Iga Swiatek Heads to Record in Doha

DOHA, MONDAY—Iga Swiatek cried as she left the court after being eliminated in the semifinals of the Australian Open Grand Slam. The disappointment she experienced at Melbourne Park three weeks ago could be erased if she wins the WTA 1000 Doha tournament, February 9-16.

The world number two would make history in women's tennis if she takes home the trophy as she did in Doha, Qatar in 2022-2024. Swiatek could become the first women's singles player to win a tournament four times in a row after Caroline Wozniacki won in New Haven, United States, in 2008-2011.

If she can make that happen, Swiatek would have achieved a greater achievement than Wozniacki because the WTA Doha is a higher level than the WTA New Haven which was last held in 2018. The tournament in Doha, with the WTA 1000 category in 2022 and 2024 and the WTA 500 in 2023, is one level above the WTA New Haven.

Of course it's great to win a tournament a few times, but thinking about it before the match starts doesn't really help.

On her way to the 2022 title, Swiatek defeated three top-10 players, including Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-0 in the final. The Pole retained the title the following year, dropping just five games in four rounds, including a 6-3, 6-0 win over Jessica Pegula in the final. Incidentally, Swiatek received a first-round bye and a walkover victory over Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals.

It was only in the 2024 final that she got a tough fight against Elena Rybakina with a score of 7-6 (8), 6-2. However, she only lost 11 games from the previous four rounds, one of which was a WO win over Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals. So, from 12 matches in 2022-2024, Swiatek only lost 46 games. That means, on average, she lost 3.5 games per match.

"Of course it's nice to win a few tournaments, but thinking about it before you start a match doesn't help. You have to do it all over again, step by step. Focus on each match specifically," Swiatek told the WTA website.

Swiatek is right to bring that mindset, as she arrives in Doha with a deep disappointment. She had a great chance to add to her five Grand Slam trophies with a maiden Australian Open title.

Her performance was so solid to enter the semifinal phase by always winning two sets in the first round until the quarterfinals, including creating a “bagel” score, 6-0, in three rounds. The performance was the result of thorough preparation with Wim Fisette, Osaka's former coach who has accompanied Swiatek since October 2024.

However, Swiatek's brilliant performance was stopped by American tennis player, Madison Keys, who performed well for two weeks in Melbourne. Swiatek again failed to reach the Australian Open final because she lost 7-5, 1-6, 6-7 (8) and entered the locker room in tears. Meanwhile, Keys' surprise continued by becoming the champion after defeating world number one tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, in the final.

That bitter moment must be erased from Swiatek's mind immediately. Moreover, she will undergo a difficult first match on Monday (10/2/2024) evening local time. The second seed, who received a bye in the early round, will face Maria Sakkari who beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4-6, 6-3, 4-0 in the first round, Sunday.

Sakkari is a Greek tennis player who is ranked third in the world in 2022. She achieved her best results in the Grand Slam arena by reaching the semifinals of the French and US Opens in 2021. In WTA 1000 tournaments, Sakkari has the title of WTA Guadalajara 2023.

Sakkari's powerful hitting style could be a challenge for Swiatek as the match takes place on hard courts, which suit Sakkari. The head-to-head record between the two players is even, 3-3, although Swiatek has won the last three meetings.

"Although I've won here three times, the journey is different every year. So, I can't compare my playing experience here or say what the key to success is to winning in Doha," Swiatek said.

It's not just Swiatek who will have a big challenge in her first match in Doha this year. Sabalenka, the top seed and 2020 WTA champion, will face Ekaterina Alexandrova, who won the WTA Linz last week.

Pegula, seeded sixth, will face either Marketa Vondrousova or Elina Svitolina, who plays in the first round on Monday. Vondrousova is the 2023 Wimbledon champion, while Svitolina will bring back fond memories of reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January.

China's seventh seed Zheng Qin Wen could face Ons Jabeur, who will play McCartney Kessler in the first round on Monday. Jabeur is a three-time Grand Slam finalist, while Kessler is coming off her second WTA title in Hobart, Australia, in January.

Other seeds who will meet former top 20 players in their opening matches are Cori Gauff (third seed) who will face Marta Kostyuk. Also on the cards are Jasmine Paolini (4) who will face Caroline Garcia and Emma Navarro (8) who will face Leylah Fernandez.

Only Rybakina (5) should be able to escape a tough opponent in the opening match. Her potential opponent is Dayana Yastremska or Peyton Stearns. (AP)