Despite suffering a defeat on clay in the Madrid Open final, World No.1 Iga Swiatek remains inspired and motivated as she builds on a growling rivalry with No.2 Aryna Sabalenka.

Swiatek suffered a rare loss on clay when she fell to World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final on Saturday, but the Polish player is keeping her fortnight in perspective following the year's first WTA 1000 clay-court event. "We just played on a good level, but [Sabalenka] was better today. Maybe sometimes I could be more proactive, but honestly, I think we both played good. I don't have any big regrets," WTA.com quoted Swiatek as saying in her post-match press conference.

Swiatek still boasts a superb 27-2 win-loss record on clay since the beginning of 2022, with her only loss coming to Caroline Garcia in the 2022 Warsaw quarterfinals.

"Sometimes it's tougher, sometimes it's easier. That's why we have variety in tennis, and that's why sometimes players are playing better on some surfaces and some on different [surfaces]. But it doesn't really matter because she won, and I just respect that and I don't want to take it from Aryna," Swiatek said.

Despite not winning the championship, Swiatek had a career-best performance in her second outing in Madrid. At the event, she has only lost to Sabalenka and former World No.1 Ashleigh Barty.

"I think [the final] was really tight, and it was a matter of kind of a few centimetres, you know, and sometimes it's in, sometimes it's out. But I did my best to keep the intensity and still keep the control here. Maybe next year I'm gonna know better if I can do even more or not, but for sure I did 100 per cent of what I could, so no regrets," Swiatek said.

"I think [the final] was really tight, and it was a matter of kind of a few centimetres, you know, and sometimes it's in, sometimes it's out," Swiatek said. "But I did my best to keep the intensity and still keep the control here. Maybe next year I'm gonna know better if I can do even more or not, but for sure I did 100 per cent of what I could, so no regrets," she added.

No.1 Swiatek and No.2 Sabalenka contested their second straight final after Swiatek won their showdown in Stuttgart two weeks ago, cementing their rivalry as the one to watch for the remainder of the clay-court season.

The first WTA 1000 final between the top two players in the rankings since No.1 was held in Madrid. Serena Williams won the 2014 Miami Open over No. 2 Li Na.

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"Me and Aryna, I feel like we're just hard workers. I know that she's super professional as well in terms of fitness and other stuff, and we're kind of progressing no matter if we're on top or not, so I think that's why we are kind of solid," Swiatek said.

Swiatek will retain her World No. 1 place in Monday's new standings, though Sabalenka is closing the distance. Regardless, Swiatek continues to recognise successes outside of rankings to motivate herself.

"People are saying it's tough to get to the top, but staying at the top is even tougher. I don't know, I haven't lived enough to know if that's true or not. It's just a matter of not thinking about that you're gonna stay here, but it's more like reaching to other stuff that can motivate you and that you can do better, no matter what position you're in," Swiatek said.

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Despite suffering a defeat on clay in the Madrid Open final, World No.1 Iga Swiatek remains inspired and motivated as she builds on a growling rivalry with No.2 Aryna Sabalenka.

Despite suffering a defeat on clay in the Madrid Open final, World No.1 Iga Swiatek remains inspired and motivated as she builds on a growling rivalry with No.2 Aryna Sabalenka. Swiatek suffered a rare loss on clay when she fell to World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final on Saturday, but the Polish player is keeping her fortnight in perspective following the year's first WTA 1000 clay-court event. "We just played on a good level, but [Sabalenka] was better today. Maybe sometimes I could be more proactive, but honestly, I think we both played good. I don't have any big regrets," WTA.com quoted Swiatek as saying in her post-match press conference. Swiatek still boasts a superb 27-2 win-loss record on clay since the beginning of 2022, with her only loss coming to Caroline Garcia in the 2022 Warsaw quarterfinals. "Sometimes it's tougher, sometimes it's easier. That's why we have variety in tennis, and that's why sometimes players are playing better on some surfaces and some on different [surfaces]. But it doesn't really matter because she won, and I just respect that and I don't want to take it from Aryna," Swiatek said. Despite not winning the championship, Swiatek had a career-best performance in her second outing in Madrid. At the event, she has only lost to Sabalenka and former World No.1 Ashleigh Barty. "I think [the final] was really tight, and it was a matter of kind of a few centimetres, you know, and sometimes it's in, sometimes it's out. But I did my best to keep the intensity and still keep the control here. Maybe next year I'm gonna know better if I can do even more or not, but for sure I did 100 per cent of what I could, so no regrets," Swiatek said. "I think [the final] was really tight, and it was a matter of kind of a few centimetres, you know, and sometimes it's in, sometimes it's out," Swiatek said. "But I did my best to keep the intensity and still keep the control here. Maybe next year I'm gonna know better if I can do even more or not, but for sure I did 100 per cent of what I could, so no regrets," she added. No.1 Swiatek and No.2 Sabalenka contested their second straight final after Swiatek won their showdown in Stuttgart two weeks ago, cementing their rivalry as the one to watch for the remainder of the clay-court season. The first WTA 1000 final between the top two players in the rankings since No.1 was held in Madrid. Serena Williams won the 2014 Miami Open over No. 2 Li Na. ALSO READ | IPL 2023: Sunil Gavaskar slams MI skipper Rohit for playing rash shot against CSK, wants him to take break "Me and Aryna, I feel like we're just hard workers. I know that she's super professional as well in terms of fitness and other stuff, and we're kind of progressing no matter if we're on top or not, so I think that's why we are kind of solid," Swiatek said. Swiatek will retain her World No. 1 place in Monday's new standings, though Sabalenka is closing the distance. Regardless, Swiatek continues to recognise successes outside of rankings to motivate herself. "People are saying it's tough to get to the top, but staying at the top is even tougher. I don't know, I haven't lived enough to know if that's true or not. It's just a matter of not thinking about that you're gonna stay here, but it's more like reaching to other stuff that can motivate you and that you can do better, no matter what position you're in," Swiatek said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'No regrets' - Iga Swiatek maintains motivation after Madrid Open final defeat against Aryna Sabalenka

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek cruised past Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-1 in the late semi-final of the Madrid Open on Thursday to set up a second straight final showdown with world number two Aryna Sabalenka. Swiatek had beaten Sabalenka 6-3 6-4 to win the Stuttgart Open at the end of April, gearing up for her French Open title defence later in May.

The Pole marched into her maiden final in Madrid in a clinical display against the 12th seed Kudermetova, improving her head-to-head record against the Russian to 4-0. Earlier on Thursday, Sabalenka brushed past Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-1 as their ninth meeting on tour and first on clay ended with the 24-year-old Belarusian extending her win-loss record over the Greek ninth seed to 6-3.

Sabalenka, who was champion in Madrid in 2021, stayed on track for her second title of the season in style after winning the Australian Open in January. She won an impressive 70.7% of her first serve points and saved five of six break points while sending down four aces against Sakkari.

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It will be the third time in the last 40 years that the world top two will meet twice in the same season on clay after Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013, and Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert back in 1984.

TSITSIPAS KNOCKED OUT

In men's singles, world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out following a 7-6(5) 5-7 6-3 defeat by Germany's lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarter-finals. In-form Struff will next face qualifier Aslan Karatsev on Friday as both reached their first Masters 1000 semi-final, the Russian doing so by beating China's Zhang Zhizhen 7-6(3) 6-4 earlier on Thursday.

In the other semi-final, world number two Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to celebrate his 20th birthday with a win against Croatian 17th seed Borna Coric.

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek cruised past Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-1 in the late semi-final of the Madrid Open on Thursday to set up a second straight final showdown with world number two Aryna Sabalenka.

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek cruised past Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-1 in the late semi-final of the Madrid Open on Thursday to set up a second straight final showdown with world number two Aryna Sabalenka. Swiatek had beaten Sabalenka 6-3 6-4 to win the Stuttgart Open at the end of April, gearing up for her French Open title defence later in May. The Pole marched into her maiden final in Madrid in a clinical display against the 12th seed Kudermetova, improving her head-to-head record against the Russian to 4-0. Earlier on Thursday, Sabalenka brushed past Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-1 as their ninth meeting on tour and first on clay ended with the 24-year-old Belarusian extending her win-loss record over the Greek ninth seed to 6-3. Sabalenka, who was champion in Madrid in 2021, stayed on track for her second title of the season in style after winning the Australian Open in January. She won an impressive 70.7% of her first serve points and saved five of six break points while sending down four aces against Sakkari. Also Read: Madrid Open: Aryna Sabalenka beats Maria Sakkari to enjoy early birthday present with final spot It will be the third time in the last 40 years that the world top two will meet twice in the same season on clay after Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013, and Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert back in 1984. TSITSIPAS KNOCKED OUT In men's singles, world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out following a 7-6(5) 5-7 6-3 defeat by Germany's lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarter-finals. In-form Struff will next face qualifier Aslan Karatsev on Friday as both reached their first Masters 1000 semi-final, the Russian doing so by beating China's Zhang Zhizhen 7-6(3) 6-4 earlier on Thursday. In the other semi-final, world number two Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to celebrate his 20th birthday with a win against Croatian 17th seed Borna Coric.

Tennis: Iga Swiatek sets up Madrid final with Aryna Sabalenka, Stefanos Tsitsipas bows out

World number one Iga Swiatek on Wednesday called for prize money equality between WTA and ATP events. The reigning French Open and US Open champion is preparing to compete at the Madrid Open after retaining her Stuttgart title last weekend, defeating world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Swiatek won a little more than 100,000 Euros ($111,000), which some contrasted to Carlos Alcaraz's 475,000 Euros ($526,000) haul for triumphing at the Barcelona Open.

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"I think (tennis) is better than most sports, but still there is a lot we can work on in terms of, you know, getting equal prize money on some WTA tournaments compared to ATP on the same level," Swiatek told a news conference Wednesday. "Grand Slams are already even, as we know. That's nice, but for sure it would be good if WTA would focus on that, but I don't really want to get into that, because it's a lot of business and sometimes politics.

"I don't think I have a lot of influence. I just can say that it would be nice for our sport if it was equal, especially because we kind of do the same work."

- Consistency -

The Polish top seed in Madrid says the women's game offers more consistency than the men's now and can create even higher emotions.

"I also get people who are saying that men's tennis is nicer to watch and guys can do more because they are physically and biologically stronger," said Swiatek. "But I think there were a lot of people, for example a couple of years ago, who were saying that (the women's game is) not consistent and that's a shame and it should be better, but right now basically I think we are even more consistent than the guys with our game.

"Watching women's tennis gives the same emotions, and sometimes even like more emotions, because we are women and we are a little bit more emotional.

"But, yeah, I think it would be nice if WTA could make it even."

In 1973, the US Open became the first Grand Slam event to pay men's and women's players equal prize money.

It was followed by the Australian Open in 2001, before the French Open and Wimbledon also decided to do so in 2007.

Swiatek said she would have to get used to playing at a higher altitude in Madrid.

"I feel like the (balls) are more like flying bullets, you have to control them -- and the clay is a little bit different, the movement and stuff, I just have to get used to it," she added. "I want to win every tournament that I go to, but Madrid, for sure, is still this kind of tournament that I haven't figured it out for 100 percent, so I just want to get the experience."

Swiatek will face Austrian 'lucky loser' Julia Grabher in her opening match at the tournament.

