Iga Swiatek donates all Ostrava runner up money for mental health on World Mental Health Day

World No.1 Iga Swiatek's commitment to mental health advocacy is well-documented. The Polish star's commitment to the cause took another step on Sunday in the aftermath of her three-set defeat at the hands of Barbora Krejcikova in the final of the Agel Open: In her on-court interview, Swiatek revealed that she'll donated her prize money from the event to a Polish mental health non-profit.

Open about her work with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz since her breakthrough win at Roland Garros in 2020, Swiatek first donated prize money to a mental health charity last year during the BNP Paribas Open in honor of World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated annually on Oct. 10.

Now World No.1, the 21-year-old made this year's commitment as part an emotional on-court runner-up speech in Ostrava, where she also took the time to thank the legions of fans who came from Poland to support her at the event.

While Swiatek has yet to announce what charity will receive the contribution, she says she has a few in mind, and expanded upon her reasonings for doing so in her post-match press conference.

"I really wanted to play well here to have a big amount of money to donate ... and I'm pretty happy that I could do that," Swiatek said.

"I really want to spread awareness and let people know that they can use the help if they need it, or help others if they have resources. I'm pretty happy to use my position that way."

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Iga Swiatek continues to inspire pride in my Polish roots. 

I honestly can't recall any player 21 or older who has used their platform for mental health awareness the way Iga has. She may be young, but Iga is wise beyond her years. 

I admit I still have not seen the Ostrava final due to it being 3 hour epic, but I definitely plan on watching it because as everyone keeps saying it was the final of the year.

Iga Swiatek makes it 60 wins for the season will battle for title #8 in Ostrava

 

World No.1 Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova will both carry winning streaks into Sunday’s championship match at the Agel Open.

Reigning US Open champion Swiatek won her 10th straight match by fending off a stern challenge from hard-hitting World No.21 Ekaterina Alexandrova, eventually prevailing 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4 after 2 hours and 38 minutes of semifinal play.


The victory marks Swiatek's 60th match-win of the season, including Hologic WTA Tour events and Billie Jean King Cup action. She is the first player to hit 60 victories in a calendar year since Caroline Wozniacki finished 2017 with 60.

Swiatek is also into her eighth final of the season and is undefeated in finals so far in 2022. Throughout her career, Swiatek is 10-1 in Hologic WTA Tour singles finals, with her only loss coming to Polona Hercog in Swiatek’s very first final at 2019 Lugano.

Barbora Krejcikova will be Swiatek's opponent in Sunday's final. Krejcikova thrilled her homeland crowd in Ostrava, Czech Republic by battling past reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4.

Swiatek has won both of her previous meetings with Krejcikova. Swiatek won in straight sets on the hard courts of Miami last year before a difficult three-set victory on the clay of Rome two months later.

"I know that [the final is] going to be tough, and Barbora plays a little bit differently than my opponent today, so tactically I have to be ready," Swiatek said, after her win. "It doesn’t really matter for me if it’s a final or any other round, I’m just going to give it my all."

Alexandrova had triumphed over Swiatek in their only prior encounter, which came at the Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne early last year. But Swiatek leveled their rivalry at 1-1, despite trailing Alexandrova in winners (34 to 25) and service breaks (3 to 2) on Saturday.

In fact, Alexandrova’s 17 winners in the first set was more than double Swiatek’s eight, but there were still no service breaks in the opener. In the tiebreak, Alexandrova’s errors mounted while Swiatek’s powerful shots peaked, and the top seed stole the set.

Things turned around in the second set when Alexandrova got the first break of the day with a backhand winner down the line for 2-0. Alexandrova raced to a 5-0 lead from there and held on to collect the second set.

The decisive third set was deadlocked through 3-3 before Swiatek drew errors from Alexandrova to break at love for 4-3. Swiatek pulled off a 12-point winning streak en route to 5-3, and powerful forehands helped the World No.1 wrap up the match two games later.

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Iga Swiatek notches her 59th win of the season with a return to Ostrava semis

 

No.1 seed Iga Swiatek reached her 10th semifinal of 2022 with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of qualifier Caty McNally at the Agel Open.

Having set a record for the longest Hologic WTA Tour winning streak between February and July, US Open champion Swiatek's active streak has now ticked up to nine. The Pole's overall season record is 59-7 -- one victory away from tying Caroline Wozniacki, the last player to win 60 matches in a single season. The former World No.1 hit that mark in 2017.

