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 fights past Bouzkova to make it to U.S. Open 4th round for the 6th straight year

Iga Swiatek won two tiebreaks in a single match for the first time in her career Saturday, outlasting No. 25 seed Marie Bouzkova

7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) in 2 hours and 27 minutes to reach the US Open fourth round for the sixth straight year.

"It got pretty physical," Swiatek said in her on-court interview. "[There were] many long rallies, and sometimes I had to attack many times because Marie was defending really well and getting every ball back -- also using her opportunities when she had a chance. I just wanted to be solid and play one more ball in and not aim too much. It was really tricky."

Despite being pushed throughout and having to save three set points in the second set, Swiatek remains undefeated against Bouzkova at the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level. She leads the head-to-head 4-0 and hasn't dropped a set. She has now won 13 of her last 14 matches overall, losing only to Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati semifinals.

It was an unusual victory for Swiatek beyond the first-time scoreline. Her serve wavered -- she won just 60% of her first-serve points and was broken five times -- but the rest of her game held firm. She excelled at the net, winning 15 of 17 points, and finished with 35 winners, 15 more than Bouzkova. She also punished the Czech's second serve, winning 64% of those points to secure five breaks of her own.

The match itself was a break-fest. Swiatek was the first to hold for 3-2 in the opening set before Bouzkova answered for 3-all. After breaking for 6-5, Bouzkova served for the set, but broke again to force the tiebreak. Bouzkova double-faulted to hand Swiatek a mini-break at 2-0, and the Pole closed it out from there.

Bouzkova nearly forced a decider, leading 6-5 as Swiatek served to reach another tiebreak. The Czech held three set points, the last saved by a Swiatek volley winner. It proved her final opening, as Swiatek grabbed the mini-break on the first point of the breaker and never looked back.

"I tried not to think of these points as set points. I tried to play them as I would any other point. I didn't want to create too much pressure," Swiatek said in her post-match press conference. "Obviously if I'm focused well, I don't know what the score is. So that's the time in the match where I can just focus on my tasks, and then I can be more consistent no matter what the score is.

"It wasn't easy to do that today, but that's how I felt in the tiebreaks, as well."

Swiatek is now 7-2 in tiebreaks in her US Open career.

The win sets up a box-office fourth-round matchup with Zheng Qinwen, who saved a match point and rallied from 5-0 down to defeat No. 22 seed Madison Keys
 earlier Saturday. Swiatek has won seven of their eight meetings, losing only at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

And for what it's worth: Swiatek is undefeated against qualifiers and lucky losers at Grand Slams (15-0).

wtatennis.com

This was supposed to be a nice relaxing match for me to watch, instead it turned into quite a rollercoaster. Last person I expected to turn a match into such a physical one was Bouzkova. 

Though I suppose Iga is partly to blame as she didn't want to pull the trigger and instead was happy to extend rallies with Bouzkova all day long. 

The fact she was able to do that speaks volumes in terms of progress. Iga of earlier this year probably would have looked for shortcuts and got frustrated and overhit. 

But new Iga is patient as the day is long :D. 

If this was the beginning of this year this match would have been dragged to a 3 setter with Iga probably losing. 

I was actually quite impressed with her concentration throughout despite the many breaks of serve in the match. And how clutch she was in the tiebreakers. 

She had a clear plan and stuck with it. 

Maybe she wanted to feel the ball more knowing that tougher opposition is to come. Honestly can't remember last time Iga won so many points at net.

Zhang Qinwen next, the woman responsible for the heartbreak of Iga losing at the Olympics at her favourite venue of Roland Garros. 

I'm certain Iga's fans still have nightmares about it, that match changed a lot of things for Iga it made her doubt herself more. 

Granted it's been quite a few years since the 2 have faced off, both are in very different places career wise. 

Iga is a 6 time Grand Slam Champion and Zhang has been sidelined by injuries and had to play qualifying just to get into the draw. 

Which does make her even more dangerous. 

Because she's able to play with a lot more freedom feeling like she has nothing to lose. 

I think the match will come down to who has the better start, and who holds their nerve better in the key moments.

I have faith that Iga's new coach will help prepare her well.

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