World number one Iga Swiatek on Wednesday called for prize money equality between WTA and ATP events. The reigning French Open and US Open champion is preparing to compete at the Madrid Open after retaining her Stuttgart title last weekend, defeating world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

World number one Iga Swiatek on Wednesday called for prize money equality between WTA and ATP events. The reigning French Open and US Open champion is preparing to compete at the Madrid Open after retaining her Stuttgart title last weekend, defeating world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Swiatek won a little more than 100,000 Euros ($111,000), which some contrasted to Carlos Alcaraz's 475,000 Euros ($526,000) haul for triumphing at the Barcelona Open. ALSO READ: Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu withdraws from Madrid Open before first round "I think (tennis) is better than most sports, but still there is a lot we can work on in terms of, you know, getting equal prize money on some WTA tournaments compared to ATP on the same level," Swiatek told a news conference Wednesday. "Grand Slams are already even, as we know. That's nice, but for sure it would be good if WTA would focus on that, but I don't really want to get into that, because it's a lot of business and sometimes politics. "I don't think I have a lot of influence. I just can say that it would be nice for our sport if it was equal, especially because we kind of do the same work." - Consistency - The Polish top seed in Madrid says the women's game offers more consistency than the men's now and can create even higher emotions. "I also get people who are saying that men's tennis is nicer to watch and guys can do more because they are physically and biologically stronger," said Swiatek. "But I think there were a lot of people, for example a couple of years ago, who were saying that (the women's game is) not consistent and that's a shame and it should be better, but right now basically I think we are even more consistent than the guys with our game. "Watching women's tennis gives the same emotions, and sometimes even like more emotions, because we are women and we are a little bit more emotional. "But, yeah, I think it would be nice if WTA could make it even." In 1973, the US Open became the first Grand Slam event to pay men's and women's players equal prize money. It was followed by the Australian Open in 2001, before the French Open and Wimbledon also decided to do so in 2007. Swiatek said she would have to get used to playing at a higher altitude in Madrid. "I feel like the (balls) are more like flying bullets, you have to control them -- and the clay is a little bit different, the movement and stuff, I just have to get used to it," she added. "I want to win every tournament that I go to, but Madrid, for sure, is still this kind of tournament that I haven't figured it out for 100 percent, so I just want to get the experience." Swiatek will face Austrian 'lucky loser' Julia Grabher in her opening match at the tournament.

World number one Iga Swiatek calls for prize money equality between WTA and ATP events

World number one Iga Swiatek defeated Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win her second consecutive Stuttgart title on Sunday. Swiatek eased past her second-ranked Belarusian opponent 6-3, 6-4 on the clay in one hour and 50 minutes.

A first tournament triumph since February will give Swiatek a confidence boost ahead of her French Open title defence in May. Sunday's match was a repeat of last year's final in Stuttgart, which Swiatek also won in dominant fashion, 6-2, 6-2.

She has now sat atop the WTA rankings for more than a year and is a red-hot favourite for another title at Roland Garros. The US Open champion broke serve late in the first set, taking advantage of an uncharacteristic miss from Sabalenka.

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Swiatek broke again in the opening game of the second, after which notable frustration began to creep into the world number two's game.

Sabalenka made a number of unforced errors, allowing Swiatek to gain control of the match. Swiatek converted her first match point with a smooth backhand to chalk up another impressive victory. The 21-year-old came into the match fresh after playing just 18 minutes of Saturday's semi-final before her opponent Ons Jabeur retired hurt.

Sabalenka beat Anastasia Potapova 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday.

Swiatek is the first player to win back-to-back Stuttgart titles since Angelique Kerber in 2015 and 2016. She&nbsp;now holds a 5-2 record against Sabalenka and has won eight of her eight matches on the Stuttgart clay.

Sabalenka has lost her past three Stuttgart finals, two of which have been played against Swiatek. The Belarusian lost the 2021 final to Australia's Ash Barty.

It was the first time a world number one had faced the world number two on clay since the 2013 French Open final, when Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova.

World number one Iga Swiatek defeated Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win her second consecutive Stuttgart title on Sunday. Swiatek eased past her second-ranked Belarusian opponent 6-3, 6-4 on the clay in one hour and 50 minutes.

World number one Iga Swiatek defeated Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win her second consecutive Stuttgart title on Sunday. Swiatek eased past her second-ranked Belarusian opponent 6-3, 6-4 on the clay in one hour and 50 minutes. A first tournament triumph since February will give Swiatek a confidence boost ahead of her French Open title defence in May. Sunday's match was a repeat of last year's final in Stuttgart, which Swiatek also won in dominant fashion, 6-2, 6-2. She has now sat atop the WTA rankings for more than a year and is a red-hot favourite for another title at Roland Garros. The US Open champion broke serve late in the first set, taking advantage of an uncharacteristic miss from Sabalenka. ALSO READ: Mohamed Salah happy to surpass Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler to become club's all-time top goal scorer Swiatek broke again in the opening game of the second, after which notable frustration began to creep into the world number two's game. Sabalenka made a number of unforced errors, allowing Swiatek to gain control of the match. Swiatek converted her first match point with a smooth backhand to chalk up another impressive victory. The 21-year-old came into the match fresh after playing just 18 minutes of Saturday's semi-final before her opponent Ons Jabeur retired hurt. Sabalenka beat Anastasia Potapova 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday. Swiatek is the first player to win back-to-back Stuttgart titles since Angelique Kerber in 2015 and 2016. She now holds a 5-2 record against Sabalenka and has won eight of her eight matches on the Stuttgart clay. Sabalenka has lost her past three Stuttgart finals, two of which have been played against Swiatek. The Belarusian lost the 2021 final to Australia's Ash Barty. It was the first time a world number one had faced the world number two on clay since the 2013 French Open final, when Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova.

World number 1 Iga Swiatek claims her successive Stuttgart Open title, beats Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition as neutrals is "confusing" because Ukraine is still under attack,&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;world number one Iga Swiatek said.

The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but is now eager to see athletes come back across all sports and have a chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Russia says it is prosecuting a "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russian and Belarusian&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutrals since March last year.

"Right now the situation is pretty complicated because at the beginning of the war there weren't many decisions one way. At first they (Russian and Belarusian athletes) were kind of banned in other sports, not in&nbsp;tennis," Swiatek told reporters on Thursday. "Then it changed a little bit and they are starting to be allowed, which is pretty confusing because I feel nothing changed in Ukraine and the cities are still under attack. "Many Ukrainian athletes are fighting in the war and losing their lives. It's heartbreaking."

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Poland's Swiatek, who wears a Ukrainian flag on her cap during matches, has previously said&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;missed an opportunity to send a strong message to Moscow by failing to impose a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus. "I just hope no matter what the decisions is going to be, the sport will be able to kind of put people together and not separate them," Swiatek added.

"But there are tensions, so it may be tricky and hard to do, but you know me as just one athlete, I don't have full influence on what's going on, so we kind of have to just compete (at) our best no matter what the circumstances are."

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition as neutrals is "confusing" because Ukraine is still under attack, tennis world number one Iga Swiatek said.

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition as neutrals is "confusing" because Ukraine is still under attack, tennis world number one Iga Swiatek said. The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but is now eager to see athletes come back across all sports and have a chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Russia says it is prosecuting a "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russian and Belarusian tennis players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutrals since March last year. "Right now the situation is pretty complicated because at the beginning of the war there weren't many decisions one way. At first they (Russian and Belarusian athletes) were kind of banned in other sports, not in tennis," Swiatek told reporters on Thursday. "Then it changed a little bit and they are starting to be allowed, which is pretty confusing because I feel nothing changed in Ukraine and the cities are still under attack. "Many Ukrainian athletes are fighting in the war and losing their lives. It's heartbreaking." Also read: US House approves transgender athlete ban for girls and women's teams Poland's Swiatek, who wears a Ukrainian flag on her cap during matches, has previously said tennis missed an opportunity to send a strong message to Moscow by failing to impose a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus. "I just hope no matter what the decisions is going to be, the sport will be able to kind of put people together and not separate them," Swiatek added. "But there are tensions, so it may be tricky and hard to do, but you know me as just one athlete, I don't have full influence on what's going on, so we kind of have to just compete (at) our best no matter what the circumstances are."

Paris Olympics: IOC stance on Russians, Belarusians 'confusing', says No. 1 ranked Iga Swiatek

Tennis missed an opportunity to send a strong message to Moscow by failing to impose a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine, world number one Iga Swiatek said. Wimbledon banned players from the two countries last year after the invasion, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", but said in March that it would now accept them as neutral athletes.

The 2022 tournament was the first-time players were excluded on grounds of nationality since the immediate post-World War Two era, when German and Japanese players were banned from the championships.

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"After World War Two, German players were not allowed as well as Japanese and Italian (players), and I feel like this kind of thing would show the Russian government that maybe it’s not worth it," Poland's Swiatek told the BBC on Wednesday.

"We are just athletes, a little piece in the world, but sport is pretty important and sport has always been used for propaganda ... Tennis, from the beginning, could do a bit better in showing everybody that tennis players are against the war.

"Tennis didn't really go that way, but now it would be pretty unfair for Russian and Belarusian players to do that because this decision was supposed to be made a year ago."

Russian and Belarusian players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutral athletes.

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who won this year's Australian Open, has said she struggled to understand the "hate" in the locker room.

Swiatek described the locker room atmosphere as "pretty tense".

"It's not their fault they have a passport like that ... their situation is pretty complicated and it's hard for them to speak out loud about it," the 21-year-old said.

"On the other hand, we all have some kind of impact and anything that would help stop the Russian aggression, we should go that way in terms of the decisions the federations are making."

Tennis missed an opportunity to send a strong message to Moscow by failing to impose a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine, world number one Iga Swiatek said.

Tennis missed an opportunity to send a strong message to Moscow by failing to impose a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine, world number one Iga Swiatek said. Wimbledon banned players from the two countries last year after the invasion, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", but said in March that it would now accept them as neutral athletes. The 2022 tournament was the first-time players were excluded on grounds of nationality since the immediate post-World War Two era, when German and Japanese players were banned from the championships. ALSO READ: Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard set to return for second spell at Stamford Bridge on interim basis "After World War Two, German players were not allowed as well as Japanese and Italian (players), and I feel like this kind of thing would show the Russian government that maybe it’s not worth it," Poland's Swiatek told the BBC on Wednesday. "We are just athletes, a little piece in the world, but sport is pretty important and sport has always been used for propaganda ... Tennis, from the beginning, could do a bit better in showing everybody that tennis players are against the war. "Tennis didn't really go that way, but now it would be pretty unfair for Russian and Belarusian players to do that because this decision was supposed to be made a year ago." Russian and Belarusian players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutral athletes. Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who won this year's Australian Open, has said she struggled to understand the "hate" in the locker room. Swiatek described the locker room atmosphere as "pretty tense". "It's not their fault they have a passport like that ... their situation is pretty complicated and it's hard for them to speak out loud about it," the 21-year-old said. "On the other hand, we all have some kind of impact and anything that would help stop the Russian aggression, we should go that way in terms of the decisions the federations are making."

Tennis should have banned players from Russia, Belarusian, says world number one Iga Swiatek

World number one Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Miami Open tournament on Monday with a rib injury. The Pole was the defending champion at Miami and was expected to play American Claire Liu in the second round on Thursday after receiving a first-round bye. She lost in the semifinals of Indian Wells to eventual champion Elena Rybakina but said that she was not able to play again with the injury. Swiatek said she had initially hurt her rib by strong coughing after picking up an infection.

"You know that in and after Doha I was struggling with a strong infection," Swiatek said.

"I was allowed to play, but a strong episode of tough cough led to a rib injury. We were trying to handle it and continue to play as long as it was safe for me. We were analyzing the data in the last days and my doctor prepared my diagnosis.

"Unfortunately, I'm still feeling a lot of discomfort and pain and I can't compete."

Swiatek suggested the injury was not serious enough to keep her sidelined for long, although she did not indicate a timeline for her return. With a strong lead over second-placed Aryna Sabalenka in the rankings, Swiatek's number one status will not be immediately impacted by missing Miami.

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"Of course I'm going to lose points for this tournament but it doesn't change anything in terms of my approach and my mentality," she said.

"I was also aware at the beginning of the season that it's going to be hard for me to defend all these points.

"Missing this tournament is not going to help, but on the other hand, as I said, you know injuries happen and I didn't have any injuries for two or three years.

"What's going to happen next? We'll see. Obviously it's going to depend on the recovery but for now it's not a horrible scenario."

Swiatek said in a statement that she would also miss Poland's upcoming match against Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup competition.

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World number one Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Miami Open tournament on Monday with a rib injury. The Pole was the defending champion at Miami and was expected to play American Claire Liu in the second round on Thursday after receiving a first-round bye.

