Iga Swiatek Admits She Suffers from Same Problem as Carlos Alcaraz Sometimes

Iga Swiatek is chasing her career's first title at the Cincinnati Masters, where she reached the semifinals in 2023 and 2024.

Iga Swiatek Admits She Suffers from Same Problem as Carlos Alcaraz Sometimes

Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, BNP Paribas)

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After receiving a walkover from Marta Kostyuk in the third round, Iga Swiatek knocked Sorana Cirstea out of the Cincinnati Masters to set up a quarterfinal clash with Anna Kalinskaya. She is chasing her second title of the season in Cincinnati.

Swiatek, a month ago, ended her trophy drought by dismantling Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the Wimbledon final. She took some days off and made her comeback to the Canadian Open, but Clara Tauson eliminated her in the fourth round. The last WTA 1000 title that Swiatek has lifted is the 2024 Italian Open by beating Aryna Sabalenka.

While Swiatek has suffered ups and downs this season, from the men’s tour, Carlos Alcaraz has achieved the most this season so far, reaching seven finals and winning five titles, including the French Open with a five-set triumph over his arch-rival Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz is also chasing his first title in Cincy and survived a scare in his opening round.

At a press conference, the Spaniard admitted that he needs some matches to get into the rhythm. Swiatek, following her win over Cirstea, was asked at the press conference whether she also deals with the same issues.

Sometimes, I feel great from the go and then during the tournament, I start feeling that something is off. Sometimes I have the same as Carlos. So, I need to get my rhythm. I need to figure out what exactly I can do on this court with these conditions with these balls. And then later on, I feel like I’m kind of smarter, and the decisions are already better naturally. Because you just get repetition.

Swiatek, apart from winning the Wimbledon title, also reached her first grass-court final at the Halle Open. At SW19, Alcaraz failed to defend his title as Sinner was successful in avenging his French Open defeat.

In Cincy, the five-time Grand Slam champion breezed past Luca Nardi in the fourth round and will next lock horns with Andrey Rublev, who went past Francisco Comesana in the previous round. Alcaraz holds a 3-1 head-to-head lead over the Russian ace, whom he also defeated in the fourth round of this year’s Wimbledon.

Alcaraz suffered an opening-round upset in last year’s Cincinnati event. But in 2023, he reached the final only to lose in three sets to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. If the 22-year-old reaches the final, he could schedule his fourth clash of the season with Sinner.

Iga Swiatek Shares Her Caffeine Habits

The Lindner Family Tennis Center, the venue for the Cincinnati Masters, has undergone renovation. One of the popular additions is a coffee bar. Iga Swiatek was asked in the press conference whether she has been to the coffee bar and what her caffeine habit is.

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

So my order is basically flat white coffee with oatmilk. But I haven’t been drinking a lot of coffee here because I only drink before matches, and I try to keep it easy on off day. But if I could, I would drink like two coffees per day. I just don’t want to be so high on energy all the time. But I love coffee.

The six-time Grand Slam champion has 10 WTA 1000 trophies to her name. But in Cincinnati, she is a two-time semifinalist, reaching the stage in 2023 and 2024. Last year, eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka knocked her out.

Siwatek holds a 0-1 head-to-head record over her quarterfinal opponent, Anna Kalinskaya. The Russian ace defeated her in the semifinals of last year’s Dubai Open. Before scheduling the clash with the former World No.1, the 26-year-old knocked out Ekaterina Alexandrova.

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