 

The team is really going to have to try their hardest to pull together because Poland has Team Czechia next which means Karolina Muchova for Iga (a very challenging opponent for anyone on tour when she's healthy).

The one positive out of this is that this event does give Iga a chance to work on and gain confidence with her net game.