The Monday Tennis Briefing highlights the surprising ongoing rivalry between Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko, who defeated Swiatek 6-3, 6-1 at the Qatar Open, extending her unbeaten record against the world No. 2 to 5-0. This marks Swiatek's heaviest defeat since 2019. Ostapenko's victory came unexpectedly as she was ranked lower and demonstrated her proficiency at exploiting Swiatek's weaknesses. Despite Swiatek's strong performances historically, this matchup reveals Ostapenko as her formidable challenger, complicating her usual dominance on the court.
Jelena Ostapenko extending her record against Iga Swiatek to 5-0 in their strange head-to-head matches, highlighted by her dominant 6-3, 6-1 victory in Qatar.
Despite being the lower-ranked player, Ostapenko's win marks Swiatek's heaviest loss since 2019, showcasing her ability to consistently trouble the world No. 2.
Swiatek's defeat to Ostapenko at the Qatar Open is remarkable, given Ostapenko's position and Swiatek's pursuit of a fourth consecutive title in the tournament.
The unusual dynamic of this rivalry is evidenced by Ostapenko being the only active WTA player with a positive record against the usually dominant Swiatek.
Collection
[
|
...
]