Wimbledon continues to be Swiatek's worst grand slam
The Wimbledon Championships continue to be a thorn in Iga Swiatek’s side.
She’s the world’s No. 1-ranked player for a reason, fresh off her fourth French Open title last month (her third straight), and she has reached at least the semifinal in both the Australian Open and U.S. Open, winning the latter in 2022.
But her best finish in England will remain her quarterfinal appearance from last year after an upset loss Saturday.
Swiatek lost in three sets to Yulia Putintseva, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, ending a 21-match winning streak.
“Going from this kind of tennis, where I felt like I’m playing the best tennis in my life, to another surface, where I kind of struggle a little bit more, it’s not easy,” said Swiatek. “All that stuff really combines to me not really having a good time in Wimbledon.”
However, Swiatek did say there wasn’t much gas left in the tank after her grueling French Open run.
“My tank of really pushing myself to the limits became, suddenly, empty,” she said. “I was kind of surprised.”
By the end, Swiatek had accumulated 38 unforced errors, more than twice her opponent’s 15.
Putintseva is on an eight-match run of her own, all on grass, including a title at Birmingham before arriving in London. This is the first time in 10 appearances at Wimbledon the 29-year-old from Kazakhstan made it past the second round.
Next up for Putintseva is a matchup against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who is seeded 13th.