Despite being able to wrap up the win in straight sets, Swiatek required 1 hour and 54 minutes to quell McNally's challenge. There was little smooth sailing against an opponent with whom Swiatek had won the 2018 Roland Garros girls' doubles title -- and to whom she had lost both of their junior meetings.

Swiatek will next face either Seoul champion Ekaterina Alexandrova or wild card Tereza Martincova.

Match management: Swiatek faced serious scoreboard pressure in both sets. In the first, she faced break points in each of her first three service games, and was the first player to go down a break when McNally pulled off a terrific passing shot for 3-2.

In the second, Swiatek saw the momentum of a five-game run evaporate as McNally fought back valiantly, pegging the World No.1 back from 3-0 to 3-3 with determined aggression.

But at the climax of each set, it was Swiatek who raised her game. No.151-ranked McNally's swashbuckling forays to the net have lent themselves to numerous highlights already this week in Ostrava, where she has made her quarterfinal debut at WTA 500 level. But Swiatek responded with a series of exquisitely placed passing shots to deny her opponent.

Key numbers: Both players defended break points well; even Swiatek only converted four of her 10 opportunities. But McNally will rue the nine chances out of 11 that she let slip, including triple break point at the start of the second set that she squandered with a series of errors.

Swiatek and McNally both committed 23 unforced errors, but it was the top seed who found more outright winners, 24 to her opponent's 18. Indeed, given McNally's aggressive intent, that number is a reflection of Swiatek's prowess on defense as well as offense.

In Swiatek's words: "It was definitely physical -- at the beginning of the second set I could feel my energy level went down a little bit. I'm pretty happy I got it back again and I could use my experience in my important moments, because Caty played really well.

"Tactically it was easier to prepare, because I know her game style [from juniors]. She's playing differently to other players. But on the other hand, a lot of time has passed since we played last time. I knew she'd made progress and I had to be ready."

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Alexandrova will be Iga's next opponent first time they played in 2021 Alexandrova won it, so Iga is going to have to be on it from the get go and fight like she did in this match. 

Hopefully the cold she picked up won't bother her too much tomorrow. 

Iga Swiatek makes winning return in Ostrava

 

No.1 seed Iga Swiatek became the first player into the Agel Open quarterfinals after qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic was forced to retire due to a left knee injury trailing 7-5, 2-2.

Playing her first match since lifting her third Grand Slam trophy at the US Open, Swiatek found herself embroiled in a tight tussle against Tomljanovic before the Australian started to ail in the second set. Tomljanovic began to clutch her knee in the second game of the second set, and called it quits after holding serve to level at 2-2.

Match moments: Prior to that, Tomljanovic had been pushing the Pole to the limit. Swiatek raced out of the blocks, in complete command of her game and dominating play as she leapt out to 4-1. She came up with a series of spectacular winners to come two points from a 5-1 lead, but once Tomljanovic had escaped with the hold, it was game on.

Tomljanovic levelled at 4-4 and held two break points, but could not take either. Instead, it was Swiatek who squeaked the set, converting her second set point as Tomljanovic netted a volley.

No.34-ranked Tomljanovic continued to demonstrate her competitive spirit in a fiercely contested start to the second set, in which all four games went to deuce. Two astonishing gets from Swiatek helped her come through a six-deuce second game to break Tomljanovic back, but unfortunately the match would be abbreviated two games later.

In Swiatek's words: "We played in Toronto and I saw in the US Open how well Ajla played -- it seems she's really on a roll and she's playing better and better. It was a great match and it's unfortunate that something happened -- I hope she's going to recover quickly.

"I've had a three-week break from playing matches, and after such an intense time it seems like a lot. I felt like I need to get back to the rhythm, and it wasn't easy. I had a bye, and Ajla already played a few matches. So I felt like I need to catch up. But I'm pretty happy this match was so intense, because I feel like I had to go to another level and it's going to prepare me for the next matches."

What's next for Swiatek: Swiatek moves into her 11th Hologic WTA Tour quarterfinal of the year, where she will face either home wild card Karolina Muchova or qualifier Caty McNally. Both players, renowned for their variety, delivered impressive highlight reels en route to their first-round wins. McNally's touch (and a delightful tweener) got the American past fellow qualifier Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday.

Preceding Swiatek on Center Court, former World No.19 Muchova upset No.7 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-4, 6-4, coming from a break down in both sets. It was the Czech's first win over a Top 20 opponent since defeating Maria Sakkari in the second round of Roland Garros, and continues an uptick in form this month after an injury-hit season.

