WHAT HAPPENED: Iga Swiatek remains all but automatic in the opening round of the four biggest tournaments in tennis.
On a sunny Tuesday afternoon at the 2024 US Open, the top seed and world No. 1 overcame a challenge from lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova in Arthur Ashe Stadium, winning, 6-4, 7-6(6). In doing so, the Pole improved to 22-1 in the first round at the majors, her lone defeat coming at the hands of Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic at Wimbledon back in 2019.
"At the beginning, I felt good, but then I got tight, and my opponent used it," said Swiatek, 23. "I was just trying to get back to my game. I’ve just been trying to adjust to the court. I’m pretty sure day by day, I’m going to get more rhythm."
Swiatek, who upped her tour-best win-loss mark to 54-7 on the year, wasted little time sinking her teeth into the match against her 104th-ranked opponent. She sprinted out to a 4-0 advantage in the 40-minute opening set.
However, the five-time major singles titlist would show some frustration in the second set as her unforced-error count began to climb. (She would finish with 41.) She served for the match at 5-4 only to have Rakhimova bring the set back on serve, and would need to save three sets points in the tiebreak to seal the match in one hour and 52 minutes.
Rakhimova, 22, fell to Australia’s Priscilla Hon, 7-6(4), 6-7(2), 6-4, in the final round of qualifying, but moved into the main draw when Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur withdrew due to injury.
WHAT IT MEANS: It’s been a busy year for Swiatek, who owns a tour-best five titles in 2024. The baseliner captured trophies in Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid (saving three championship points against rival Aryna Sabalenka), Rome and Roland Garros. She took the bronze medal at the Paris Games. The 2022 US Open champion says she’s going to avoid putting the kind of pressure on her shoulders that she did last year.
"[My expectations] are a little bit lower because I know it's been a really intense season, and after the Olympics, it hasn't been easy," she said. "I feel the best when I’m just focused on practicing and grinding on the court, and really focus on just making my game better and not on the results. I'm just going to try to keep that mindset and that attitude."
Swiatek moves on to face either Australia’s Daria Saville or Japan’s Ena Shibahara in Round 2.
The US Open fortnight will mark Swiatek’s 118th and 119th weeks atop the WTA rankings. She is the only player yet to qualify for the year-end WTA Finals.
MATCH POINT: Swiatek holds the best winning percentage at the Grand Slams of any active player (80-17).
