As another Jelena Ostapenko forehand flashed by her late in the third set, Iga Swiatek was in disbelief. One point later, the Pole was staring down a 5-0 hole in what ultimately spiraled into a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 defeat.
After a strong first set, the defending US Open champion was rocked by a quick start to set two by Ostapenko. The Latvian's power game was firing on all cylinders, and there was little Swiatek could do to turn the tide.
As impressive as Ostapenko's baseline barrage was, Swiatek was more inclined to look inward for an explanation after the loss, which not only ended her reign as US Open champion, but also as world No. 1.
But just like on the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium, she could not find any answers.
"I don't really know what happened with my game," she said of her swoon down the stretch. "I felt no control suddenly. I just have to watch and see, because I didn't really know why I started making so many mistakes."
A look at the match stats makes Swiatek's self-assessment seem harsh. She made just 12 unforced errors across the final two sets—the average matching her six unforced errors in the opening frame. But many of her later mistakes missed by big margins, and there's no doubt her level dipped as Ostapenko's soared.
While she was quick to credit Ostapenko for her top-notch tennis, Swiatek spent more time lamenting her own struggles.
"I'm just surprised that my level changed so drastically because usually when I play bad, I play bad at the beginning, then I kind of catch up or just problem-solve," she said in her post-match presser. "This time it was totally the opposite."
The defeat will sting for Swiatek, even more so for its repercussions in the WTA rankings. Aryna Sabalenka will claim the title of world No. 1 for the first time next Monday, ending what will be a 75-week reign for the Pole.
"Well, it meant a lot, obviously. It was great," Swiatek said of her time atop the WTA's mountain. "On the other hand, this last part, it was pretty exhausting [to defend No. 1]. I still need to do all this stuff that my team and all these great players like Roger or Novak or Rafa are talking about: You just have to focus on the tournaments, not the rankings."
She later added: "But for sure when it happens, when you lose [the No. 1 ranking], there are some sad emotions. As I said at the beginning, all these great players know it's going to come back if you're going to work hard, focus on the right things, just develop as a player."
Zooming out to see the big picture, Swiatek—still just 22—was able to find positives in the scope of her overall trajectory.
"For sure besides this match, which was pretty weird, I feel like I am progressing as a player. I have more skills," she said. "This season... the hardest part is already done for me, but this season was really tough and intense. It's not easy to cope with all of this stuff.
"I'm just happy that I will have time to reset a little bit."
