Top-ranked Iga Swiatek’s U.S. Open title defense ends in loss to Jelena Ostapenko

Iga Swiatek’s U.S. Open title defense ended with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 loss to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round on Sunday night.

The loss also means Swiatek’s stay at No. 1 in the WTA rankings will end next week, when current No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will rise to the top spot for the first time.

Swiatek’s shots were off-target in Arthur Ashe Stadium and she had a difficult time handling the hard hitting from the 20th-seeded Ostapenko, who won the 2017 French Open.

“I knew I have to play my game,” Ostapenko said after accumulating 31 winners to 18 for Swiatek. “I knew I have to be aggressive, because that’s what she doesn’t really like.”

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This was not necessarily a huge surprise, based on their previous matchups: Ostapenko has now improved to 4-0 against Swiatek over their careers. No other player owns four victories against the woman who has led the WTA rankings since April 2022.

“I was just thinking that I have to play until the very last point, until we shake hands,” Ostapenko said. “I didn’t really give her many chances.”

After getting off to a terrific start to the second set, which she led 4-1, Ostapenko wavered for a bit. That allowed Swiatek to get a break back and pull within 4-3.

But that was only a blip.

With Swiatek having trouble serving — perhaps owing to all of the squeaking Ostapenko’s shoes did as she moved around during the ball toss while waiting to return — the contest quickly tilted in one direction. Ostapenko reeled off seven consecutive games to go up 5-0 in the third set.

Ostapenko broke one last time to end it, meaning she won seven of Swiatek’s 13 service games in the match.

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Ostapenko’s first quarterfinal at Flushing Meadows will come against Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old American who eliminated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 earlier Sunday.

Ostapenko and Gauff have split two previous meetings. The most recent came in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January, and Ostapenko won that one.

“She’s a great young player,” Ostapenko said about Gauff. “Of course it’s going to be another tough match. I don’t expect any easy matches at a Grand Slam.”