Defending Wimbledon Champion Iga Swiatek fights through first round jitters

 

Defending champion Iga Swiatek admitted to her joy and relief after surviving a huge scare to win her opening match on Centre Court.

The Polish star won her final 20 games last year to lift her sixth Grand Slam title. And walking on to Centre Court at precisely 1.30pm, as tradition dictates, the No.3 seed seemed ready to turn back the clock after a troubled season by winning the opening set in only 31 minutes.

But cheered on by her friends Naomi Osaka and Katerina Siniakova, the American doubles specialist fought back to level the match and force a deciding set in an enthralling contest.

And despite sending down a total of nine double faults, Swiatek showed the mettle of a champion to triumph 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in two hours and two minutes.

Swiatek thus avoided becoming only the third defending Wimbledon ladies’ champion in the Open era to lose in the first round, after Steffi Graf in 1994 and Marketa Vondrousova in 2024.

But after failing to progress beyond a Grand Slam quarter-final since Wimbledon last year - and losing her only warm-up event on grass - the Pole showed rare emotion in her post-match interview in front of a supportive Centre Court crowd. This included her father, Tomasz, and sister Agata in the Royal Box.

“It has been a tough couple of weeks,” Swiatek said. “It is not a season where everything has gone how I wanted. I don’t think I won any three-set matches this year (NB she won in one in Rome). So, I am happy I could do it here because obviously it means a lot, opening the court as defending champion.

“I am happy I was able to get through a match like that because I got quite tense in the second set. I was able to come back to my game. These are the moments that you feel you did the job because it is not hard when everything goes your way and you are so confident that everything goes in."

This first meeting between the Pole and the American left-hander was anything but consistent.

Swiatek’s sequence of winning games here came to a swift end when Townsend showed her attacking intent with a clean forehand winner on her way to holding her opening service game.

At deuce in the seventh game, Townsend attempted to serve-and-volley and Swiatek smashed a return to her tennis shoes. She took her first set point after a little over half an hour with a forehand pass as the American rushed the net again in vain.

The momentum changed again in the opening game of the second set when a Swiatek double fault and a weak backhand helped Townsend break for the first time. A fine rally featuring a Swiatek tweener and an American volleyed winner caused the biggest cheer of the day as the world No.79 raced into a 4-0 lead. The defending champion made 16 errors before Townsend took the second set with an ace after 70 minutes. It was the first set dropped by Swiatek here since the second round last year, against another American, Caty McNally.

Amid rising tension, the 21-minute opening game of the final set proved psychologically crucial at a time when Swiatek looked in real trouble. With Townsend sometimes standing two yards inside the baseline to receive, Swiatek sent down three double faults but also saved four break points before the American dumped a service return into the net on the 24th point.

The pair still had time to trade breaks before a Polish forehand pass helped her break again, to lead 5-3, and she sealed her nervy win with an ace.

Asked about the first game of the decider, Swiatek smiled: “Sometimes just serving the ball in might be a tough ask. This game for sure was about that and believing that I can do it. It was long and had many break points.

“In the end, I am happy I kept my composure. I was listening to my box and they were supporting me a lot. I knew I needed to be solid and not look for winners or serves that would give me points. Play more safe, play rallies. I am happy in the end that this game went well because I think it was crucial. On to the next one.”

wimbledon.com

This match was as tough to watch as it was for Iga to play I think.  

A lot of old demons reared their head with winning the first set convincingly then losing the 2nd and having to battle in the 3rd. 

I did see some encouraging signs as well with Iga saving 5 break points from love 40 (feels like it's been a long while since she has shown this type of fight). 

She actually won a 20 minute game during which I think I lost about 5 years off my life :D. 

Yes there were still many double faults an unusual amount in fact so the serve is still very much a work in progress.  

But quite of few of those derived from the stress of being the defending champion and playing first up in only your 2nd grass court match of the season (having lost in the first round of Bad Homburg the week prior). 

I certainly hope that's all it was because it truly broke my heart to see Iga so emotional at the end of the match and sobbing into her towel.

She's clearly trying so hard, and she and others put her under so much pressure and scrutiny. I'm sure it feels like she's carrying the entirety of Poland on her back, (as she so often  has).

Whatever else happens in this tournament for Iga I'm just so damn glad she avoided a first round exit and I hope letting out some of those emotions helped to relieve some of that pressure.