World number one Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Miami Open tournament on Monday with a rib injury. The Pole was the defending champion at Miami and was expected to play American Claire Liu in the second round on Thursday after receiving a first-round bye. She lost in the semifinals of Indian Wells to eventual champion Elena Rybakina but said that she was not able to play again with the injury. Swiatek said she had initially hurt her rib by strong coughing after picking up an infection. "You know that in and after Doha I was struggling with a strong infection," Swiatek said. "I was allowed to play, but a strong episode of tough cough led to a rib injury. We were trying to handle it and continue to play as long as it was safe for me. We were analyzing the data in the last days and my doctor prepared my diagnosis. "Unfortunately, I'm still feeling a lot of discomfort and pain and I can't compete." Swiatek suggested the injury was not serious enough to keep her sidelined for long, although she did not indicate a timeline for her return. With a strong lead over second-placed Aryna Sabalenka in the rankings, Swiatek's number one status will not be immediately impacted by missing Miami. ALSO READ | This is a proper statement: R Ashwin lauds Hardik Pandya for his remark on Test return during WTC final "Of course I'm going to lose points for this tournament but it doesn't change anything in terms of my approach and my mentality," she said. "I was also aware at the beginning of the season that it's going to be hard for me to defend all these points. "Missing this tournament is not going to help, but on the other hand, as I said, you know injuries happen and I didn't have any injuries for two or three years. "What's going to happen next? We'll see. Obviously it's going to depend on the recovery but for now it's not a horrible scenario." Swiatek said in a statement that she would also miss Poland's upcoming match against Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup competition. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Miami Open: World No 1 Iga Swiatek forced to withdraw from WTA 1000 event with rib injury

Elena Rybakina knocked out defending champion Iga Swiatek with a 6-2, 6-2 semi-final victory at Indian Wells on Friday to set up a clash against Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Two months after Rybakina knocked Swiatek out of the Australian Open in the fourth round, the Wimbledon champion once again put in an impressive display against the world number one.

Rybakina was in control from the start, breaking early to take a 2-0 lead, before going on to clinch the first set when Swiatek produced a double fault on set point. Rybakina's serve was tested in the first game of the second set, but the Kazakh held under pressure and then won the next four games to take a 5-0 lead.

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Swiatek was far from her best on the night and later revealed that she had struggled with "discomfort" in her ribcage during the match, but added that she was still expecting to defend her title at next week's Miami Open.

"We're going to consult with the medical team. For sure I'm going to use these days off before Miami (to recover)," Swiatek told reporters.

The Pole did manage to avoid a bagel in the second set by saving a break point to hold before breaking to then further reduce the arrears, but Rybakina broke back immediately to extinguish the comeback and secure the win.

"I really played well today, it was a really nice atmosphere tonight," Rybakina said in her on-court interview. "I didn't expect I would play that well today. I had nothing to lose, I just wanted to enjoy. I think it was one of my best matches this season."

Rybakina will be out for revenge when she faces Sabalenka, who defeated her in the Australian Open final in January. The Belarusian leads 4-0 in their head-to-head.

"It was really close, we had so many battles and so far I'm losing, but hopefully that will change," Rybakina added.

Earlier on Friday, Australian Open champion Sabalenka was not at her best in a 6-2, 6-3 win over Greece's Maria Sakkari, but maintained her composure even when her old nemesis - the double fault - reared its ugly head on a sunny day in the Southern California desert.

"In the past I lost so many matches like that after a few not super smart mistakes," said Sabalenka. "I was reminding myself that it is okay to make mistakes. I'm not a robot, I'm a human. I can miss those shots, and probably that's why I was able to keep fighting and keep trying."

After the start of the match was delayed by more than 30 minutes to fix an audio issue related to the electronic line-calling system, Sabalenka cracked an ace out wide to open the match.

She broke Sakkari for a third time on an errant Sakkari forehand to capture the first set but the Belarusian's frustration began to mount in the second when two double faults gave Sakkari a look at break points at 2-2.

Sabalenka regrouped to hold for 3-2 and broke Sakkari in a lengthy deuce game for a 4-2 advantage she would not relinquish, pouncing on a short return of serve on match point and burying the ball with an emphatic backhand.

Elena Rybakina knocked out defending champion Iga Swiatek with a 6-2, 6-2 semi-final victory at Indian Wells on Friday to set up a clash against Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Elena Rybakina knocked out defending champion Iga Swiatek with a 6-2, 6-2 semi-final victory at Indian Wells on Friday to set up a clash against Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Two months after Rybakina knocked Swiatek out of the Australian Open in the fourth round, the Wimbledon champion once again put in an impressive display against the world number one. Rybakina was in control from the start, breaking early to take a 2-0 lead, before going on to clinch the first set when Swiatek produced a double fault on set point. Rybakina's serve was tested in the first game of the second set, but the Kazakh held under pressure and then won the next four games to take a 5-0 lead. ALSO READ: Premier League: Isak fires Newcastle to within sight of top four Swiatek was far from her best on the night and later revealed that she had struggled with "discomfort" in her ribcage during the match, but added that she was still expecting to defend her title at next week's Miami Open. "We're going to consult with the medical team. For sure I'm going to use these days off before Miami (to recover)," Swiatek told reporters. The Pole did manage to avoid a bagel in the second set by saving a break point to hold before breaking to then further reduce the arrears, but Rybakina broke back immediately to extinguish the comeback and secure the win. "I really played well today, it was a really nice atmosphere tonight," Rybakina said in her on-court interview. "I didn't expect I would play that well today. I had nothing to lose, I just wanted to enjoy. I think it was one of my best matches this season." Rybakina will be out for revenge when she faces Sabalenka, who defeated her in the Australian Open final in January. The Belarusian leads 4-0 in their head-to-head. "It was really close, we had so many battles and so far I'm losing, but hopefully that will change," Rybakina added. Earlier on Friday, Australian Open champion Sabalenka was not at her best in a 6-2, 6-3 win over Greece's Maria Sakkari, but maintained her composure even when her old nemesis - the double fault - reared its ugly head on a sunny day in the Southern California desert. "In the past I lost so many matches like that after a few not super smart mistakes," said Sabalenka. "I was reminding myself that it is okay to make mistakes. I'm not a robot, I'm a human. I can miss those shots, and probably that's why I was able to keep fighting and keep trying." After the start of the match was delayed by more than 30 minutes to fix an audio issue related to the electronic line-calling system, Sabalenka cracked an ace out wide to open the match. She broke Sakkari for a third time on an errant Sakkari forehand to capture the first set but the Belarusian's frustration began to mount in the second when two double faults gave Sakkari a look at break points at 2-2. Sabalenka regrouped to hold for 3-2 and broke Sakkari in a lengthy deuce game for a 4-2 advantage she would not relinquish, pouncing on a short return of serve on match point and burying the ball with an emphatic backhand.

Indian Wells: Elena Rybakina walks away with win over Iga Swiatek in semis, to face Aryna Sabalenka in final

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina survived a stern test from Czech Karolina Muchova before advancing 7-6(4) 2-6 6-4 and will face Iga Swiatek in Friday's semi-final after the world number one rolled past Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-3 at Indian Wells. Muchova smacked a backhand crosscourt winner to break serve in the first set for a 3-2 lead and, despite having played several grueling three-set matches at the tournament and having her left thigh wrapped, looked fresh.

The hard-hitting Rybakina struck back when she converted her sixth break point opportunity of the set by pouncing on a weak approach shot from Muchova, who then could not get her volley over the net for 5-5. In the tiebreaker momentum swung firmly in Rybakina's favour when she sent a blistering backhand winner down the line for 4-4 and the 76-minute first set ended on a Muchova double fault.

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The unseeded Muchova, a former top 20 player now ranked 76th, played nearly flawless tennis in the second set to force the decider.

In the third, the 10th-seeded Rybakina went up an early break on another untimely double fault by Muchova and held at love to push the advantage to 3-1. Muchova continued to battle, saving two match points on her serve in the ninth game.

But Rybakina did not miss her third opportunity to secure the win, crushing her sixth ace to end the two-hour, 45-minute contest on a sunny day at the WTA 1000 event in the Southern California desert.

"It was a really tough match today," said Rybakina, who became the first Kazakhstani woman to make it to the tournament's semis. "I served much better in the third. I didn't start that well at the beginning of the match. I was a bit slower than usual and here the conditions are not that easy for me.

"But in the important moments I played well."

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina survived a stern test from Czech Karolina Muchova before advancing 7-6(4) 2-6 6-4 and will face Iga Swiatek in Friday's semi-final after the world number one rolled past Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-3 at Indian Wells.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina survived a stern test from Czech Karolina Muchova before advancing 7-6(4) 2-6 6-4 and will face Iga Swiatek in Friday's semi-final after the world number one rolled past Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-3 at Indian Wells. Muchova smacked a backhand crosscourt winner to break serve in the first set for a 3-2 lead and, despite having played several grueling three-set matches at the tournament and having her left thigh wrapped, looked fresh. The hard-hitting Rybakina struck back when she converted her sixth break point opportunity of the set by pouncing on a weak approach shot from Muchova, who then could not get her volley over the net for 5-5. In the tiebreaker momentum swung firmly in Rybakina's favour when she sent a blistering backhand winner down the line for 4-4 and the 76-minute first set ended on a Muchova double fault. ALSO READ: Sporting stun Arsenal in Europa League shoot-out after Goncalves masterpiece The unseeded Muchova, a former top 20 player now ranked 76th, played nearly flawless tennis in the second set to force the decider. In the third, the 10th-seeded Rybakina went up an early break on another untimely double fault by Muchova and held at love to push the advantage to 3-1. Muchova continued to battle, saving two match points on her serve in the ninth game. But Rybakina did not miss her third opportunity to secure the win, crushing her sixth ace to end the two-hour, 45-minute contest on a sunny day at the WTA 1000 event in the Southern California desert. "It was a really tough match today," said Rybakina, who became the first Kazakhstani woman to make it to the tournament's semis. "I served much better in the third. I didn't start that well at the beginning of the match. I was a bit slower than usual and here the conditions are not that easy for me. "But in the important moments I played well."

Indian Wells: Elena Rybakina sets up semis date with Iga Swiatek following crunch win over Karolina Muchova

Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek raced into the third round of the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters 1000 without wasting a minute on Saturday. Spain's second-ranked Alcaraz, the US Open champion who can return to number one in the world with a third Masters 1000 crown, needed just one hour and 16 minutes to get past Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-3.

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Good start at Indian Wells! 🙌🏻 Back in a place that's special in my career! 
See you in R3! ❤️🌴 
 
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Women's number one Swiatek, winner of the French and US opens last year, was even more ruthlessly efficient in a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over American Claire Liu.

Alcaraz lost just one point on his serve in the first set and did not face a break point in the match as he lined up a meeting with Tallon Griekspoor, a 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) winner over Argentina's Guido Pella.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-football-focus-final-score-shows-on-bbc-as-presenters-go-off-air-on-saturday-to-support-gary-lineker-571000">No Football Focus, Final Score shows on BBC as presenters go off air on Saturday to support Gary Lineker</a>

"Well, I surprised myself today with my serve," the effervescent 19-year-old said. "I serve really well in the first set and in the second set as well."

Early breaks in each set were too much for Kokkinakis to overcome in the face of Alcaraz's speed and power.

"All that I'm looking for in every match is to enjoy and to play relaxed," Alcaraz said. "I think that's the most important part of my game, to stay relaxed and go for it and not to think about the mistakes, the points, the rounds. Just live the moment, play the match, and go for it," he added.

Alcaraz was able to do just that as there was no sign of the right hamstring injury that forced him out of the ATP tournament in Acapulco prior to Indian Wells.

He had missed the Australian Open with similar trouble, but returned to win in Buenos Aires last month before falling in the final at Rio de Janeiro -- where he was hindered by the injury.

"It seems today that I move really well," Alcaraz said. "I think I'm ready and totally recovered from the injury."

Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek raced into the third round of the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters 1000 without wasting a minute on Saturday. Spain's second-ranked Alcaraz, the US Open champion who can return to number one in the world with a third Masters 1000 crown, needed just one hour and 16 minutes to get past Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-3.

Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek raced into the third round of the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters 1000 without wasting a minute on Saturday. Spain's second-ranked Alcaraz, the US Open champion who can return to number one in the world with a third Masters 1000 crown, needed just one hour and 16 minutes to get past Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-3. Good start at Indian Wells! 🙌🏻 Back in a place that's special in my career! See you in R3! ❤️🌴 📸 @BNPPARIBASOPEN pic.twitter.com/ZW3p90XptX — Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) March 12, 2023 × Women's number one Swiatek, winner of the French and US opens last year, was even more ruthlessly efficient in a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over American Claire Liu. Alcaraz lost just one point on his serve in the first set and did not face a break point in the match as he lined up a meeting with Tallon Griekspoor, a 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) winner over Argentina's Guido Pella. ALSO READ: No Football Focus, Final Score shows on BBC as presenters go off air on Saturday to support Gary Lineker "Well, I surprised myself today with my serve," the effervescent 19-year-old said. "I serve really well in the first set and in the second set as well." Early breaks in each set were too much for Kokkinakis to overcome in the face of Alcaraz's speed and power. "All that I'm looking for in every match is to enjoy and to play relaxed," Alcaraz said. "I think that's the most important part of my game, to stay relaxed and go for it and not to think about the mistakes, the points, the rounds. Just live the moment, play the match, and go for it," he added. Alcaraz was able to do just that as there was no sign of the right hamstring injury that forced him out of the ATP tournament in Acapulco prior to Indian Wells. He had missed the Australian Open with similar trouble, but returned to win in Buenos Aires last month before falling in the final at Rio de Janeiro -- where he was hindered by the injury. "It seems today that I move really well," Alcaraz said. "I think I'm ready and totally recovered from the injury."

Indian Wells: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and top-seeded Iga Swiatek storm into third round with thumping wins

Barbora&nbsp;Krejcikova&nbsp;defeated Iga Swiatek to claim the Dubai WTA title on Saturday, becoming just the fourth woman this century to defeat the top three players in the world at the same tournament. For former French Open champion&nbsp;Krejcikova, ranked 30 in the world, it was a sixth career title.

The 27-year-old Czech snapped world number one Swiatek's six-match, 12-set winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 result in one hour and 31 minutes, in front of a capacity crowd at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis stadium. Krejcikova&nbsp;had also defeated second-ranked Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals and world number three Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals.

Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sania-mirza-retires-world-no-1-iga-swiatek-reacts-after-indian-tennis-star-hangs-up-her-boots-564624">Sania Mirza retires: World No. 1 Iga Swiatek reacts after Indian tennis star hangs up her boots</a>

Only Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Sabalenka have managed to beat all top three players in a single tournament in the 2000s.

"It's a huge achievement, what I was able to do this week. I was really enjoying all the matches, I definitely love playing on the big courts," said&nbsp;Krejcikova, who will move up to 16 in the rankings on Monday. &nbsp;

It was a week of great escapes from&nbsp;Krejcikova&nbsp;-- who saved four match points against an eighth-ranked Daria Kasatkina in the second round and rallied back from 0-6, 1-3 down in her quarter-final against Sabalenka.

"This title definitely means a lot. It was a great week for me, I was improving every single game and today I showed my best," said&nbsp;Krejcikova, who also defeated Swiatek in the Ostrava final last October.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-bjorn-borg-leaves-felicitation-ceremony-to-watch-son-leo-play-after-karnataka-cm-bommai-runs-late-564714">Tennis: Bjorn Borg leaves felicitation ceremony to watch son Leo play after Karnataka CM runs late</a>

They are now 2-2 head-to-head in career meetings.

"I have so much respect for Iga, to me she is a big inspiration, she motivates me every day. It was a great final and I'm definitely happy with the result," she added.

A sharp-angled backhand from a nonchalant&nbsp;Krejcikova&nbsp;gave the Czech an opening service break that helped her to a 3-1 advantage.

Swiatek retaliated, getting back on level terms, but her break for three-all kicked off a series of four consecutive games where neither player managed to hold serve.&nbsp;

Krejcikova&nbsp;finally bucked the trend, taking the last eight straight points of the set to claim a 6-4 lead in 44 minutes. It was the first set Swiatek has lost since her Australian Open fourth round defeat to Elena Rybakina last month.&nbsp;

The 21-year-old Pole won Doha last week and arrived in Saturday's final having dropped just 14 games in six matches in the Gulf.

Swiatek took a toilet break between sets and had a brief argument with chair umpire Pierre Bacchi when she returned to the court, which eventually ended with her receiving a time violation for taking too long.

Both players regained stability on serve early in the second set before&nbsp;Krejcikova&nbsp;found an opening and inched ahead 4-2. That cushion was all the 27-year-old needed to close out a remarkable victory and clinch the sixth singles title of her career.

Swiatek lost a WTA 1000 final for the first time in her career. She had won all five she previously contested coming in.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to have many finals but hopefully next time it's going to go my way, because the last two went for you," Swiatek told&nbsp;Krejcikova&nbsp;after congratulating the Czech during the trophy ceremony.

"Sorry to my team. I'm pretty sure we're going to get many more, we're going to keep working."

Barbora Krejcikova defeated Iga Swiatek to claim the Dubai WTA title on Saturday, becoming just the fourth woman this century to defeat the top three players in the world at the same tournament.

Barbora Krejcikova defeated Iga Swiatek to claim the Dubai WTA title on Saturday, becoming just the fourth woman this century to defeat the top three players in the world at the same tournament. For former French Open champion Krejcikova, ranked 30 in the world, it was a sixth career title. The 27-year-old Czech snapped world number one Swiatek's six-match, 12-set winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 result in one hour and 31 minutes, in front of a capacity crowd at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis stadium. Krejcikova had also defeated second-ranked Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals and world number three Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals. Read More: Sania Mirza retires: World No. 1 Iga Swiatek reacts after Indian tennis star hangs up her boots Only Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Sabalenka have managed to beat all top three players in a single tournament in the 2000s. "It's a huge achievement, what I was able to do this week. I was really enjoying all the matches, I definitely love playing on the big courts," said Krejcikova, who will move up to 16 in the rankings on Monday. It was a week of great escapes from Krejcikova -- who saved four match points against an eighth-ranked Daria Kasatkina in the second round and rallied back from 0-6, 1-3 down in her quarter-final against Sabalenka. "This title definitely means a lot. It was a great week for me, I was improving every single game and today I showed my best," said Krejcikova, who also defeated Swiatek in the Ostrava final last October. Also Read: Tennis: Bjorn Borg leaves felicitation ceremony to watch son Leo play after Karnataka CM runs late They are now 2-2 head-to-head in career meetings. "I have so much respect for Iga, to me she is a big inspiration, she motivates me every day. It was a great final and I'm definitely happy with the result," she added. A sharp-angled backhand from a nonchalant Krejcikova gave the Czech an opening service break that helped her to a 3-1 advantage. Swiatek retaliated, getting back on level terms, but her break for three-all kicked off a series of four consecutive games where neither player managed to hold serve. Krejcikova finally bucked the trend, taking the last eight straight points of the set to claim a 6-4 lead in 44 minutes. It was the first set Swiatek has lost since her Australian Open fourth round defeat to Elena Rybakina last month. The 21-year-old Pole won Doha last week and arrived in Saturday's final having dropped just 14 games in six matches in the Gulf. Swiatek took a toilet break between sets and had a brief argument with chair umpire Pierre Bacchi when she returned to the court, which eventually ended with her receiving a time violation for taking too long. Both players regained stability on serve early in the second set before Krejcikova found an opening and inched ahead 4-2. That cushion was all the 27-year-old needed to close out a remarkable victory and clinch the sixth singles title of her career. Swiatek lost a WTA 1000 final for the first time in her career. She had won all five she previously contested coming in. "I'm pretty sure we're going to have many finals but hopefully next time it's going to go my way, because the last two went for you," Swiatek told Krejcikova after congratulating the Czech during the trophy ceremony. "Sorry to my team. I'm pretty sure we're going to get many more, we're going to keep working."

Tennis: Barbora Krejcikova shocks world no. 1 Iga Swiatek to win Dubai WTA title

On Tuesday (February 21), Sania Mirza played her last competitive game as she called it quits from tennis and ended her glorious career. Playing in the women's doubles first-round of the Dubai Tennis Championship, along with Madison Keys, Sania and her American partner lost to Russian pair&nbsp;of Vernokia Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets, 4-6, 0-6 to bow out with a loss. Sania remains an inspiration for many across the nation and in the entire tennis fraternity. Hence, reactions came in from all corners post her last game.&nbsp;

World number one Iga Swiatek also joined the bandwagon and reacted to Sania's retirement. After the Indian sensation's loss, the Polish star took to her official Twitter handle to 'thank' Sania for her overall contributions towards the game. She replied to a heartfelt video on Sania's career, shared by WTA's official account, and wrote:

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Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/MirzaSania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MirzaSania</a> 🙌🏼🤗 <a href="https://t.co/ZGTv5qGFqw">https://t.co/ZGTv5qGFqw</a>
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) <a href="https://twitter.com/iga_swiatek/status/1628110808906334221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sania-mirza-ends-illustrious-career-with-first-round-defeat-in-dubai-tennis-championship-564450">Sania Mirza ends illustrious career with first-round defeat in Dubai Tennis Championship</a>

Mahesh Bhupathi -- with whom Sania won two of her three mixed-doubles title -- also penned a heartfelt note for Sania. He claimed that he was proud of the Indian star and wrote, "Welcome to retirement @MirzaSania you outdid yourself time and time again both on and off the court â€¦. Proud of you !!"

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Welcome to retirement <a href="https://twitter.com/MirzaSania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MirzaSania</a> you outdid yourself time and time again both on and off the court …. Proud of you !! <a href="https://t.co/xNzIykOIqH">pic.twitter.com/xNzIykOIqH</a>
— Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Maheshbhupathi/status/1628079637996740608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Prior to her final appearance, the 36-year-old Sania revealed that tennis is an important part of her life but not her entire life. She told PTI, "For me, tennis was always and is always going to be a very, very large and big and important part of my life, but it is not my entire life. And that is the mindset I went with, even as a young girl and as a professional athlete. The worst that can happen is that you can lose a tennis match and then come back and try again."

"So, the fear of losing was not there. And I think a lot of people become defensive because they have the fear of losing. They think 'oh if we push the ball or put the ball inside the court, maybe we won't lose'. But, in the long run, that doesn't work to become a top athlete," Sania added.

She ended her illustrious career with six Grand Slam titles, 43 career titles and was a former world number one in women's doubles and ex-world number 27 in the singles category.&nbsp;

On Tuesday (February 21), Sania Mirza played her last competitive game as she called it quits from tennis and ended her glorious career. Playing in the women's doubles first-round of the Dubai Tennis Championship, along with Madison Keys, Sania and her American partner lost to Russian pair of Vernokia Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets, 4-6, 0-6 to bow out with a loss.

On Tuesday (February 21), Sania Mirza played her last competitive game as she called it quits from tennis and ended her glorious career. Playing in the women's doubles first-round of the Dubai Tennis Championship, along with Madison Keys, Sania and her American partner lost to Russian pair of Vernokia Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets, 4-6, 0-6 to bow out with a loss. Sania remains an inspiration for many across the nation and in the entire tennis fraternity. Hence, reactions came in from all corners post her last game. World number one Iga Swiatek also joined the bandwagon and reacted to Sania's retirement. After the Indian sensation's loss, the Polish star took to her official Twitter handle to 'thank' Sania for her overall contributions towards the game. She replied to a heartfelt video on Sania's career, shared by WTA's official account, and wrote: Thank you @MirzaSania 🙌🏼🤗 https://t.co/ZGTv5qGFqw — Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) February 21, 2023 × Also Read: Sania Mirza ends illustrious career with first-round defeat in Dubai Tennis Championship Mahesh Bhupathi -- with whom Sania won two of her three mixed-doubles title -- also penned a heartfelt note for Sania. He claimed that he was proud of the Indian star and wrote, "Welcome to retirement @MirzaSania you outdid yourself time and time again both on and off the court â€¦. Proud of you !!" Welcome to retirement @MirzaSania you outdid yourself time and time again both on and off the court …. Proud of you !! pic.twitter.com/xNzIykOIqH — Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) February 21, 2023 × Prior to her final appearance, the 36-year-old Sania revealed that tennis is an important part of her life but not her entire life. She told PTI, "For me, tennis was always and is always going to be a very, very large and big and important part of my life, but it is not my entire life. And that is the mindset I went with, even as a young girl and as a professional athlete. The worst that can happen is that you can lose a tennis match and then come back and try again." "So, the fear of losing was not there. And I think a lot of people become defensive because they have the fear of losing. They think 'oh if we push the ball or put the ball inside the court, maybe we won't lose'. But, in the long run, that doesn't work to become a top athlete," Sania added. She ended her illustrious career with six Grand Slam titles, 43 career titles and was a former world number one in women's doubles and ex-world number 27 in the singles category.

