Iga Swiatek Makes Hilarious Wimbledon Apology After Cruising into the Second Round

Iga Swiatek put beside her troubles in the Bad Homburg final to cruise at Wimbledon.

Iga Swiatek Makes Hilarious Wimbledon Apology After Cruising into the Second Round

Iga Swiatek (via Wimbledon)

Iga Swiatek opened her 2025 Wimbledon campaign with a confident 7-5, 6-1 victory over Polina Kudermetova. The world No. 4 was sharp throughout, breaking her opponent three times and saving the only break point she faced. The win marked another strong showing on grass following her recent performances.

After the match, a light-hearted moment unfolded when Swiatek was teased about the number of Wimbledon towels she took with her. The playful exchange added a fun twist to her solid start and reflected her comfort at the All England Club. Her continued success on grass comes on the heels of reaching the final in Bad Homburg, where she pushed Jessica Pegula in a close match. Swiatek said in her post-match interview at Wimbledon:

Every time I come back from a Slam, I think I have like 10 friends and 10 family members wanting towels. So sorry guys. Sorry Wimbledon. I don’t know if I’m supposed to do that, though, so…I mean, I have a lot at home. Trust me, I don’t need much more. If I’m gonna play like 15 more years on tour I can’t even imagine. I think I’m gonna have to build another room in my house just for Grand Slam towels.

With this result, Swiatek has now reached the second round at a Grand Slam for the 25th time. Since her debut at the 2019 Australian Open, no other woman has achieved that feat more often. Her reliability in early rounds has made her one of the most consistent players at the majors.

Her Grand Slam opening-round record now stands at 25-1. Only five women in the Open Era—Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Evonne Goolagong, Monica Seles, and Serena Williams—have started their careers with a better mark through 26 first-round matches.

Iga Swiatek cruises into the Wimbledon second round

In 2018, Iga Swiatek claimed her first junior Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. At just 17 years old, she won the girls’ singles event on what would become her least favored surface as a professional. That junior draw featured several future stars, including Coco Gauff, Clara Tauson, and Leylah Fernandez. Swiatek defeated Emma Raducanu 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals before beating Wang Xinyu in the semis.

Iga Swiatek (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Iga Swiatek (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Now 24, Swiatek has become a dominant force on clay with four Roland Garros titles. However, her success on grass has been more limited. Her best Wimbledon result so far is a quarterfinal appearance. She recently showed promise on the surface by reaching the final in Bad Homburg, her first WTA final since winning the French Open over a year ago.

Swiatek’s Wimbledon record now stands at 12-5, a solid mark given her admitted struggles on grass. Still, her recent wins, including a semifinal victory over Jasmine Paolini in Bad Homburg, show progress. While she isn’t the top favorite, Swiatek remains a strong contender, trailing only Aryna Sabalenka in the odds, and ahead of players like Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff.

Aryna Sabalenka set to overtake Iga Swiatek in huge milestone

Aryna Sabalenka has climbed above Iga Swiatek in the WTA Live Rankings following her first-round win at Wimbledon. Her current total of 11,710 points now places her second on the all-time list for most ranking points in a single spell since 2009. Only Serena Williams remains ahead, but Sabalenka could surpass her by the end of the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek (3)
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek (Image via X/News Aryna Sabalenka, Jimmie48 Photography)

The Belarusian has been world No. 1 since October 2024, taking over from Swiatek, who had led the rankings for 56 consecutive weeks before that. Swiatek’s previous peak of 11,695 points in May 2024 had made her just the second player to cross the 11,000 mark under the current ranking system. Sabalenka joined that elite group in May 2025 and has now surpassed Swiatek’s record.

Sabalenka’s 11,710-point tally is built on major results and consistent tour success. She earned 2,000 points for her US Open title, 2,600 combined for runner-up finishes at the Australian Open and French Open, and 4,000 points from four WTA 1000 titles in the past year. She also added points from a WTA 500 title and another WTA 500 final.

However, she faces upcoming point defenses, notably at the Cincinnati Open where she is the reigning champion. She also earned significant points at last year’s Citi Open and Canadian Open, which will soon drop off the rankings unless defended.

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