Maybe it'll help her to play just a little bit freer in the next round. 

Things will only get tougher draw wise, but at this point I just want Iga to rediscover some belief in her game again, just trust herself a little more. 

If she can find some joy along the way all the better.

Hang n there Iga trust the process, good and bad your fans are with you.

Jazda!.

Iga Swiatek suffers earliest loss at Roland Garros since 2019

 

2026 marks the first Roland Garros where I honestly regretted setting my alarm for 5 am to watch Iga. 

It's always been something I looked forward to and couldn't wait for. But that was not the case today. 

Today I wish I had just slept through it. 

I can't even say I feel disappointed because, the overwhelming feeling is actually sadness. Sadness for the way things used to be vs the way they are now. 

And I realize I once again raised my expectations way too high knowing Iga's confidence is nowhere near where it should or could be, but it's hard not to do that when she's set the standard so high over the years. 

Afterall she did win Wimbledon out of the blue last year along with 2 other titles.

The belief in her is always there regardless of evidence to the contrary. The way it always used to be for me with Roger Federer. 

That's what legends do they make you believe. And despite her loss today Iga will always be that. 

A Legend. 

Even if she were to never win another Slam again.

Today felt a bit like watching Rafa at his peak vs when he was past his prime. But I know that she will be back, because unlike Rafa her career has barely begun and  despite what some may think she's not even in her prime (she literally turned 25 on this very day). 

I honestly think people forget sometimes just how young she was when she reached the height of her successes. She was just 19 when she won the first Roland Garros.

Right now though it's very evident that there's still a lot of work to be done in terms of getting back that mental toughness she had as a 19 year old and onward. 

I'm not going to talk about her sports psychologist or team or whatever else because I feel like I've done that ad nauseam this year.

Everyone online has really, but at the end of the day that's all it is talk and opinions. 

Only Iga knows what she needs and how to solve the issues she's having. And I think it's wise to remember that it'll take time and that as Iga herself admitted in her post match interview it may not happen in a month or even this year. 

It is interesting that she's considering hiring a 2nd coach after Wimbledon (which does makes sense given Roig has a serious injury and it's hard for him to travel everywhere). 

Iga does need someone who will be with her all year round. 

Having 2 coaches is certainly not a new concept, Jannik Sinner has had 2 for a while and it's working well for him. 

Maybe this is something Iga can also benefit from. She still needs someone to help her rediscover her belief in herself, her game and maybe most importantly her serve because it really let her down again today. 

Hard to put pressure on any opponent if you can't get free points yourself with the one weapon you can control. 

The saddest part about today might be not just the way she lost, (basically giving the match away after leading twice in the 1st set) but also the way she went out with a whimper instead of a fight. 

In a place that she dominated for years, a place she absolutely loves and celebrates her Birthdays at.

Must have felt like an absolute gut punch. 

I want to stay positive for Wimbledon but I don't know that the pressure of being the defending champion will do her any favors at this point. 

She's as low as can be and not even a good draw will help with that. If the belief in her game isn't there everything else falls apart. 

And 3 weeks doesn't feel like nearly enough time to find any solutions temporary or long term.

It's really too bad I was looking forward to the possibility that someone might finally defend the Wimbledon title (which hasn't happened since Serena Williams in the 2010's)

She may still surprise, in sport you just never know but there are just too many doubts at the moment.  

I do believe she'll comeback stronger yet, because as I've said many times in the past  someone with her talent is too good not to. 

But we'll all just have to be patient as she goes through the process. 

Hope she at least got to spend her Birthday surrounded by the people she loves, and that she remembers that there are a lot of people out there grateful that she exists.

And that without her Poland never would have gotten a Grand Slam champion and certainly not a multiple one. 

So Happy Birthday Iga, hope you rest up and enjoy yourself a bit before the sport makes demands of you again. 

See you on the grass.

Jazda!.

Iga Swiatek back in the 2nd week of Roland Garros

Four-time champion Iga Swiatek is looking like her old, dominant self in Paris.

The Pole moved through her third-round clash with compatriot Magda Linette on Friday afternoon on Court Chatrier, pulling away after a tense opening eight games, to book her eighth trip to the second week on the Parisian clay, 6-4, 6-4.