Sania Mirza retires: World No. 1 Iga Swiatek reacts after Indian tennis star hangs up her boots

The nominations for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2023 have been announced and this year, the world`s pre-eminent sporting awards ceremony will celebrate not only athletes who thrilled sports fans over the previous 12 months but several who will end their careers with a claim to be the greatest in the history of their sport. Six nominees have been selected across seven nominated Laureus categories, with six inspirational programmes also shortlisted for the Laureus Sport for Good Award. The more than 1,400 members of the Laureus Global Media Nominations Panel decided on all but one category - the shortlist for the Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability Award was chosen by a specialist panel from the International Paralympic Committee.

But what makes these Awards unique is the final stage of the judging process: a vote by the 71 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy - Olympic champions, world-record breakers, athletes who redefined their sports and who now make up the ultimate jury on sporting greatness.The Award winners in these categories and recipients of the Awards presented at the discretion of the Laureus World Sports Academy will be announced at the Laureus World Sports Awards in the Spring.The nominees for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award spent 2022 climbing to the very pinnacle of their sport. Lionel Messi collected the one prize that had eluded him by leading Argentina to the World Cup. Kylian Mbappe`s hat trick in the final earned him the Golden Boot as the World Cup`s leading goalscorer. Rafael Nadal ended 2022 alone at the top of the all-time list of men`s Grand Slam champions with 22 titles after victory in Australia and France.

Max Verstappen joins Messi and Nadal as past winners of this Award on the 2023 shortlist after defending his Formula One world title. Mondo Duplantis broke the pole vault world record on three occasions and won world titles indoors and out. Steph Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA championship in eight years.Formula One world champion and current Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Max Verstappen said: "It`s an honour to be nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. Winning last year was an incredible moment for me: it is such a prestigious accolade, and it means even more when you`re up against the world`s best athletes. To be shortlisted again is an achievement in itself, so thank you to my team Oracle Red Bull Racing for the support throughout our Championship winning year, and thank you to the world`s media for nominating me."

The race for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award is led by two athletes who lit up the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became a five-time champion over 100m, while Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added the world title to her Olympic crown with a world record in the 400m hurdles. At the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie Ledecky won four golds, taking her total to 22, a record for a female swimmer. Alexia Putellas led FC Barcelona to a perfect season in the Spanish league and claimed a second Ballon d`Or. Mikaela Shiffrin regained her overall title at the Alpine Ski World Cup, while Iga Swiatek emerged from 2022 as the undisputed No.1 in women`s tennis, winning in Paris and New York. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce said: "I would like to thank the world`s sports media for this special nomination. This is my sixth nomination for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year and it is a great honour. I continue to be inspired by the wider Laureus movement and initiatives in celebrating the power of sports to change the world, which further makes the nomination special. Thank you Laureus and the world`s sports media for nominating me once again."

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Two meteoric tennis talents have been nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award. Carlos Alcaraz gave a preview of the next era in the men`s game, winning the US Open to end the year as the sport`s youngest-ever No.1-ranked player. In the women`s game, Elena Rybakina won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. Scottie Scheffler won The Masters and tied for second at the US Open on his way to becoming golf`s No.1. Also nominated are the Morocco Men`s Football Team who captivated the world on their adventure to the semi-finals of the World Cup; Nathan Chen, the figure skater who added Olympic gold to a world title; and Tobi Amusan, who broke the 100m hurdles world record on the way to claiming Nigeria`s first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. The nominees for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award include both serial winners and ground-breakers. The Argentina Men`s Football Team won a third World Cup, but the first in a generation led by Lionel Messi. No team has won the Champions League more than Real Madrid, who claimed their 14th title to go with another La Liga championship. The Golden State Warriors` fourth NBA championship in eight years ensured their legacy will last forever.

The Oracle Red Bull Racing ended the eight-year reign of Mercedes with a Max Verstappen-led victory in the Constructors` Championship. The France Men`s Rugby Team had not won the Six Nations Championship since the Grand Slam of 2010 - and they repeated that feat to reclaim the crown in style. And there were no more dramatic champions than the England Women`s Football Team, who on home soil fulfilled their promise to become champions of Europe. The Laureus Sport for Good Award recognises an individual or organisation who, in the opinion of the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, has made a significant contribution to transforming the lives of children and young people through sport. This year, the inspirational shortlist includes a movement-based psychosocial support intervention developed by War Child, Save the Children and UNICEF the Netherlands that uses physical activity to relieve stress in children affected by war or conflict (TeamUp); one that uses boxing to challenge stereotypes and empowers young women in Kenya (Boxgirls); a football project aimed at educating and elevating the homeless population in Delhi (Slum Soccer); a programme whose mission is to make sport inclusive for people with disabilities in South Africa (Made For More) and a project in Germany that uses action sports to help orphaned and migrant children integrate into new communities (High Five).

Diede de Groot, who completed back-to-back calendar Grand Slams to set a new standard in wheelchair tennis, is nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award. She is joined in an inspirational category by Catherine Debrunner, who broke world records in T53 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m on her home track in Switzerland, then moved up to marathon, winning on her debut in Berlin, and in London. After a break of over two years from competitive swimming, New Zealand`s Cameron Leslie - who also competes in wheelchair rugby as a Wheel Black - won S4 100m freestyle gold at the World Para Swimming Championships. At the Winter Paralympics in China, Declan Farmer led the USA to a third consecutive gold medal in Ice Hockey and was the tournament`s top scorer; Jesper Saltvik Pedersen won four golds on the slopes; and the multi-sport phenomenon Oksana Masters added another chapter to her legend with double gold in the para biathlon.

Three surfers are nominated for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award. Filipe Toledo of Brazil was the world champion for the first time. For Stephanie Gilmore, a previous winner of this Award, it was world championship No.8, while big-wave specialist Justine Dupont continued to thrill in that most daring of disciplines. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, freestyle skier Eileen Gu won two gold medals - in big air and halfpipe, while snowboarder Chloe Kim defended the halfpipe gold she had won as a teenager in 2018. Skateboarder Rayassa Leal was still only 14 as she won Street gold at both the Summer X Games and the World Championships. What we love about sport is not always measured in medals and there are some inspirational stories within the nominations for Laureus World Comeback of the Year. Tiger Woods` return at Augusta, 14 months after a car crash that crushed one of his feet, was as moving as any of his Major wins. Klay Thompson missed two entire seasons through injuries before returning to win his fourth NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors. At the World Athletics Championships, there was no upset greater than Jake Wightman`s defeat of Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m final.

Norway`s 21-year-old track superstar responded with gold in the 5,000m a few days later. Francesco Bagnaia won his first MotoGP title from a seemingly impossible position - he trailed by 91 points in mid-season. Annemiek van Vleuten started the Tour de France Femmes fighting illness and slumping to the back of the field, before fighting through the ranks to win it all. Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field after suffering cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match for Denmark. In February 2022, he returned to the field in the Premier League.&nbsp;

The nominations for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2023 have been announced and this year, the world`s pre-eminent sporting awards ceremony will celebrate not only athletes who thrilled sports fans over the previous 12 months but several who will end their careers with a claim to be the greatest in the history of their sport.

The nominations for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2023 have been announced and this year, the world`s pre-eminent sporting awards ceremony will celebrate not only athletes who thrilled sports fans over the previous 12 months but several who will end their careers with a claim to be the greatest in the history of their sport. Six nominees have been selected across seven nominated Laureus categories, with six inspirational programmes also shortlisted for the Laureus Sport for Good Award. The more than 1,400 members of the Laureus Global Media Nominations Panel decided on all but one category - the shortlist for the Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability Award was chosen by a specialist panel from the International Paralympic Committee. But what makes these Awards unique is the final stage of the judging process: a vote by the 71 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy - Olympic champions, world-record breakers, athletes who redefined their sports and who now make up the ultimate jury on sporting greatness.The Award winners in these categories and recipients of the Awards presented at the discretion of the Laureus World Sports Academy will be announced at the Laureus World Sports Awards in the Spring.The nominees for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award spent 2022 climbing to the very pinnacle of their sport. Lionel Messi collected the one prize that had eluded him by leading Argentina to the World Cup. Kylian Mbappe`s hat trick in the final earned him the Golden Boot as the World Cup`s leading goalscorer. Rafael Nadal ended 2022 alone at the top of the all-time list of men`s Grand Slam champions with 22 titles after victory in Australia and France. Max Verstappen joins Messi and Nadal as past winners of this Award on the 2023 shortlist after defending his Formula One world title. Mondo Duplantis broke the pole vault world record on three occasions and won world titles indoors and out. Steph Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA championship in eight years.Formula One world champion and current Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Max Verstappen said: "It`s an honour to be nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. Winning last year was an incredible moment for me: it is such a prestigious accolade, and it means even more when you`re up against the world`s best athletes. To be shortlisted again is an achievement in itself, so thank you to my team Oracle Red Bull Racing for the support throughout our Championship winning year, and thank you to the world`s media for nominating me." The race for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award is led by two athletes who lit up the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became a five-time champion over 100m, while Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added the world title to her Olympic crown with a world record in the 400m hurdles. At the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Katie Ledecky won four golds, taking her total to 22, a record for a female swimmer. Alexia Putellas led FC Barcelona to a perfect season in the Spanish league and claimed a second Ballon d`Or. Mikaela Shiffrin regained her overall title at the Alpine Ski World Cup, while Iga Swiatek emerged from 2022 as the undisputed No.1 in women`s tennis, winning in Paris and New York. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce said: "I would like to thank the world`s sports media for this special nomination. This is my sixth nomination for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year and it is a great honour. I continue to be inspired by the wider Laureus movement and initiatives in celebrating the power of sports to change the world, which further makes the nomination special. Thank you Laureus and the world`s sports media for nominating me once again." Also Read: Lionel Messi and his father wanted THESE six players to be expelled from Barcelona: Reports Two meteoric tennis talents have been nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award. Carlos Alcaraz gave a preview of the next era in the men`s game, winning the US Open to end the year as the sport`s youngest-ever No.1-ranked player. In the women`s game, Elena Rybakina won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. Scottie Scheffler won The Masters and tied for second at the US Open on his way to becoming golf`s No.1. Also nominated are the Morocco Men`s Football Team who captivated the world on their adventure to the semi-finals of the World Cup; Nathan Chen, the figure skater who added Olympic gold to a world title; and Tobi Amusan, who broke the 100m hurdles world record on the way to claiming Nigeria`s first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. The nominees for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award include both serial winners and ground-breakers. The Argentina Men`s Football Team won a third World Cup, but the first in a generation led by Lionel Messi. No team has won the Champions League more than Real Madrid, who claimed their 14th title to go with another La Liga championship. The Golden State Warriors` fourth NBA championship in eight years ensured their legacy will last forever. The Oracle Red Bull Racing ended the eight-year reign of Mercedes with a Max Verstappen-led victory in the Constructors` Championship. The France Men`s Rugby Team had not won the Six Nations Championship since the Grand Slam of 2010 - and they repeated that feat to reclaim the crown in style. And there were no more dramatic champions than the England Women`s Football Team, who on home soil fulfilled their promise to become champions of Europe. The Laureus Sport for Good Award recognises an individual or organisation who, in the opinion of the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, has made a significant contribution to transforming the lives of children and young people through sport. This year, the inspirational shortlist includes a movement-based psychosocial support intervention developed by War Child, Save the Children and UNICEF the Netherlands that uses physical activity to relieve stress in children affected by war or conflict (TeamUp); one that uses boxing to challenge stereotypes and empowers young women in Kenya (Boxgirls); a football project aimed at educating and elevating the homeless population in Delhi (Slum Soccer); a programme whose mission is to make sport inclusive for people with disabilities in South Africa (Made For More) and a project in Germany that uses action sports to help orphaned and migrant children integrate into new communities (High Five). Diede de Groot, who completed back-to-back calendar Grand Slams to set a new standard in wheelchair tennis, is nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award. She is joined in an inspirational category by Catherine Debrunner, who broke world records in T53 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m on her home track in Switzerland, then moved up to marathon, winning on her debut in Berlin, and in London. After a break of over two years from competitive swimming, New Zealand`s Cameron Leslie - who also competes in wheelchair rugby as a Wheel Black - won S4 100m freestyle gold at the World Para Swimming Championships. At the Winter Paralympics in China, Declan Farmer led the USA to a third consecutive gold medal in Ice Hockey and was the tournament`s top scorer; Jesper Saltvik Pedersen won four golds on the slopes; and the multi-sport phenomenon Oksana Masters added another chapter to her legend with double gold in the para biathlon. Three surfers are nominated for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award. Filipe Toledo of Brazil was the world champion for the first time. For Stephanie Gilmore, a previous winner of this Award, it was world championship No.8, while big-wave specialist Justine Dupont continued to thrill in that most daring of disciplines. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, freestyle skier Eileen Gu won two gold medals - in big air and halfpipe, while snowboarder Chloe Kim defended the halfpipe gold she had won as a teenager in 2018. Skateboarder Rayassa Leal was still only 14 as she won Street gold at both the Summer X Games and the World Championships. What we love about sport is not always measured in medals and there are some inspirational stories within the nominations for Laureus World Comeback of the Year. Tiger Woods` return at Augusta, 14 months after a car crash that crushed one of his feet, was as moving as any of his Major wins. Klay Thompson missed two entire seasons through injuries before returning to win his fourth NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors. At the World Athletics Championships, there was no upset greater than Jake Wightman`s defeat of Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m final. Norway`s 21-year-old track superstar responded with gold in the 5,000m a few days later. Francesco Bagnaia won his first MotoGP title from a seemingly impossible position - he trailed by 91 points in mid-season. Annemiek van Vleuten started the Tour de France Femmes fighting illness and slumping to the back of the field, before fighting through the ranks to win it all. Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field after suffering cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match for Denmark. In February 2022, he returned to the field in the Premier League.