Swiatek, a semifinalist in Ostrava last year where she fell to Sakkari, is bidding for her first tour-level title on indoor hard courts this week. She has won one ITF trophy on the surface -- the Stockholm W10 in 2006, her first ever pro title at the age of 15.

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Iga Swiatek rested and feeling at home in Ostrava

World No.1 Iga Swiatek admitted to feeling a different kind of pressure as she prepares for the AGEL Open in Ostrava, Czech Republic, her first tournament since winning the US Open. The WTA 500-level event is held at the Ostravar Arena, just 10 miles south of the Polish border, giving the tournament a familiar feel for Swiatek, who made the semifinals last year.

"It was pretty fun because basically most of the people in the stands were Polish so I feel like I'm at home," Swiatek said at Media Day in Ostrava. "I really like that it's so calm here because after cities like New York it's good to come to a place you can really rest here."

"Maybe my friends going to come, but only if I make it to the semifinals. So I'm under pressure."

Swiatek is keen to keep things as simple and quiet as possible this week. She is in Ostrava without coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, opting to give her team a longer break before her final season-ending push in the U.S., where she will finish her season at San Diego, California, and the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.

"We did something like that in Dubai and Stuttgart," Swiatek said. "We already have our routines. He is always available. We're going to still do some work in terms of preparation for the match and tactic-wise.

"I feel it's good for them to stay at home a little bit longer and be more fresh for our trip to the U.S."

After New York, Swiatek finally had time to rest and reflect on her gritty US Open title run.

"It gave me the feeling I can win in any conditions," Swiatek said. "Even though I'm not feeling perfectly, I can still perform well and put pressure on my opponents."

But after a full week of rest, Swiatek was back on the practice courts in Warsaw to prepare for the last six weeks of her season.

"The conditions [in Warsaw] are similar to what we have here. This tournament could be tough because I haven't played any matches in three weeks. And coming back after winning a Grand Slam is always tricky. But tennis-wise I feel that I'm ready."

Swiatek has a first-round bye and will face either Zhang Shuai or Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round.

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Iga Swiatek enters top 5 after Ostrava

A week ago Iga Swiatek rose to a new career-high of No. 6, and this week she goes two better, rising to No. 4 after a semifinal showing at the WTA 500 event in Ostrava.

Not only is the 2020 Roland Garros champion the only woman to have reached the round of 16 or better at all four Grand Slams in 2021, but she’s actually reached the round of 16 or better at 11 of the 14 tournaments she’s played this year, period, including titles at the WTA 500 in Adelaide in February and at the WTA 1000 in Rome in May.

Swiatek was asked about her consistency at the majors this year at the US Open, where she reached the fourth round before falling to Belinda Bencic.

“I’m pretty proud of that,” she said. “I was thinking about it, like, two days ago, that it’s the only year basically when I don’t have any injury, and I don’t have to deal with that. I have other problems right now, but it’s easier when my body’s actually listening to me.

“So I’m just proud of my team and I’m really grateful I’m getting all the help I need. I’m pretty happy that I’m consistent. I know without them I wouldn’t be like that.

"Yeah, shout-out to my team.”

Swiatek is the 72nd woman in WTA rankings history (since 1975) to reach the Top 4. There have been 27 women who’ve reached No. 1, 12 who’ve gone as high as No. 2, 12 who’ve gone as high as No. 3 and now 21 who’ve gone as high as No. 4.

She’s also one of only two Polish players ever to reach the Top 5 in either ATP or WTA rankings history—Agnieszka Radwanska got to No. 2. The only other Polish player to reach the Top 10 was Wojtek Fibak, who got to No. 10 on the ATP rankings in 1977.

The woman who beat Swiatek in the semifinals of Ostrava over the weekend, Maria Sakkari, also makes a very notable move today, rising from No. 12 to No. 10 to become the second Greek player—and first Greek woman—to reach the Top 10 in either ATP or WTA rankings history. Stefanos Tsitsipas was the first Greek player to do it—he’s currently holding steady at a career-high of No. 3 on the ATP rankings.

Before Tsitsipas and Sakkari, the only Greek player to even reach the Top 20 was Eleni Daniilidou, who peaked at No. 14 in the world in the early 2000s.

With Tsitsipas at No. 3 and Sakkari at No. 10, Greece is one of only two countries to have Top 10 players on both the ATP and WTA rankings right now—Spain is the other, with Rafael Nadal currently ranked No. 6 and Garbine Muguruza at No. 9.