Tension rippled through the encounter in the early stages, with Linette angling for her second consecutive win over Swiatek after defeating her in three sets in Miami in March. After falling behind 2-0, Swiatek settled in and methodically gained the upper hand.

The six-time major champion clocked a fizzing forehand winner for a break for 5-4 then prevailed in one of the longest rallies of the match a game later to lock down the opening set, 6-4.

Noticeably bossing the rallies, Swiatek showed signs of her former self as she ratcheted up the spin and trajectory of her forehand to put Linette on a string in her backcourt.

“Iga’s forehand looks much different today than it was in the first few rounds of this tournament,” said three-time major champion Lindsay Davenport, who commentated the match for TNT. “She’s able to hit through the court more effectively, she’s up at almost 3000 rpms – that is a lot.”

According to graphics shown during the broadcast, Swiatek is finding nine centimetres more net clearance on her forehand this year, compared with last year, and she is delivering approximately 160 more rpms off that devastating forehand wing.

After claiming the opener, Swiatek raced out to a double-break lead, but 73rd-ranked Linette answered back, recapturing one of the breaks for 2-4 and holding for 3-4 to put pressure back on Swiatek.

Swiatek, the consummate frontrunner on the terre battue, closed the books on Linette in an hour and 25 minutes, finishing the match with two consecutive holds of serve. The 24-year-old remains undefeated at Roland-Garros after claiming the opening set, winning 39 such matches, and 37 of those 39 in straight sets.
Kostyuk next

The 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024 champion improves to 43-3 lifetime at Roland-Garros and sets an enticing round of 16 clash with Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, who will carry a 14-0 record on clay into their fourth career meeting.

Swiatek has won the previous three, including a 6-3, 6-4 triumph in Paris in 2021 in their only clay court meeting.
Forehand firing up

Though she had some struggles on serve during Friday’s contest, Swiatek can take comfort in the fact that her forehand is now firing on all cylinders.

“She’s getting back to playing more clay-court style tennis, not trying to outhit big hitters, but using the bounce and using her topspin to do a lot of the work on the clay,” Davenport said.

1993 women’s singles finalist Mary Joe Fernandez was also impressed.

“It gives her more safety, so she has more margin for error, and it also gives her more time to set up the next shot, when she hits higher over the net,” said the American, also a TNT commentator. “Now she’s using it in a better way to open up the court.

"That’s when she’s at her best, when she can just start controlling the point, moving her opponent from corner to corner, and the forehand is where it all starts.”

rolandgarros.com

Iga Swiatek sets up a historic all-Polish 3rd round at Roland Garros

 

Iga Swiatek is reticent about stretching her culinary skills too far after conceding she only really knows one simple yet publicly divisive pasta dish.

Fortunately, success opens doors for a six-time Grand Slam champion, one of which includes having a chef come to do the cooking at her Paris accommodation during Roland-Garros.

The Pole had enough on her hands finding a way past wily Czech lefty Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3 in the second round, so the thought of retreating to her off-site haven and have someone else whip up a post-match feast was a welcome reward.

Though she has made no secret of recalibrating between matches, taking a book to a park or making a quick side trip to the likes of the Palace of Versailles, this year satisfying the palate is her off-court French focus.

“Honestly, this year is more about cuisine, I would say, because actually I have a chef in the evening from Roland-Garros,” Swiatek said. “You know, he's I think working at this restaurant next to [Court] Simone-Mathieu.

“So I would say this year I'm exploring a little bit healthy French cuisine – not French fries, though. No, I mean, he has the skills. I have no talent. I would just make a mess in the kitchen.”

During her run to a maiden Wimbledon crown last year, Swiatek revealed a traditional Polish dish from childhood, makaron z truskawkami – pasta with strawberries – was her favourite meal to cook.

She reminded the world her cooking skills hadn’t developed in an on-court interview at this year’s Australian Open.

“I’m a terrible cook. Honestly the only thing I can do is pasta with strawberries. Half of the world is hating on it,” she said. “I don’t get why. Honestly that’s the only thing I can do.”

There’d be no such dish on the menu during a major, much less requested of a French chef in the house.

With meal preparations left to the expert, Swiatek was left to ply her expertise to her march towards the second week in Paris.

It remained on track on Court Philippe-Chatrier but not without a glitch after the wily Bejlek’s variety caused more than a few issues.

The Pole did not have it all her own way but stepped up when it mattered to improve her record against southpaws to 40-5 across all levels.