Laureus World Sports Awards 2023: Messi, Nadal, Curry, Swiatek spearhead All-Star nominations

World number one Iga Swiatek said she is trying to keep herself grounded and accepts that she cannot be perfect all the time following her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, as the Pole prepares to defend her Qatar Open title this week.

The 21-year-old was hot favourite to win the year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne but crashed to a 6-4 6-4 defeat against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. "I really wanted to focus on getting my expectations lower and not expect from myself that I'm going to play perfectly all the time," she told reporters. Swiatek went on a 37-match winning run last year, and won the French and U.S. Opens as well as titles at Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and San Diego.

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"Last season was so strange that it can mess with your head a little bit. I wanted to get both feet on the ground, focus on hard work and what I have to do on court," Swiatek said. "I was really happy because we did, I'd say it was like the last part of pre-season. Our practice was intense and the volume was big. I feel I could really focus on the technical stuff and just improve as a player."

Swiatek said she was not approaching the Qatar Open as a defending champion. "I want to start this tournament as any other player, and we all do that and start from the same spot," Swiatek said. "There's so many matches to win, so many obstacles to overcome that I want to be focused just on the next step."

World number one Iga Swiatek said she is trying to keep herself grounded and accepts that she cannot be perfect all the time following her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, as the Pole prepares to defend her Qatar Open title this week.

World number one Iga Swiatek said she is trying to keep herself grounded and accepts that she cannot be perfect all the time following her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, as the Pole prepares to defend her Qatar Open title this week. The 21-year-old was hot favourite to win the year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne but crashed to a 6-4 6-4 defeat against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. "I really wanted to focus on getting my expectations lower and not expect from myself that I'm going to play perfectly all the time," she told reporters. Swiatek went on a 37-match winning run last year, and won the French and U.S. Opens as well as titles at Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and San Diego. Also Read: Super Bowl 2023: Check these all time favourite commercials of Super Bowl "Last season was so strange that it can mess with your head a little bit. I wanted to get both feet on the ground, focus on hard work and what I have to do on court," Swiatek said. "I was really happy because we did, I'd say it was like the last part of pre-season. Our practice was intense and the volume was big. I feel I could really focus on the technical stuff and just improve as a player." Swiatek said she was not approaching the Qatar Open as a defending champion. "I want to start this tournament as any other player, and we all do that and start from the same spot," Swiatek said. "There's so many matches to win, so many obstacles to overcome that I want to be focused just on the next step."

World number one Iga Swiatek accepts she can't always be perfect ahead of Doha defence

World number one Iga Swiatek suffered a shock defeat at the hands of last year’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (6-4, 6-4) in the fourth round of the ongoing 2023 Australia Open on Sunday. After getting a code violation by the chair umpire for taking longer between warming up and starting the match, the Polish star lost the first game despite being up 40-0. She, however, did make a return in the game leveling 2-2 at one stage, Kazakhstan’s Rybakina’s power proved way too much for her as she won the first set 6-4.

Come the second set, Swiatek was up 3-0, giving hopes to her fans inside the Rod Laver arena that the game is not over yet. That didn’t last long as Rybakina made a stunning comeback, making it 3-3. She continued building pressure on Swiatek, who didn’t have answers to Rybakina’s shots on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Rybakina converted her third break point to make it 5-4, and it was about time before she completed the formalities and won the match in straight sets to reach the quarters - where she will face the winner of the match between Jelena Ostapenko and Coco Gauff.

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Not looking in the best of touches on Sunday, the world number one said she felt the pressure during the game and had this feeling of not wanting to lose instead of going all out&nbsp;for the win. As quoted by the Reuters, Swiatek after the match said,

"I felt today that I don't have that much to take from myself to fight even more. I felt I took a step back in terms of how I approach these tournaments and I maybe wanted it a little bit too hard," the world number one told the reporters.

"So, I'm going to try to chill out a bit more. That's all. I felt the pressure and I felt that I don't want to lose instead of I want to win. So that's a base of what I should focus on in next couple of weeks," she said.

Adding that she would learn from her experience, Swiatek said this exit could actually motivate her to do better going forward.

"Usually if my whole experience at the tournament was tougher and then it comes to an end, I'm able to not focus about the fact that I lost the match but about the overall performance and what's going on with me," said Swiatek.

"So, this time, I think it's going to be motivating for me and I'm sure I'm going to play next tournaments with something to focus on, something to work on, and I'm going to go forward," she concluded.

World number one Iga Swiatek suffered a shock defeat at the hands of last year’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (6-4, 6-4) in the fourth round of the ongoing 2023 Australia Open on Sunday.

World number one Iga Swiatek suffered a shock defeat at the hands of last year’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (6-4, 6-4) in the fourth round of the ongoing 2023 Australia Open on Sunday. After getting a code violation by the chair umpire for taking longer between warming up and starting the match, the Polish star lost the first game despite being up 40-0. She, however, did make a return in the game leveling 2-2 at one stage, Kazakhstan’s Rybakina’s power proved way too much for her as she won the first set 6-4. Come the second set, Swiatek was up 3-0, giving hopes to her fans inside the Rod Laver arena that the game is not over yet. That didn’t last long as Rybakina made a stunning comeback, making it 3-3. She continued building pressure on Swiatek, who didn’t have answers to Rybakina’s shots on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Rybakina converted her third break point to make it 5-4, and it was about time before she completed the formalities and won the match in straight sets to reach the quarters - where she will face the winner of the match between Jelena Ostapenko and Coco Gauff. ALSO READ: WFI denies all allegations leveled against chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in response to Sports Ministry Not looking in the best of touches on Sunday, the world number one said she felt the pressure during the game and had this feeling of not wanting to lose instead of going all out for the win. As quoted by the Reuters, Swiatek after the match said, "I felt today that I don't have that much to take from myself to fight even more. I felt I took a step back in terms of how I approach these tournaments and I maybe wanted it a little bit too hard," the world number one told the reporters. "So, I'm going to try to chill out a bit more. That's all. I felt the pressure and I felt that I don't want to lose instead of I want to win. So that's a base of what I should focus on in next couple of weeks," she said. Adding that she would learn from her experience, Swiatek said this exit could actually motivate her to do better going forward. "Usually if my whole experience at the tournament was tougher and then it comes to an end, I'm able to not focus about the fact that I lost the match but about the overall performance and what's going on with me," said Swiatek. "So, this time, I think it's going to be motivating for me and I'm sure I'm going to play next tournaments with something to focus on, something to work on, and I'm going to go forward," she concluded.

2023 Australian Open: 'Pressured' world number 1 Iga Swiatek crashes out in fourth round to Elena Rybakina

Jessica Pegula gave the United States the perfect start to their United Cup semi-final against Poland with a 6-2 6-2 victory over world number one Iga Swiatek in the opening singles rubber on Friday before Frances Tiafoe doubled their advantage.

Swiatek was only able to hold her serve once in the first set as Pegula raced to a 5-0 lead and the American world number three kept up the pressure with some brilliant returns in the second set. Pegula secured a dominant victory that will also give her a personal boost heading into this month's Australian Open when Swiatek sent a forehand wide after little more than an hour on Ken Rosewall Arena. "I thought I did a good job playing really aggressive, serving smart and returning really well," said Pegula, who had lost her previous four matches against Swiatek.

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It was her first career victory over a reigning number one and a result that left Swiatek in a flood of tears in Poland's dugout after the match. "She's one of the best players in the world so you have to be really on top of your game to win against Jessie," Swiatek said. "It was always like that, even last season. "So I'm not surprised, because I know what she can do. I'm more surprised I wasn't able to step up to her game today."

Tiafoe gave the Americans a 2-0 lead when he comfortably beat Kacper Zuk 6-3 6-3, saying after the match that Pegula's performance had inspired him. "It was great, I was so amped watching. Forget about me playing, I was so happy for Jess ... I know what it means for her going forward," said Tiafoe, who has won all four of his singles matches in the event, dropping one set. Maria Sakkari will be in action in the evening session when Greece take on Italy in the other semi-final at the inaugural mixed team tournament.

Jessica Pegula gave the United States the perfect start to their United Cup semi-final against Poland with a 6-2 6-2 victory over world number one Iga Swiatek in the opening singles rubber on Friday before Frances Tiafoe doubled their advantage.

Jessica Pegula gave the United States the perfect start to their United Cup semi-final against Poland with a 6-2 6-2 victory over world number one Iga Swiatek in the opening singles rubber on Friday before Frances Tiafoe doubled their advantage. Swiatek was only able to hold her serve once in the first set as Pegula raced to a 5-0 lead and the American world number three kept up the pressure with some brilliant returns in the second set. Pegula secured a dominant victory that will also give her a personal boost heading into this month's Australian Open when Swiatek sent a forehand wide after little more than an hour on Ken Rosewall Arena. "I thought I did a good job playing really aggressive, serving smart and returning really well," said Pegula, who had lost her previous four matches against Swiatek. Also read: Novak Djokovic accepts to be missing upcoming events in USA following Covid vaccine requirements It was her first career victory over a reigning number one and a result that left Swiatek in a flood of tears in Poland's dugout after the match. "She's one of the best players in the world so you have to be really on top of your game to win against Jessie," Swiatek said. "It was always like that, even last season. "So I'm not surprised, because I know what she can do. I'm more surprised I wasn't able to step up to her game today." Tiafoe gave the Americans a 2-0 lead when he comfortably beat Kacper Zuk 6-3 6-3, saying after the match that Pegula's performance had inspired him. "It was great, I was so amped watching. Forget about me playing, I was so happy for Jess ... I know what it means for her going forward," said Tiafoe, who has won all four of his singles matches in the event, dropping one set. Maria Sakkari will be in action in the evening session when Greece take on Italy in the other semi-final at the inaugural mixed team tournament.

Jessica Pegula swats aside Iga Swiatek with easy win as USA lead in United Cup semi-finals

World number one Iga Swiatek was crowned WTA Player of the Year for the first time in her career, while Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova were named Doubles Team of the Year, the governing body of the women's game said on Monday.

