Iga Swiatek plays down favourite status ahead of US Open
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Poland's Iga Swiatek in action during the US Open mixed doubles final with Norway's Casper Ruud against Italy's Sara Errani and Italy's Andrea Vavassori.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
NEW YORK – Iga Swiatek insisted on Aug 23 she does not see herself as favourite for the US Open, despite an impressive run of recent form that has left her as the player to beat according to bookmakers.
The 24-year-old Polish second seed arrived in New York fresh from capturing her first Cincinnati Open title, which came just weeks after a breakthrough victory at Wimbledon in July.
Swiatek, though, played down suggestions that her recent wins meant she was the favourite to capture her second US Open title and what would be the seventh Grand Slam win of her career.
“Honestly, I think it doesn’t make sense to call anyone the favourite,” the 2022 US Open champion said on Aug 23.
“Women’s tennis, I wouldn’t say it’s unpredictable because there are some girls that are constantly in the top and we are proving that we can play well throughout the whole season.
“But there are many players that play really good and can win the tournament.”
Swiatek added though that she is comfortable dealing with the burden of expectation.
“I got used to the expectations,” she said. “Obviously, after winning so many things, they are always going to be there.”
Swiatek’s victories at Wimbledon and Cincinnati suggested that the former world No. 1 is becoming a more consistent threat on faster surfaces after being regarded as a clay-court specialist earlier in her career.
She said on Aug 23 that adapting to faster surfaces had been the focus of her pre-season preparations with new coach Wim Fissette, whom she hired in October 2024.
“We really focused on that,” Swiatek revealed. “The whole pre-season was basically all about that.
“I would say after Roland Garros I kind of got back to my usual self. The process of learning all this stuff that I learnt in pre-season kind of came back, and for sure I used it on Wimbledon and on hard court in Cincinnati.
“We’ll see what’s going to come next.”
Swiatek opens her US Open campaign on Aug 25 against Colombia’s Emiliana Arango.
Meanwhile, Russian Diana Shnaider continued her impressive winning streak in tour-level finals at the Monterrey Open on Aug 23, beating compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the WTA 500 event’s final.
World No. 17 Shnaider is now unbeaten in her last five finals on the WTA Tour, adding the Monterrey crown to her triumphs in Hong Kong, Budapest, Bad Homburg and a WTA 125 event in Paris in 2024.
The win also saw Shnaider level her head-to-head record with Alexandrova, who was faced with a quick turnaround for the final after her semi-final against Czech Marie Bouzkova was moved from Aug 22 to Aug 23 due to a rain-enforced suspension.
“It was harder to switch from one match to another because when you’re playing one match and you’re done, your mind is going like ‘today is off so you can relax’,” Alexandrova said.
“Today it was different, so after the semi-final you still need to be fully focused and be ready for the final, so maybe that was missing in the first set. I couldn’t find the rhythm. I wasn’t quite ready to play right from the first point.”
Both players will have little time to rest after the final before they make the nearly 3,300km journey from Monterrey to New York to play in the first round of the US Open.
“I hope that I will carry this momentum with me. For sure, it’s going to be a different tournament, different conditions,” said Shnaider, who reached the fourth round of the 2024 US Open.
“I will just try to go there, rest tomorrow and then we’ll try to prepare for New York... I definitely spent a lot of energy this week, but I will just try to recharge and do my best in New York also.”
Shnaider will face Germany’s Laura Siegemund, while Alexandrova takes on Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
Elsewhere, Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea captured her first WTA title in more than four years on Aug 23, beating American Ann Li 6-2, 6-4 to lift the trophy in Cleveland.
In men’s action, Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics steadied after a late lapse to capture his third ATP title on Aug 23, holding off Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in the final of the hard-court tournament in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. AFP, REUTERS
