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!.
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