Poland's Swiatek went on a superb 37-match winning run and won the French and U.S. Opens as well as titles at Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and San Diego. The 2020 Newcomer of the Year enjoyed a stellar 2022, as she won 67 matches overall and topped the list of finals reached and trophies won.

Krejcikova and doubles world number one Siniakova took the team honour for the second season in a row after winning titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Jessica Pegula's mentor David Witt was also recognised for his success, as he was voted by peers as the Coach of the Year after guiding her to number three in the rankings.

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Pegula reached the first WTA 1000 final of her career at the Madrid Open and won the Guadalajara Open in addition to reaching the quarter-finals at three of the four Grand Slams. Tunisia's Ons Jabeur won the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, while China's Zheng Qinwen was named Newcomer of the Year after she climbed more than 100 places this year to reach a career-high ranking of 25.

Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil was named the Most Improved Player of the Year after breaking into the top 20. Germany's Tatjana Maria was named the Comeback Player of the Year after reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon after missing three majors last year due to the birth of her second daughter.

World number one Iga Swiatek was crowned WTA Player of the Year for the first time in her career, while Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova were named Doubles Team of the Year, the governing body of the women's game said on Monday.

World number one Iga Swiatek was crowned WTA Player of the Year for the first time in her career, while Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova were named Doubles Team of the Year, the governing body of the women's game said on Monday. Poland's Swiatek went on a superb 37-match winning run and won the French and U.S. Opens as well as titles at Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and San Diego. The 2020 Newcomer of the Year enjoyed a stellar 2022, as she won 67 matches overall and topped the list of finals reached and trophies won. Krejcikova and doubles world number one Siniakova took the team honour for the second season in a row after winning titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Jessica Pegula's mentor David Witt was also recognised for his success, as he was voted by peers as the Coach of the Year after guiding her to number three in the rankings. Also read: Pele's health improving but no forecast for hospital discharge, reveal doctors Pegula reached the first WTA 1000 final of her career at the Madrid Open and won the Guadalajara Open in addition to reaching the quarter-finals at three of the four Grand Slams. Tunisia's Ons Jabeur won the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, while China's Zheng Qinwen was named Newcomer of the Year after she climbed more than 100 places this year to reach a career-high ranking of 25. Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil was named the Most Improved Player of the Year after breaking into the top 20. Germany's Tatjana Maria was named the Comeback Player of the Year after reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon after missing three majors last year due to the birth of her second daughter.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek named WTA Player of the Year

India is not just about cricket. Sure, the game remains a top choice for many but a plethora of non-cricket stalwarts have popularised various other sports. Talking about tennis, the game's rise has been spectacular. Of course, the likes of Vijay Amritraj, Jaideep Mukherjee, Leander Paes, and Mahesh Bhupathi were the pioneers of the game, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Ramesh Ramanathan, Sumit Nagal, Somdevdev Burman, etc., have given it&nbsp;an extra mileage in the country.

Riya Bhatia is another tennis sensation&nbsp;on the rise. The 25-year-old is making giant strides and has been India's new No. 2 ranked player for quite some time. In addition, she clinched two national titles --&nbsp;hardcourt and grass-court national championships in 2016. Recently, she was&nbsp;seen playing for the Pro Veri Supersmashers&nbsp;in the ongoing fourth season&nbsp;of the Pro Tennis League (PTL) -- a platform for bidding young stars to hone their skills and showcase their credentials -- and ahead of it, WION's Aditya Sahay&nbsp;had an exclusive interview&nbsp;with her.&nbsp;During the interaction,&nbsp;she shed light on her game style,&nbsp;challenges of playing on different surfaces and named her favourites from the big league of players.

How is Pro Tennis League honing the skills of young players?

I would definitely say it is helping the sport in India. Wish I had something like this when I was a junior. We can mentor juniors and teach them how to play certain points. It's only through such leagues that they can connect with us and vice versa. With Indian people coming and watching us, it's a new format so it's a fun thing for all involved.&nbsp;

How is it for Riya to play&nbsp;on different surfaces?

I'm an all-round player. Changing surfaces isn't a big issue for me. I enjoy playing on all. My favourite is clay but I've been performing well on hard courts. Grass is something close to my heart and I played my best game there at the WTA in Germany and won the national grasscourt. My game is more of an all-round player where I can change my game style according to the court and conditions needed. Certainly, there are many things I've been working on and these leagues (such as the PTL) are a good way to prepare for big tournaments. You get into a zone by playing such leagues and PTL is definitely helpful.

Your big goals going ahead?

I've been No. 2 in India for a very long time. My highest ranking in singles was 300 in internationals and my goal is to go higher than that. To represent India in the Olympics and win a medal. I also want to play some Grand Slams and win big matches over there.&nbsp;

Whose your favourites among the current&nbsp;league of players?

I don't want to copy but there is a lot to learn from great players. I've always looked up to Roger Federer.&nbsp;He is always calm. Lots to imbibe from him on how he thinks,&nbsp;moves on the court and creates magic. From women, I absolutely love Ashleigh Barty. I feel my game style is close to hers. She's very aggressive. At the moment, I like to watch a lot of matches of Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek.

While the Pro Veri Supersmashers have had a forgettable run in the ongoing PTL, Riya's career has surely taken off with a lot of promise.

India is not just about cricket. Sure, the game remains a top choice for many but a plethora of non-cricket stalwarts have popularised various other sports. Talking about tennis, the game's rise has been spectacular.

India is not just about cricket. Sure, the game remains a top choice for many but a plethora of non-cricket stalwarts have popularised various other sports. Talking about tennis, the game's rise has been spectacular. Of course, the likes of Vijay Amritraj, Jaideep Mukherjee, Leander Paes, and Mahesh Bhupathi were the pioneers of the game, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Ramesh Ramanathan, Sumit Nagal, Somdevdev Burman, etc., have given it an extra mileage in the country. Riya Bhatia is another tennis sensation on the rise. The 25-year-old is making giant strides and has been India's new No. 2 ranked player for quite some time. In addition, she clinched two national titles -- hardcourt and grass-court national championships in 2016. Recently, she was seen playing for the Pro Veri Supersmashers in the ongoing fourth season of the Pro Tennis League (PTL) -- a platform for bidding young stars to hone their skills and showcase their credentials -- and ahead of it, WION's Aditya Sahay had an exclusive interview with her. During the interaction, she shed light on her game style, challenges of playing on different surfaces and named her favourites from the big league of players. How is Pro Tennis League honing the skills of young players? I would definitely say it is helping the sport in India. Wish I had something like this when I was a junior. We can mentor juniors and teach them how to play certain points. It's only through such leagues that they can connect with us and vice versa. With Indian people coming and watching us, it's a new format so it's a fun thing for all involved. How is it for Riya to play on different surfaces? I'm an all-round player. Changing surfaces isn't a big issue for me. I enjoy playing on all. My favourite is clay but I've been performing well on hard courts. Grass is something close to my heart and I played my best game there at the WTA in Germany and won the national grasscourt. My game is more of an all-round player where I can change my game style according to the court and conditions needed. Certainly, there are many things I've been working on and these leagues (such as the PTL) are a good way to prepare for big tournaments. You get into a zone by playing such leagues and PTL is definitely helpful. Your big goals going ahead? I've been No. 2 in India for a very long time. My highest ranking in singles was 300 in internationals and my goal is to go higher than that. To represent India in the Olympics and win a medal. I also want to play some Grand Slams and win big matches over there. Whose your favourites among the current league of players? I don't want to copy but there is a lot to learn from great players. I've always looked up to Roger Federer. He is always calm. Lots to imbibe from him on how he thinks, moves on the court and creates magic. From women, I absolutely love Ashleigh Barty. I feel my game style is close to hers. She's very aggressive. At the moment, I like to watch a lot of matches of Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek. While the Pro Veri Supersmashers have had a forgettable run in the ongoing PTL, Riya's career has surely taken off with a lot of promise.

Exclusive: My goal is to represent India in the Olympics and win a medal, says Riya Bhatia

Women’s world number one Tennis player, Poland’s Iga Swiatek has asked the higher authorities to probe into the sexual charges against Poland's tennis federation president Miroslaw Skrzypczynski recently. On Monday, Polish parliamentarian Katarzyna Kotula accused Skrzypczynski of sexual harassment during her teenage days, when Skrzypczynski was her coach.

Taking the matter to social media (Twitter), the reigning US Open and French Open champion asked for action to be taken on this matter. The 21-year-old further wrote that this matter should be considered serious by everyone and that everyone needs to think about the victims as well.

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"As the current leader of women's tennis I can't remain silent," Iga Swiatek wrote on Twitter. "I consider the reports involving the Polish Tennis Association's president as something serious. We need to think about them (the victims) first of all," she said while listing helpline numbers for those seeking help or advice.

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I feel that as a current leader of women's tennis I can’t be silent about particular matters: <a href="https://t.co/cfyHa3Lbeg">pic.twitter.com/cfyHa3Lbeg</a>
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&nbsp;

She further urged the federation to find out more details about this, saying, ‘It's not my job to do the work of the association's directors or reporters as the case is too serious involving the lives and wellbeing of others.’

Iga also thanked her father for taking care of her while she was growing up, adding that she had never been a victim of abuse.

Meanwhile, Katarzyna Kotula, in her interaction with the media on Monday, had described Poland's tennis federation president as a "sexual predator". According to Kotula, Skrzypczynski had molested her "at least a dozen times in three years" when she was connected to a club in the northeast of Poland during the 1990s.

Speaking further Kotula said that she was not the only one who suffered sexual harassment from him.

Women’s world number one Tennis player, Poland’s Iga Swiatek has asked the higher authorities to probe into the sexual charges against Poland's tennis federation president Miroslaw Skrzypczynski recently.

Women’s world number one Tennis player, Poland’s Iga Swiatek has asked the higher authorities to probe into the sexual charges against Poland's tennis federation president Miroslaw Skrzypczynski recently. On Monday, Polish parliamentarian Katarzyna Kotula accused Skrzypczynski of sexual harassment during her teenage days, when Skrzypczynski was her coach. Taking the matter to social media (Twitter), the reigning US Open and French Open champion asked for action to be taken on this matter. The 21-year-old further wrote that this matter should be considered serious by everyone and that everyone needs to think about the victims as well. ALSO READ: Novak Djokovic's wife reacts strongly over Serbian's mystery drink in Paris Masters 2022 "As the current leader of women's tennis I can't remain silent," Iga Swiatek wrote on Twitter. "I consider the reports involving the Polish Tennis Association's president as something serious. We need to think about them (the victims) first of all," she said while listing helpline numbers for those seeking help or advice. I feel that as a current leader of women's tennis I can’t be silent about particular matters: pic.twitter.com/cfyHa3Lbeg — Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) November 22, 2022 × She further urged the federation to find out more details about this, saying, ‘It's not my job to do the work of the association's directors or reporters as the case is too serious involving the lives and wellbeing of others.’ Iga also thanked her father for taking care of her while she was growing up, adding that she had never been a victim of abuse. Meanwhile, Katarzyna Kotula, in her interaction with the media on Monday, had described Poland's tennis federation president as a "sexual predator". According to Kotula, Skrzypczynski had molested her "at least a dozen times in three years" when she was connected to a club in the northeast of Poland during the 1990s. Speaking further Kotula said that she was not the only one who suffered sexual harassment from him.

World no. 1 Iga Swiatek wants action against Polish Tennis chief over sexual charges

Aryna Sabalenka stunned world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2 2-6 6-1 on Sunday to set up a&nbsp;WTA&nbsp;Finals championship showdown with Caroline Garcia after the Frenchwoman cruised past Maria Sakkari in Fort Worth, Texas. Swiatek had not dropped a set at the season-ending tournament but was subdued by the powerful forehand of the Belarusian, who sealed the massive upset with one of her 12 aces before pumping her fist in triumph.

"The only thing I had in my mind was just make her work. And that's it," Sabalenka said. "It's only because of that I was able to show unbelievable tennis tonight and get this win." After trading breaks early in the first set, Sabalenka, who lost to the Pole in the U.S. Open semi-finals in September, easily converted a couple of chances as Swiatek stumbled with a series of uncharacteristic mistakes.

