Iga Swiatek Successfully Begins Her US Open Quest
Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek, number two in the world, had a smashing start on her way to conquering the US Open, defeating Emiliana Arango with a score of 6-1 and 6-2 in a match that lasted only one hour. Swiatek demonstrated her superiority from the beginning, dominating the match on the Arthur Ashe court. Swiatek shone on the court, winning points on 23 of 26 first serves and with a notable advantage of 26-5 in winners. In addition, she kept her serve impeccable, without facing break points in any of her eight service games. After her participation in mixed doubles, Swiatek regained her game rhythm impressively, showing a dominant performance from the start of the tournament.The 24-year-old Polish tennis player continues her winning streak against unranked opponents in major tournaments this season, with a record of 12-0 and 24 out of 25 sets won. Arango, in her debut at Flushing Meadows, could not overcome Swiatek. Swiatek has regained her best form, winning 18 of her last 20 matches since Roland Garros, including titles at Wimbledon and Cincinnati. Swiatek has an impressive 26-1 record in first-round matches at major tournaments, tying Serena Williams for fourth place in win percentage in opening matches in the Open era (minimum 25 matches). In the current season, Swiatek has achieved 50 tournament wins, surpassed only by Carlos Alcaraz (55) and Aryna Sabalenka (51). If Swiatek wins the title at Flushing Meadows, she would become the first woman to win Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year since Serena Williams in 2012. In addition, Swiatek could regain the number one ranking if she wins the tournament and Sabalenka doesn’t reach the semifinals. After her victory, Swiatek was asked about Taylor Swift’s engagement to Travis Kelce, a topic that dominated the press conference.“It was a solid match and I’m happy that I didn’t try to dominate, but rather maintained a consistent game,” said Swiatek.
Iga Swiatek
Swiatek, a Swiftie for over a decade, received a handwritten note from the singer after winning the 2024 Roland Garros and demonstrates that she knows Swift’s music as well as her game on the court.“She posted when I finished. Maybe it’s not a coincidence, I don’t know,” Swiatek commented.
Iga Swiatek
“Obviously, she’s had a lot of boyfriends, so we already know all about that. I hope this one, you know, lasts forever. Travis seems like a great guy. She seems very happy, so I’m happy for her,” added Swiatek.
Iga Swiatek
Other Notable Results in the Women’s First Round
In other results from the women’s first round, Marta Kostyuk, seeded number 27, defeated Katie Boulter of Great Britain with a score of 6-4 and 6-4. Australian Maya Joint also advanced after defeating Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva of Andorra with a result of 6-4 and 7-6 (6). In addition, Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands defeated Valerie Glozman of the United States in straight sets. Amanda Anisimova, seeded number 8 and runner-up at Wimbledon, defeated Kimberly Birrell with a score of 6-3 and 6-2. This victory was Anisimova’s 11th in a major tournament this season, surpassing her 2022 record.Beatriz Haddad Maia (18) and Ekaterina Alexandrova (13) also advanced to the second round. In another match, Ashlyn Krueger won an all-American duel against Sofia Kenin, eliminating the number 26 seed with a score of 5-7, 6-4, and 6-2. Diana Shnaider, the number 20 seed, was also eliminated in the first round by Laura Siegemund. Naomi Osaka, the 23rd seed, defeated Greet Minnen with a score of 6-3 and 6-4 to open the night session at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Osaka came back from a break in the second set and won 12 of the last 14 points to secure the victory, converting all six break opportunities of the match.“I played great tennis at Wimbledon, and there were many difficult matches that I overcame and a very tough battle. So I think taking certain moments from Wimbledon for here will be super important,” said Anisimova.
Amanda Anisimova