Searching for her first claycourt title since Roland-Garros two years ago, the third seed left plenty of room to iron out kinks on serve following the 94-minute affair on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Of the eight games the 24-year-old has conceded across two rounds, six were against her serve, including when she tried to close out the opening set against the Czech.

Fortunately for Swiatek, her most dominant game on serve came while shutting the door on this year’s Abu Dhabi champion, a love hold setting an all-Polish third-round showdown after Magda Linette denied former champion Jelena Ostapenko.

“She was pretty good in defence, and I had many opportunities to attack,” Swiatek said. “Sometimes even too many, you know? So when you attack, like most of the balls, of course, you're going to make more mistakes, because it's easier to push the ball back than to actually add a lot of energy to it and try to open the court …

“Pretty unpredictable, I would say, but I didn't mind. I wanted to be flexible and adjust and play my game. Sometimes I had some moments where the mistakes happened, but at the end I feel like I was the one that had control over the game, and it was up to me if I'm going to finish these points or make a mistake. In important moments I was focused and patient enough to play solid.”

rolandgarros.com

While Iga's serve really let her down this match, the rest of her game was solid. She returned well, and extended rallies with a lot of patience something that often goes missing when her serve lets her down but not today she kept her frustrations at bay even despite getting broken a few times. 

Most notably she felt comfortable enough to throw in a bunch of dropshots in one game. Something she used to do a lot more of, but which Wiktorowski got her out of and didn't nurture. 

Definitely will need to improve her serve, but she's not now got a chance to avenge her loss to Linette in Miami if she plays like she did in the first set of that tournament it could be a quick one. 

Thank you Magda Linette for taking out Jelena Ostapenko.

I will say that having 2 Polish players play each other at Roland Garros for the fist time is pretty cool. 

Hopefully it'll be nice and straight forward for Iga because the challenges ahead will only get harder, but we take it one match at a time. 

Jazda!

27 - In the Open Era, only Rafael Nadal (54) and Bjorn Borg (33) have faced more unseeded players than Iga Swiatek (27) at Roland Garros without ever losing. Unfriendly.

42 - Iga Swiatek has become the player with the most wins in Women’s Singles at Roland Garros after her first 45 main draw matches in the Open Era (42, equalling Chris Evert). Legendary.

Iga Swiatek back at Roland Garros with a comfortable win

Iga Swiatek’s bid to reclaim the Roland-Garros crown is off to a hasty start after she allowed 17-year-old Emerson Jones just three games at the first hurdle.

In full flight under full sun on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the Pole delivered a 6-1, 6-2 clay-court masterclass in exactly 60 minutes – her heavy-kicking forehand keeping the teenage Australian under the pump on serve and on the run.

For the athletically blessed Jones, whose mother Loretta Harrop was a silver medallist triathlete at the Athens 2004 Olympics, it was the ultimate learning experience in her first Paris venture since reaching the girls’ singles semifinals last year.

Swiatek was less than two months older when she made her Paris debut and reached the fourth round in just her second major appearance.

Next time round, in 2020, she famously mounted the most unlikely charge for her maiden Grand Slam trophy.

“I feel like in 2019 I already played junior tournament, so I already kind of knew the vibe of the whole event, but obviously it's different playing at a pro level,” Swiatek said.

“I was just trying to do the best result possible with the game that I had, but next year, you know, maybe the difference was that every match I felt like I'm playing better and better, and I really felt like my game is fitting these courts.

“Match by match, I thought maybe I can go one more. I had many more belief, you know.”

In a tussle between the former world No.1 and former junior No.1 on Monday – they concurrently held top spot in their respective rankings in late 2024 – the third seed and four-time champion was relentless throughout, relishing the extra zing in her shots in the heat.

Swiatek could empathise with having salvaged just one game against third seed and reigning champion Simona Halep in that last-16 showing on debut.

“In 2019 I also played quite good. I remember I was a bit injured, but then with Simona, obviously she beat me pretty hard,” Swiatek said. “It was heartbreaking, but it was a lesson that I had to learn. She was playing her best game back then. For sure, without that loss, I wouldn't play much better next year, you know. That's the story.”

The novelty of being an unknown quantity worked in the young Pole’s favour particularly in her early years on tour.

