Finally, Swiatek Returns to the Final

BAD HOMBURG — The top four tournaments within a span of one year and 19 days. During this time, Iga Swiatek has been waiting to appear in the final until she finally got that opportunity at the WTA 500 tennis tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.

The final will take place on the grass courts of the Bad Homburg Tennis Centre, Germany, on Saturday (28/6/2025) against Jessica Pegula. Swiatek defeated Jasmine Paolini with a score of 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals, while Pegula triumphed over Linda Noskova 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-1.

Although they have met ten times, with a 6-4 advantage for Swiatek, the encounter between the two top ten ranked tennis players is the first on grass courts. Of the other ten meetings, nine took place on hard courts and one on clay. Pegula won the last encounter, which took place in the quarterfinals of the 2024 US Open Grand Slam.

Therefore, the final that will take place just two days before Wimbledon, from June 30 to July 13, will be a test for Swiatek. In addition to Pegula winning their recent competition, she also has experience winning a grass court tournament, namely the WTA Berlin 2024. Conversely, the final in Bad Homburg will be Swiatek's first final on such a fast-paced surface.

Swiatek has 22 titles from 26 finals, including five titles from Grand Slam events. However, the 24-year-old Polish tennis player has never reached the final in a grass court tournament, despite being the junior singles champion at Wimbledon in 2018. Her best achievement on grass is the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2023.

The WTA Bad Homburg final also marks the first in a span of about a year since Swiatek won the 2024 French Open. This is a very rare moment, at least since Swiatek became part of the top women's singles in the world in 2022.

In the 2022 competition season, Swiatek won eight tournaments, six of which were consecutive from February to June. The six tournaments were WTA 1000 Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, WTA 500 Stuttgart, WTA 1000 Rome, and the Grand Slam French Open.

In the worse season, namely 2024, Swiatek was still able to win five tournaments. Three titles were obtained consecutively at the WTA 1000 Madrid, Rome, and the French Open.

However, after that, Swiatek's performance declined by her own standards. Swiatek did not reach the final after the 2024 Roland Garros, failing to defend the five championship titles she won that year. Since May 18, Swiatek has been dropped from the top two rankings in the world, which she had occupied since April 2022. She is currently in eighth place.

Therefore, although the championship title is not guaranteed, the Bad Homburg final provided him with some relief. After being eliminated in the semifinals of the French Open, he needed a moment to build his confidence ahead of Wimbledon.

"Although I did not hope to win the match earlier, I was very enthusiastic about participating. I tried to play without pressure and was happy to maintain momentum throughout the match. Moreover, Jasmine is a fighter; I must not give her any openings," said Swiatek.

Unlike Swiatek, who has not won a title in the past year, Pegula is in pursuit of her third title in 2025 after the WTA 250 Austin and WTA 500 Charleston. The American tennis player hopes to defeat Swiatek for the second consecutive time by relying on her serve.

"I will strive to maximize the speed on the court as much as possible. In addition to powerful serves, I will attempt to disrupt Swiatek's rhythm with flat and low shots," said Pegula.

Service and powerful groundstrokes are key shots when players compete on grass courts, as this surface reflects the ball very quickly and low. A strong and flat forehand, which causes the ball to bounce quickly and low, can pose difficulties for opponents.

With only ranking eighth in the world and being the eighth seed at Wimbledon, Swiatek must prepare to face tough competition early on. In the draw released on Friday night, she is in the lower half alongside Grand Slam champions such as Cori “Coco” Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Rybakina and Coco could even face each other in two consecutive rounds, namely the fourth round and the quarter-finals. Rybakina is the 2022 Wimbledon champion who was a major competitor to Swiatek that year, alongside Aryna Sabalenka.

Meanwhile, Coco arrived at the All England Club in London, England, as the champion of the French Open. Coco was trailing 4-11 against Swiatek, but she won the last three encounters. The most recent meeting in the WTA Madrid semifinals in April was even won by Coco decisively, with a score of 6-1, 6-1.

In the upper half of the draw, Sabalenka's toughest opponent as the top seed is Madison Keys, who defeated her in the Australian Open final. They have the opportunity to meet in the quarterfinals.

Before that, Sabalenka could face a surprise if she meets Marketa Vondrousova in the third round. Although she is currently ranked 73rd in the world, Vondrousova often performs comfortably on grass courts. She is the champion of Wimbledon 2023 and arrives in London this year with the title of WTA Berlin champion on grass. Sabalenka is one of the players she defeated, specifically in the semifinals.

In the men's singles competition, the world number one tennis player, Jannik Sinner, is in the top half alongside Novak Djokovic, which allows for a potential meeting in the semifinals. Additionally, there is also the 2024 Wimbledon semifinalist, Lorenzo Musetti.

In the lower half, the heavy competitors for the champion in the last two years, Carlos Alcaraz, are Frances Tiafoe, Daniil Medvedev, and Taylor Fritz. Joining them is 18-year-old Brazilian tennis player, Joao Fonseca, who will make his debut in the main draw of Wimbledon.

According to tradition, Alcaraz will appear on the first day of the opening match at the Main Court as the defending champion in men's singles. Meanwhile, the defending champion in women's singles, Krejcikova, will compete in the first match on the second day at the Main Court. (AP/AFP)