Rybakina Halts Swiatek’s Grand Slam Aspirations

Iga Swiatek’s pursuit of a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open was abruptly cut short by Elena Rybakina, the fifth seed from Kazakhstan, during the quarter-final stage.

The reigning champion of Wimbledon, Swiatek, faced a tough defeat with a score of 7-5, 6-1, as Rybakina unleashed her powerful game effectively throughout the match.

At the age of 24, Swiatek has already carved out a place for herself among tennis legends, having secured six major titles across various surfaces.

Her triumph on the grass courts of Wimbledon last year, a surface many considered to be her least favorable, set the stage for her attempt in Melbourne to become just the sixth woman in the Open era to clinch all four Grand Slam titles.

Prior to the event, Swiatek had expressed that achieving this milestone would be a “dream come true,” yet she emphasized the importance of disregarding external pressures regarding the significance of the event.

However, judging by her performances in the early rounds, it seemed unlikely that she would achieve the coveted sweep this year.

Swiatek’s service game lacked its usual solidity, and the faster courts at Melbourne Park have historically posed challenges against more aggressive players.

This scenario was particularly daunting against Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, who seized every opportunity during their match on Wednesday.

Rybakina, 26, struggled to find her serve’s rhythm initially, with the first set starting off with both players trading breaks.

Her first-serve percentage dropped to a low 41%, which was unusual for her; nevertheless, she compensated with the speed and aggression of her groundstrokes, putting Swiatek on the defensive.

This was particularly evident in the pivotal 12th game of the first set, where Rybakina rallied from a 0-30 deficit using deep returns that forced errors from Swiatek, ultimately securing the first set.

With this momentum, Rybakina swiftly took command of the second set.

In the ideal weather of 22°C following a recent heatwave, her powerful groundstrokes continued to dominate, leaving Swiatek struggling to find solutions.

Rybakina, who was the runner-up in 2023, is now set to face an American opponent in the semi-finals, with either sixth seed Jessica Pegula or fourth seed Amanda Anisimova competing in the remaining quarter-final.