US Open defending champion and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has been knocked out from the 2023 edition as Jalena Ostapenko stunned her in the 4th round on Sunday. It's worth noting that Swiatek had not dropped a set until Sunday's match, but failed to stop Jalena Ostapenko's charge at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Wheels fall off for Iga Swiatek after the first set:
While the Polish Tennis player had claimed the first set fairly comfortably, she struggled since the 2nd set and conceded it with a scoreline of 3-6. The Latvian Tennis player brought in the forehand, breaking Swiatek's serve on match point and thereby extending her head-to-head record by 4-0.
Swiatek's loss also means that Aryna Sabalenka is expected to replace her at the top when the standings will be updated following the tournament, having held the spot since April 2022.
Following the loss, the 22-year-old admitted to feeling disappointed and is baffled at her repeatedly making mistakes. She told the reporters, as quoted by Reuters.
"When you lose it, there are some sad emotions. This season was really tough and intense. It's not easy to cope with all of this stuff. I don't really know what happened with my game. I felt no control suddenly. I just have to watch and see because, yeah, I didn't really know why I started making so many mistakes."
"I knew it was going to be a tough match" - Jalena Ostapenko
Speaking to reporters after her win, Ostapenko said she realized it was going to be a tough encounter and wanted to just hang in there.
"I had nothing to lose today. I knew it was going to be a tough match. Even the first set I couldn't find my game that way, but I was fighting and trying to find my game and be aggressive."
Ostapenko will next face Coco Gauff in her next round.
