Iga Swiatek has described the difficulty in analysing her shock defeat against Jeļena Ostapenko in the 2023 US Open.
In the round of 16 clash, Swiatek raced into the lead after beating Ostapenko 6-3 in the opening set. But, the Latvian fought back against the former world number one and took the next two sets with ease, eventually recording a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory.
For Swiatek, the defeat comes as a huge shock, especially after the 22-year-old cruised through the first three US Open rounds without dropping a set. Following the loss to Ostapenko, Swiatek was first full of praise for her opponent, whom she has never managed to defeat in a competitive match.
"Well, for sure I think, yeah, she plays well against me. I mean, I don't have any comparison because she always did that."
However, the Polish player went on to analyse her own performance in the defeat with bewilderment. After getting into a promising position in the first set, it was unusual to see Swiatek, who is usually so consistent and clear-headed in the big moments, drop the next two sets with little fight or dominance.
When reflecting on her own display at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Swiatek was just as bemused as many spectators who viewed the contest. Moreover, the world number one explained that she has no explanation about why her levels dropped so dramatically in sets two and three.
"But I'm just surprised that my level changed so drastically because usually when I play bad, I play bad at the beginning, then I kind of catch up or just problem solve. This time it was totally the opposite."
"I don't really know what happened with my game. I felt no control suddenly. I just have to watch and see 'cause, yeah, I didn't really know why I started making so many mistakes."
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