While a handful of women before her had deployed such heavy-kicking and aggressive topspin, Swiatek took it to another level.

It required a period of adaptation for the rest of the field and while her rivals knew better now what to expect, execution was another matter.

“For sure players got used to it. I remember it was all a surprise in 2022 [her most dominant season],” she said.

“It was quite interesting that next year I felt totally different. I think this is what people say when they say it's harder to stay on the top, because you need to adjust your game so it's not that simple for people anymore. Yeah, they get used to it, for sure.

“But on the other hand, I can still make these shots better and they still work. When I played against Ash [Barty], I knew exactly what she's gonna play, but she did it so good that I was still losing these points.

“I knew exactly that she's gonna slice me to the backhand. I'm gonna try to, you know, pick it up with my backhand topspin and she's gonna finish me with her forehand.

"But still I played this one not so good, you know, because her slice was amazing. She played her forehand so well, that I still had no chance.”

Swiatek preserved her flawless Grand Slam record in main draws and qualifying against players outside the top 100 to set a second-round meeting with Czech Sara Bejlek.

For Jones, there was much to take away from her first outing on Chatrier. As Swiatek can vouch, it’s how you respond next time round that matters.

rolandgarros.com

Iga Swiatek fights, but falls short of the final in Rome

 

Well, what can I say about this match, I think it's best I start with the fact it was played late at night after 10pm and went way past midnight. 

Conditions were, cold, slow and damp (with rain earlier in the day). Not ideal for someone like Iga who relies on the spin on her shots especially her forehand. 

Night conditions rendered it a bit irrelevant allowing a scrapper like Svitolina to keep getting one more shot back (with balls which were undoubtedly more heavy). 

It's no secret that Iga hates playing at night so the tournament didn't do her any favours there (and as her fan and a fan of the sport in general I reserve the right to be mad about that for a while). 

Why are we still making players play after 11pm.

 Just why?. 

No other sport in the world does this it is dangerous, dumb and completely unnecessary. 

Especially when you consider this tournament is 12 days long with breaks in between and a first week where the top 10 don't even play.

It's not like we couldn't have had both the women and men's final on the same day. Indian Wells does it and it's fantastic.

No instead we have this shit show where even yesterday a men's match went on until 2am. 

Beyond ludicrous.

Despite this loss I'm proud of Iga for her attitude on court, she dealt well with having to play in conditions that were more suited to her opponent. She corrected the mistakes in the 2nd set and got it into a 3rd. 

Maybe got a bit impatient and overhit in the final set but it's understandable with how well Svitolina was retrieving that coupled with the fact she's probably used to sleeping at the time they were playing and patient point construction went out the window. 

She still tried and fought. 

It doesn't take away from how well she was playing this tournament, finally broke the quarterfinal and top 10 loss curse. It's the best she has played in months. 

Positives all around in that respect. 

Feeling real encouraged for Roland Garros with this run in Rome. 

Sure there may still be some work to do but this is a huge step forward. It's hard to get that confidence and self assuredness when you haven't been at the tail end of tournaments for a while.

She's still lacking the clutch factor on big points so not quite back to her old self just yet. 

But it was very clear here in Rome that if there's a chance of getting that back for Iga it's on the clay.

Part of me will always think what could have been had they played in the day with the sun out instead. 

Because I knew Svitolina would be tough either way, but things swung in her favor even more as soon as it became a night session. 

The first game of the 3rd set where Iga had break points and didn't take them decided the match.

Regardless it was a great run and I hope Iga is proud and keeps her head high. 

All that training is definitely  paying off.

On to Paris we go.

Jazda!

Iga Swiatek makes first semis of the season in Rome

It has been an underwhelming season by Iga Swiatek’s standards. She briefly fell to No. 4 in the rankings last month, failed to advance beyond the quarterfinals of a WTA event outside team competitions and changed coaches three months into the season. But with Roland Garros approaching, she appears to be finding her form again.

On Wednesday, the fourth seed delivered one of her most impressive performances of the season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, defeating No. 5 Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 in one hour, seven minutes to advance to the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. She will face either second seed Elena Rybakina or No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina next.


"For sure I'm really happy with the match," Swiatek told the media after her win. "From the beginning I felt like I can dictate. Tactically everything made sense as well. I was feeling the ball really well. I just used my chance and was pretty confident."

