Defending Champion Swiatek Loses in Fourth Round to Jelena Ostapenko
New York, The reigning champion, Iga Swiatek, experienced a stunning exit from the U.S. Open on Sunday, surrendering her world number one ranking after a challenging 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 defeat against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam winner from Poland, had entered the match without dropping a set in the tournament but was unable to withstand the determined charge of the confident 20th seed.
As a result of her loss, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka is set to replace Swiatek as the world number one, marking the end of Swiatek’s reign at the top, which had lasted since April 2022.
Reflecting on her loss, Swiatek expressed, “When you lose it, there are some sad emotions. This season was really tough and intense. It’s not easy to cope with all of this stuff.”
Ostapenko clinched victory with a crisp forehand winner, breaking her opponent’s serve on match point and punctuating her triumph with a triumphant fist pump. This victory extends her career head-to-head record against Swiatek to 4-0.
In the upcoming round, the 2017 Roland Garros champion, Ostapenko, will face American sixth seed Coco Gauff, who secured her spot with a three-set victory over wildcard Caroline Wozniacki.
Ostapenko remarked, “I always expect a tough battle against Iga. I knew I had to play my game. I have to be aggressive because that’s what she doesn’t really like, and I was just fighting until the very last point.”
Swiatek’s journey took an unfortunate turn in the second set, where her game began to unravel. She conceded a break in the second game and was unable to convert a break point in the ninth game, allowing Ostapenko to level the match at 1-1.
In the decisive third set, Swiatek appeared demoralized, while Ostapenko elevated her level of play, taking full control to secure victory. The win marks Ostapenko’s best performance at the U.S. Open, surpassing her previous record of reaching the third round.
Ostapenko attributed her success to playing with the mindset of having “nothing to lose” and acknowledged the pressure Swiatek faced as the world number one. She noted, “I knew she would have all the pressure because she’s number one. If she loses against me, she loses the number one spot.”
Looking ahead to her upcoming match against Gauff, Ostapenko acknowledged the challenge but expressed readiness for another intense battle. “Of course, it’s going to be another tough match. I don’t expect any easy matches here at the Grand Slams. So I’m ready for another battle,” she said.
Swiatek, on the other hand, was left surprised by the drastic change in her performance and expressed her intention to review the match to understand where things went wrong. She also expressed disappointment with her overall performance in hardcourt majors this year, following her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open.
