Iga Swiatek, the top seed at the Korea Open, was reluctant to think too much about her chances of winning the singles title at the WTA 500 event. The Pole delivered her take on the subject at a pre-tournament press conference. The World No. 2 may have to beat two former Major champions in Emma Raducanu and Sofia Kenin in order to become the champion in Seoul.
According to Swiatek, there are several players in the Korea Open draw who can win the title. The six-time Slam winner also laid bare that for the time being, her focus is firmly on her first match at the tournament.
“I don’t think it makes sense to even think about the final already, and any girl can win this tournament. Great players come here. So I’m just going to really take it step by step. Just think about my first match,” Swiatek said.
Trending
"I only came here yesterday, so I really need to use my time to just focus on here and now, and the practices and the first match. We’ll see how I’m going to feel, how I’m going to play, and there are many players who can play in the final. So we’ll see," she added.
As the top seed, Iga Swiatek has received a first-round bye at the Korea Open. She will get her campaign underway with a second-round match against either Zhu Lin or Sorana Cirstea. The Pole could potentially face 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals and then 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the semis.
Iga Swiatek heads into Korea Open campaign after quarterfinal run at US Open
There were high hopes surrounding Iga Swiatek's chances of success at the 2025 US Open. The Pole arrived at Flushing Meadows after storming to the Cincinnati Open title without dropping a set.
Things were going well for the World No. 2 in New York too, but they swiftly unraveled for her in the last eight. Here, Swiatek locked horns against Amanda Anisimova, the same opponent that the Pole had 'double-bageled' in the women's singles final of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
Anisimova though, did remarkably well to put her Wimbledon humiliation behind her to register a dominant 6-4, 6-3 victory against the Pole on home soil. Later, Swiatek reflected on the American's contrasting performances against her spanning SW19 and Flushing Meadows, saying:
"Yeah, she didn't play well in Wimbledon, but it's not like she's always going to do the same mistakes or feel the same. I know that she's a good player. She can play great tennis. So for me, I was ready for a tough match. It's not a surprise. I practice with her. I know how she can play. It was totally different. She moved better, she played better. Yeah, everything was different."
Anisimova eventually finished as runner-up at the US Open, finishing second-best to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