Here are some key takeaways from Swiatek’s victory:

Swiatek did not face a single break point on serve during the match. She landed 77.8% of her first serves and won 77.1% of first-serve points and 60% of second-serve points.

By comparison, Pegula landed 64.4% of her first serves, winning 62.1% of first-serve points and just 12.5% of second-serve points.

"Honestly, I feel on clay that there is not so much pressure on the serve because it's not so easy to get free points," the Pole responded when told about the stat in her post-match press conference. "I know I have a really great baseline game, so even if my serve is going to be kind of normal and not do a lot, I know it's still in my hands what to happen with the point. I don't think it's that much important. For sure, the placement is more important than the speed here because the ball will bounce pretty high anyway, even when you serve like 180. It's good to already, like, open up the court if you can with the serve."

The victory over the fifth-ranked Pegula marked Swiatek’s first win over a top-10 opponent this season. She had lost her previous six matches against top-10 players, including four in 2026, marking the longest such losing streak of her career.

Despite that run, Swiatek still owns one of the strongest records against elite opponents on tour. Since making her debut in 2019, she has recorded 54 wins over top-10 players, two more than current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

Swiatek improved to 7-5 overall against Pegula and 2-0 against the American on clay.

Six of Swiatek’s seven wins over Pegula have come in straight sets, while three of Pegula’s five victories have also been in straight sets.

With the win, Swiatek improved to 25-3 in her career in Rome, which she has won on three occasions. In the Open Era, only Chris Evert, Conchita Martinez and Gabriela Sabatini reached 25 Rome wins in fewer matches, with each doing so in 27 matches.

Among players with at least 10 matches played in Rome during the Open Era, only Chris Evert owns a better winning percentage than Swiatek. Evert posted a 92.3% win rate, while Swiatek now stands at 89.3%.

"The goal was to play as many matches as possible," she said of her week in Rome. "I'm really happy that I just have opportunity to do that because I felt like I didn't play a lot at all, comparing to last season. I'm happy that I can spend some time on the court and play really solid matches against the best girls. For sure it's giving me confidence because you can practice as much as possible, but if you don't test it out on the court, play matches and face pressure or something, you're going to still feel the little bit rusty when it comes. I'll play hopefully two more here."

Swiatek holds a 6-6 career record against Rybakina and a 4-2 edge against Svitolina.

However, she lost her most recent meeting against both players - falling to Rybakina in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January and to Svitolina in the Indian Wells quarterfinals in March.

wtatennis.com

Another superb performance from Iga from start to finish. 

A statement win. 

Looking more and more like vintage Iga in Rome. 

Feels like it's been a long time coming.

Slowly but surely things really are starting to click, and it makes me so happy to able to say that. 

I was worried Pegula's flat strokes would give Iga trouble, but they don't have as much effect on clay especially when Iga's forehand and spin come into play.

As I said in my last post when Iga's game flows even her serve improves (almost 80percent in today) that's about as good as it gets.

Huge strides were made today by winning against #5 Pegula, Iga broke 6 straight losses to top ten opponents, and 4 straight losses in the quarters. 

Her level is rising and things are looking up.

Svitolina or Rybakina next both would be tough. 

Svitolina is a fighter so it'd prepare her for Gauff were they to play in the final.

Rybakina of course has the big serve and confidence winning a lot of matches this year. But Iga did beat her at Roland Garros last year. And the last time they played in Rome Iga retired at one set all due to a rib issue. 

So I always take Rybakina's lone win in Rome with a grain of salt or asterisk I guess. I'll always wonder what would have been had Iga not retired.

When Iga plays well on clay she is still superior to Rybakina serve and all.

It certainly won't be easy, but it'd be a great litmus test before Roland Garros as well.

First semis of the year tomorrow.

Jazda!.

22 - Iga Swiatek is now the currently active player (among those appearing on Tour this season) with the most WTA-1000 semi-finals (22), surpassing Aryna Sabalenka (21). Jump.

25 - Iga Swiatek has claimed her 25th win in Rome after 28 matches played at the event - in the Open Era, only Chris Evert, Conchita Martinez and Gabriela Sabatini (27 each) have played less to reach this milestone. Home.

50 - Iga Swiatek has played today her 50th WTA-1000 clay court match (43-7): since the format’s introduction in 2009, only Serena Williams (44) had more wins after her first 50 matches on the surface in such events. Queen.