A little further down on the ATP rankings there was a Top 50 debut for one of 2021’s breakthrough stars, Ilya Ivashka, who rose from No. 52 to No.45 after reaching his third ATP semifinal of the year in Nur-Sultan. The Belarusian had also reached the final four in Munich and won his first ATP title in Winston-Salem, right before the US Open.

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Iga Swiatek sets up French Open rematch with Maria Sakkari in Ostrava semis

No.1 seed Iga Swiatek and No.4 seed Maria Sakkari claimed their allotted spots in the J&T Banka Ostrava Open semifinals on Friday, setting a final four showdown between the two in Ostrava.


Top seed Swiatek of Poland defeated No.7 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 7-6(5), 6-2, to book her place in the semifinals. In the first meeting between the Top 20 players, Swiatek needed an hour and 41 minutes to hold off the challenge from Rybakina and make her first semifinal since her title run at Rome in early May.

Stat corner: Swiatek was stellar behind her first serve, winning over three-quarters of those points, but less so on her second serve, where Rybakina took charge and claimed 61 percent of points. Ultimately, Swiatek was able to get a strong 72 percent of first serves into play, helping her along to victory.

Key moments: In an aggressive tussle, it was Swiatek who grabbed the early 3-1 lead before Rybakina gritted out a challenging service break with a rally crosscourt backhand to level the opening set at 3-3. Swiatek, though, kept the Kazakh at bay with powerful groundstrokes from both sides, and an easy hold for 6-6 by the Pole set up a first-set tiebreak.

Strong serving by both players kept the breaker competitive, with Swiatek claiming the first set point at 6-5 after consecutive unreturned deliveries. The top seed converted that chance, staying sturdy through a lengthy rally until Rybakina sent a backhand miscue wide. Despite having fewer winners than Rybakina and an equal amount of unforced errors, Swiatek swiped the set.

With the momentum behind her, Swiatek charged ahead 5-1 in the second set, although Rybakina clawed one break back in that game, edging to 5-2 with a backhand winner down the line on break point. But the big Swiatek forehands came out in force in the next game, and she prevailed in a protracted battle to convert her third match point in that game.

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Iga Swiatek into quarter finals in Ostrava

The top two seeds at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open both passed rigorous second-round tests to kick off their Czech campaigns.

No.1 Iga Swiatek handled the tricky challenge of Yulia Putintseva with poise, advancing to her fourth quarterfinal of the year 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 47 minutes. She was followed on Center Court by No.2 Petra Kvitova, who was stretched all the way by qualifier Anastasia Potapova before winning 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3 in two hours and five minutes.

Playing the second indoor WTA main draw of her career following Budapest 2019, where she reached the second round, Swiatek was given a tough workout by Putintseva, whom she was facing for the first time. The Kazakh was coming off a strong semifinal run in Portoroz last week, and her canny tactics and supreme defence provided a worthy foil to Swiatek's power.

Both players probing each other's games for weaknesses made for a number of absorbing, variety-filled exchanges in which every corner of the court was used. But although Putintseva's ability to mix spin, pace and direction tested Swiatek to the limit, the Pole remained positive and gradually got to grips with what she needed to do. By the second set, it was Swiatek who was increasingly emerging on top of even the longer rallies.

Match management: Putintseva had battled for three hours and 24 minutes to quell Zhang Shuai in the first round just 24 hours earlier, and was uncharacteristically errant as she swiftly fell behind 0-3. But once the 26-year-old found her groove and levelled at 3-3, almost every game was tightly contested.

It came down to Swiatek's ability to rise to the occasion at the tail end of each set, both of which she sealed with a break of her opponent's serve. She peaked with some dazzling all-court aggression to rattle off the last eight points of the first set, scoring winners at net and, on set point, off the return.

In the second, Swiatek showed her grit. Leading 3-2, she missed triple break point to break Putintseva; at 4-4, she had to fend off two against her, coming up with her fourth ace and a brace of brilliant backhand winners to do so. The final game saw Putintseva open the door with a pair of loose errors, and Swiatek needed no further encouragement. Two more backhand bangers in a row saw her edge over the line.

Quotable: "It was very tough," said Swiatek in her on-court interview. "She was running to every ball - it was really hard to finish her, especially with such a slow surface. She could reach everything and she was fighting to the end - even on match point I had to finish her, like, three times.

"I'm really happy I won, because normally it's really hard for me to play with such players. I like to risk and with risking comes unforced errors, so it's tough to get the balance between when to push and when to stay and wait for the opponent to miss."

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