World No. 4 Elena Rybakina finally ended Iga Swiatek ‘s 10-match winning streak at the Stuttgart Open with a thumping win in the semifinal on Saturday (April 20). After the match, the Pole revealed how Rybakina defeated her.
Swiatek was eyeing her third title in Stuttgart. After losing the first set, Swiatek made a comeback in the second one but couldn’t repeat the same in the decider, losing the match by a scoreline of 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
During the post-match press conference, Swiatek was asked about what was the exact thing about Rybakina’s game that she found difficult to overcome. The World No.1 revealed that there’s no particular thing she finds difficult in Rybakina’s game, claiming that when the Kazakh doesn’t struggle with any injuries, she gives tough competition.
Well, there is no, like, one specific thing. I just think, you know, honestly, probably me, Aryna, and her are the best players on tour, honestly. She has struggled with some injuries, but every time she's healthy she plays well. So there are, you know, specific aspects of her game that are, you know, hard, but, you know, I wouldn't say there is, like, one specific. She's a good player. That's all. Iga Swiatek said
After defeating Swiatek, Rybakina went on to win the title on Sunday by beating Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-2. This was the Kazakh’s third title of the season, having won the Brisbane International and the Abu Dhabi Open.
Iga Swiatek had won back-to-back titles in Stuttgart entering the 2024 edition
Back in 2022, Iga Swiatek clinched her first title in Stuttgart by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final 6-2, 6-2. The two players again faced in the summit clash of the next season. This time also, Swiatek prevailed, with a 6-3, 6-4 score.
Swiatek is considered the newest queen on clay, having won seven titles already, including three French Open titles, in 2020, 2022, and 2023. Her first title on the dirt came in the 2020 French Open.
After the recent upset at one of her favorite tournaments, Swiatek’s next target is the Madrid Open, where she was yet to win the title. She reached the final in the tournament last year but lost to Sabalenka in three sets. The 22-year-old did not participate in the 2022 season due to an injury to her right shoulder.
Swiatek has won just two titles this season, which came in the Qatar Open and the Indian Wells. In the season’s first Grand Slam, she couldn’t go past the third round, losing to Linda Noskova.
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