Polish tennis sensation Iga Swiatek powered into the US Open quarterfinals with a straightforward 6-3, 6-1 victory over World No. 12 Ekaterina Alexandrova. The World No. 2 had set up her round of 16 date after a hard-fought win over Anna Kalinskaya in which she fought back from a 5-1 first-set deficit.
With the win, she not only got closer to what will be her second US Open title but also joined Maria Sharapova in the history books. At just 24 years and 85 days, the Polish star became the youngest woman since the Russian legend in 2005 to reach all four major quarterfinals in a single season.
Swiatek required just 64 minutes to dispatch Alexandrova, breaking twice in the second set and sealing her spot in the last eight. The win continues an impressive run that has seen Swiatek collect the Wimbledon and Cincinnati titles this summer while compiling 19 victories in her past 20 matches.
Her only blip came in Montreal, where Clara Tauson defeated her, 7-6, 6-3. This consistency marks Swiatek's most complete Grand Slam season to date.
She has now reached 13 career quarterfinals at majors, trailing only Venus Williams (39), Victoria Azarenka (18), and Aryna Sabalenka (14) among active players. With her US Open quarterfinals qualification, Swiatek has tied the tallies of Elina Svitolina and the recently retired Petra Kvitova.
“I felt like I was really in my bubble, in the zone. Sometimes I was making risky decisions, but I forced the ball to go in. I’m happy with the quality and my serve,” she explained post-game per WTA Tennis.
The Polish star even explained that she had asked her coach to book practice time immediately after the match, signaling her desire to come back with the title. Swiatek will now take on the winner of the match between No. 8 seed Amanda Anisimova and No. 18 Beatriz Haddad Maia.
