Iga Swiatek says it doesn’t matter if she has a tough or easy draw at tournaments after coming through a marathon fourth round match at the Madrid Open.
The world No.2 ousted Russia’s Diana Schneider 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4, after more than two-and-a-half hours of play. Swiatek saved 11 out of 13 break points but struggled at times with her consistency. Hitting 56 unforced errors compared to 27 winners. She is the first player to reach the quarter-final stage at the first five WTA 1000 events of 2025.
“For sure she got her level up in the second set, but I think I also focused on different stuff than in the first,” Swiatek said of her latest win.
“I wanted to come back to how I played in the first set when I started the third and I’m happy that I did that at the end.”
The defending champion has been taken to three sets in two out of three matches played so far in this year’s tournament. In the first round, she battled back from a set down to defeat rising star Alexandra Eala, who was a semi-finalist in Miami. Then she defeated 31st seed Linda Noskova before taking on Shnaider.
It doesn’t get any easier for Swiatek with a showdown against Australian Open champion Madison Keys next. Despite this, she downplays the suggestion that she had been given a tough draw.
“I don’t think in these categories because every time I lost this year, I think except for one tournament, the person won the tournament,” she said.
“The draws weren’t easy. Every time I felt like I was getting into the rhythm of a tournament I lost.
“I don’t think it matters. I don’t know if this draw that I have right now is good or bad, it’s kind of hard to compare.
“I’ll just go for it like it doesn’t matter. I’m ready for the next match.”
It has been almost 10 months since Swiatek last lifted a title, which was at the French Open. That was also the last time she played in a Tour-level final.
In the tournament’s history, only two women have successfully defended their title at the Madrid Open. Serena Williams was the first to do so in 2013 before Simona Halep achieved the milestone in 2017.
