Iga Swiatek responds as opponent bursts into tears in tunnel after US Open match: ‘She was playing all these risky…’

World No.2 Iga Swiatek shared a compassionate message for Anna Kalinskaya after the latter burst out in tears following her loss to the Polish tennis star in Round 3 of the US Open. Being the heavy favourite, Swiatek advanced to the next round with a victory in straight sets.

However, the term straight sets do not present a realistic picture as the contest was much closer. Anna, who was the underdog in the match, had taken a massive lead of 5-1 in the first set but lost four set points as Swiatek came back to win the set 7-6. Having gained the momentum after winning the first set, Iga became unstoppable afterwards and finished the job by winning the second set 6-4.

The loss reportedly triggered an emotional reaction from Anna Kalinskaya, who was evidently seen wiping her tears in the players’ tunnel on her way back to the changing rooms.

Iga Swiatek offers consolation to her opponent

Offering her consolation, Iga spoke highly of her opponent while also reflecting on her performance.

“Honestly, Anna was playing great,” Swiatek admitted after the match. “She was playing all these risky balls in like she once did against me in Dubai. I just wanted to make a little bit less mistakes. I just needed to be more solid.

“I just focused on simple things. She started making a bit more mistakes and it got, for sure, tight. I already felt like I had nothing to lose because I was losing pretty bad. At the end, I just went for it, because what more can I do?”.

With the win, the winner of six Grand Slams, Iga Swiatek has moved to the fourth round of the tournament. She will face her next opponent on Monday. Swiatek is one of the favourites to win the US Open 2025 title, along with current World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and No.3 Coco Gauff.