Iga Swiatek Reveals the Keys for Coming Back from 5-1 Down in the First Set Against Anna Kalinskaya at the US Open

Iga Swiatek, ranked No. 2 in the world, pulled off a dramatic comeback in her US Open first-round match against Anna Kalinskaya. The Pole claimed a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory, but the scoreline hardly tells the story of how close she came to losing the opener.

After falling behind 5-1 in the first set, Swiatek admitted that composure was the key to her turnaround. She explained that she focused on staying calm, playing one point at a time, and not letting frustration take over. That mindset allowed her to claw back into the set, win six of the next seven games, and dominate the tie-break when it mattered most. Swiatek said in her US Open press conference:

It depends on the situation and on each player; today it happened to me as well, there were times when I didn’t know what to do, when I didn’t know what I should change. Then my team helped me a bit, until we reached the point where we had no other choice; we had to maintain the margins and always try to get one more ball back. Today was a fairly good day in that regard. It’s easy to panic when you’re 5-1 down, but I didn’t.

The second set was steadier, with Swiatek keeping her rhythm while Kalinskaya’s level dipped. The four-time Grand Slam champion relied on patience and consistency to see out the match. Her ability to stay composed under pressure once again proved decisive.

For Kalinskaya, it was a painful exit. After missing her chances in the opener, she struggled to recover mentally and left the court in tears. It was another reminder of her missed opportunities on the big stage, while Swiatek’s resilience carried her safely into the next round.

Iga Swiatek overcomes difficult Anna Kalinskaya encounter

Polish star Iga Swiatek battled through a tough start to defeat 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6(2), 6-4 in just under two hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The win sent her into the US Open Round of 16 for the fifth consecutive year, continuing her consistency at the season’s final major.

The match turned dramatically in the opening set. Swiatek fell behind 5-1 and had to fend off four set points before turning the momentum. She found her rhythm late, won six of the next seven games, and then cruised through the tie-break to steal the set. Carrying that confidence forward, she stayed in control to wrap up the match in straight sets.

Kalinskaya’s serve was her undoing. She hit 11 double faults overall, with several coming at critical junctures. Despite serving for the set three different times, mistakes on key points gave Swiatek the chance to break back. By the time the tiebreak arrived, Kalinskaya had already handed away seven points on double faults.

Swiatek’s serve wasn’t perfect either, as she landed just 43% of her first serves. However, she was highly effective when they did go in, winning over three-quarters of those points. She also held a big edge on second serve, winning half of them compared to Kalinskaya’s much lower rate. In the second set, Swiatek faced only two break points and managed them with composure, while Kalinskaya’s errors continued to pile up.

Aryna Sabalenka can dash Iga Swiatek’s World No.1 hopes

WTA stars Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff have created clear separation from the rest of the women’s field in recent weeks. Each arrives at the US Open as a reigning Grand Slam champion. Gauff lifted the French Open trophy, Swiatek triumphed at Wimbledon, and Sabalenka now seeks to defend her title in New York.

Sabalenka entered the tournament holding the No. 1 ranking, though her position came under pressure. She had not won a Slam earlier this year and also suffered a quarterfinal exit in Cincinnati during her title defense. That stumble left the door open for both Swiatek and Gauff to make up ground at Flushing Meadows.

In the official WTA Rankings, Sabalenka sat well ahead of her rivals with 11,225 points. Swiatek followed at 7,933 and Gauff just behind at 7,874. But the live rankings painted a very different picture once last year’s US Open points were removed. Sabalenka’s total dropped sharply to 9,235, cutting her margin significantly.

Swiatek only lost 430 points from her quarterfinal showing last year, falling to 7,513. Gauff had even fewer to defend, dropping just 240 and moving to 7,644. That slight edge put her above Swiatek in the provisional standings and brought both within reach of Sabalenka, setting up an intriguing race for the top spot in New York.

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