Swiatek returned with a new resolve in the second set, sweeping the first four games with the momentum seemingly on her side. But world number seven Sabalenka dug in her heels in the third set, dropping only two of her first-serve points without facing a break point to claim her third career win over a number one opponent.

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"I just said that I have to stay aggressive and I have to stay in the moment, that's it," she said. The win set up a rematch with a red-hot Garcia, who beat her en route to winning the Cincinnati title. The Frenchwoman eased past Sakkari 6-3 6-2 to reach her first&nbsp;WTA&nbsp;Finals championship match, sending down 19 winners and six aces to close out the tie in 75 minutes.

Garcia had needed three sets to beat Sakkari in Cincinnati three months ago but had a much smoother time of it on Sunday, breaking the Greek to love late in the first set before carrying the first four games of the second. "My game style today, she didn’t like it," Garcia said. A clumsy double-fault handed Sakkari a sorely needed breakpoint chance in the sixth game but Garcia snuffed out the chance with an ace and maintained the momentum. Garcia thrust her hands into the air as Sakkari whacked the ball into the net on the second match point, bouncing around the court in celebration having reached the biggest final of her career. The&nbsp;WTA&nbsp;Finals championship match is set for Monday.

Aryna Sabalenka stunned world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2 2-6 6-1 on Sunday to set up a WTA Finals championship showdown with Caroline Garcia after the Frenchwoman cruised past Maria Sakkari in Fort Worth, Texas.

Aryna Sabalenka stunned world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2 2-6 6-1 on Sunday to set up a WTA Finals championship showdown with Caroline Garcia after the Frenchwoman cruised past Maria Sakkari in Fort Worth, Texas. Swiatek had not dropped a set at the season-ending tournament but was subdued by the powerful forehand of the Belarusian, who sealed the massive upset with one of her 12 aces before pumping her fist in triumph. "The only thing I had in my mind was just make her work. And that's it," Sabalenka said. "It's only because of that I was able to show unbelievable tennis tonight and get this win." After trading breaks early in the first set, Sabalenka, who lost to the Pole in the U.S. Open semi-finals in September, easily converted a couple of chances as Swiatek stumbled with a series of uncharacteristic mistakes. Swiatek returned with a new resolve in the second set, sweeping the first four games with the momentum seemingly on her side. But world number seven Sabalenka dug in her heels in the third set, dropping only two of her first-serve points without facing a break point to claim her third career win over a number one opponent. ALSO READ | Denmark’s Holger Rune stuns Novak Djokovic to clinch Paris Masters "I just said that I have to stay aggressive and I have to stay in the moment, that's it," she said. The win set up a rematch with a red-hot Garcia, who beat her en route to winning the Cincinnati title. The Frenchwoman eased past Sakkari 6-3 6-2 to reach her first WTA Finals championship match, sending down 19 winners and six aces to close out the tie in 75 minutes. Garcia had needed three sets to beat Sakkari in Cincinnati three months ago but had a much smoother time of it on Sunday, breaking the Greek to love late in the first set before carrying the first four games of the second. "My game style today, she didn’t like it," Garcia said. A clumsy double-fault handed Sakkari a sorely needed breakpoint chance in the sixth game but Garcia snuffed out the chance with an ace and maintained the momentum. Garcia thrust her hands into the air as Sakkari whacked the ball into the net on the second match point, bouncing around the court in celebration having reached the biggest final of her career. The WTA Finals championship match is set for Monday.

Aryna Sabalenka goes past world no. 1 Iga Swiatek, sets up WTA Finals showdown with Caroline Garcia

World number one Iga Swiatek said she was left feeling confused after Simona Halep was handed a provisional ban for doping and hoped there would be more clarity soon on the future of the Romanian player she has looked up to.

Two-times major winner Halep was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency this month after she tested positive for the banned blood-booster roxadustat.

Halep was tested during the U.S. Open and both her A and B samples confirmed the presence of the anti-anaemia drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells, much like the prohibited substance Erythropoietin.

"Well, for sure it was confusing to me because I wouldn't expect hearing this news. Simona, from my point of view, seems like a person who always cared about being fair and she was a great example for me," Swiatek said, speaking ahead of the WTA Finals tournament which begins in Fort Worth, Texas on Monday.

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Halep had described the ban as the "biggest shock of her life" and denied knowingly taking any banned substance.

"I don't know how it works in terms of the system ... Is she going to be tested a couple of more times or whatever? Hopefully it's going to be more clear for fans and for us," Swiatek added.

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"But it's disappointing and she must feel really bad. From my point of view, the most important thing for me is just taking care of myself, being safe always, making my environment more safe and being careful. So we'll do that."

Halep's ex-coach Darren Cahill, who worked with the former world number one for six years and guided her to her first Grand Slam title, said last week there was "no chance" she had knowingly taken a prohibited substance.

World number one Iga Swiatek said she was left feeling confused after Simona Halep was handed a provisional ban for doping and hoped there would be more clarity soon on the future of the Romanian player she has looked up to.

World number one Iga Swiatek said she was left feeling confused after Simona Halep was handed a provisional ban for doping and hoped there would be more clarity soon on the future of the Romanian player she has looked up to. Two-times major winner Halep was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency this month after she tested positive for the banned blood-booster roxadustat. Halep was tested during the U.S. Open and both her A and B samples confirmed the presence of the anti-anaemia drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells, much like the prohibited substance Erythropoietin. "Well, for sure it was confusing to me because I wouldn't expect hearing this news. Simona, from my point of view, seems like a person who always cared about being fair and she was a great example for me," Swiatek said, speaking ahead of the WTA Finals tournament which begins in Fort Worth, Texas on Monday. Also Read: Liverpool's long unbeaten home run ends after shock 2-1 defeat against Leeds United Halep had described the ban as the "biggest shock of her life" and denied knowingly taking any banned substance. "I don't know how it works in terms of the system ... Is she going to be tested a couple of more times or whatever? Hopefully it's going to be more clear for fans and for us," Swiatek added. Also Read: 'I felt I needed it to function': Wasim Akram confesses becoming cocaine addict post retirement "But it's disappointing and she must feel really bad. From my point of view, the most important thing for me is just taking care of myself, being safe always, making my environment more safe and being careful. So we'll do that." Halep's ex-coach Darren Cahill, who worked with the former world number one for six years and guided her to her first Grand Slam title, said last week there was "no chance" she had knowingly taken a prohibited substance.

Iga Swiatek confused, disappointed by Simona Halep's failed drugs test

World number one Iga Swiatek captured her 11th career WTA title and her eighth of the year on Sunday by outlasting 77th-ranked Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final. Three-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek defeated the 26-year-old Croatian 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 for her WTA-best 64th match victory of 2022.

"It was a really tight match and pretty long," Swiatek said. "We felt the intensity for sure. At the end I wanted to be the one who played the last ball in." Swiatek took her prior titles this year at the US and French Opens as well as&nbsp;Qatar, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome.

The 21-year-old Polish star bounced back in her ninth championship match of the year after losing last week's final at Ostrava to Czech Barbora Krejcikova. In a rain-halted semi-final delayed to Sunday afternoon, Vekic rallied from 4-2 down in the third set when showers struck to defeat 19th-ranked American Danielle Collins, this year's Australian Open runner-up, by 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2).

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That left her only a short rest break before facing Swiatek for the title, but she tested the top-ranked star through two sets. Swiatek broke in the sixth game and held twice to capture the first set after 40 minutes when Vekic netted a backhand.

In the second set, Vekic broke on a forehand crosscourt winner for a 4-2 lead and held twice to force a third set. It caused Swiatek to step up her form. "I wanted to give it all, and knowing how Donna can serve, I wanted to be more loosened up on my return games -- not think, just relax and let my instincts take over," Swiatek said. She broke on a forehand winner to seize a 2-0 edge in the decider, broke again in the fourth game and captured the match after one hour and 47 minutes when Vekic double faulted away a last break. Vekic was in her first WTA final since she won her third career title last October at Courmayeur, Italy.

World number one Iga Swiatek captured her 11th career WTA title and her eighth of the year on Sunday by outlasting 77th-ranked Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final.

World number one Iga Swiatek captured her 11th career WTA title and her eighth of the year on Sunday by outlasting 77th-ranked Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final. Three-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek defeated the 26-year-old Croatian 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 for her WTA-best 64th match victory of 2022. "It was a really tight match and pretty long," Swiatek said. "We felt the intensity for sure. At the end I wanted to be the one who played the last ball in." Swiatek took her prior titles this year at the US and French Opens as well as Qatar, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome. The 21-year-old Polish star bounced back in her ninth championship match of the year after losing last week's final at Ostrava to Czech Barbora Krejcikova. In a rain-halted semi-final delayed to Sunday afternoon, Vekic rallied from 4-2 down in the third set when showers struck to defeat 19th-ranked American Danielle Collins, this year's Australian Open runner-up, by 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2). ALSO READ | Keegan Bradley staves off Rickie Fowler, Andrew Putnam to win Zozo golf Championship That left her only a short rest break before facing Swiatek for the title, but she tested the top-ranked star through two sets. Swiatek broke in the sixth game and held twice to capture the first set after 40 minutes when Vekic netted a backhand. In the second set, Vekic broke on a forehand crosscourt winner for a 4-2 lead and held twice to force a third set. It caused Swiatek to step up her form. "I wanted to give it all, and knowing how Donna can serve, I wanted to be more loosened up on my return games -- not think, just relax and let my instincts take over," Swiatek said. She broke on a forehand winner to seize a 2-0 edge in the decider, broke again in the fourth game and captured the match after one hour and 47 minutes when Vekic double faulted away a last break. Vekic was in her first WTA final since she won her third career title last October at Courmayeur, Italy.

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek beats Donna Vekic to clinch WTA San Diego title

World number one Iga Swiatek emerged red hot from a rain delay on Saturday to beat American Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-2 6-2 and reach the San Diego Open final.

Swiatek will face either American Danielle Collins or Croatia's Donna Vekic for the title after their semi-final clash was suspended following three rain delays and scheduled to resume on Sunday.

Collins was two games away from a hard-fought victory when showers forced players off for a final time with a 4-6 6-4 4-2 lead over Vekic.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Swiatek sprinted out to a 4-2 lead in the first set before Pegula roared back, reeling off four straight games and capturing the first set on Swiatek's 11th forehand error of the frame.

Rain postponed the start of the second set by more than an hour and the break appeared to boost Poland's Swiatek, who was sharper in the second set, breaking Pegula with a forehand winner on the line to level the contest at a set apiece.

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In the third set, Swiatek raced to the net to catch up with a drop shot and sent a backhand down the line for a 4-2 lead she would not relinquish, improving to 4-1 lifetime against Pegula when the American's shot landed in the bottom of the net on match point.

"I was leading in the first set so I knew I had the game to win this match but I lost my focus in the middle of the set," Swiatek said in an on-court interview.

"I didn't want to make that mistake again so I came back and I wanted to be really composed and not lose those important moments," she said, adding that she spent the rain delay doing crossword puzzles.

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Swiatek, 21, will look to claim her eighth title of the season on Sunday.

With her run to the semi-finals of the WTA 500 event, Pegula will break into the world top five when rankings are released after the final.

World number one Iga Swiatek emerged red hot from a rain delay on Saturday to beat American Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-2 6-2 and reach the San Diego Open final. Swiatek will face either American Danielle Collins or Croatia's Donna Vekic for the title after their semi-final clash was suspended following three rain delays and scheduled to resume on Sunday.

World number one Iga Swiatek emerged red hot from a rain delay on Saturday to beat American Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-2 6-2 and reach the San Diego Open final. Swiatek will face either American Danielle Collins or Croatia's Donna Vekic for the title after their semi-final clash was suspended following three rain delays and scheduled to resume on Sunday. Collins was two games away from a hard-fought victory when showers forced players off for a final time with a 4-6 6-4 4-2 lead over Vekic. Reigning U.S. Open champion Swiatek sprinted out to a 4-2 lead in the first set before Pegula roared back, reeling off four straight games and capturing the first set on Swiatek's 11th forehand error of the frame. Rain postponed the start of the second set by more than an hour and the break appeared to boost Poland's Swiatek, who was sharper in the second set, breaking Pegula with a forehand winner on the line to level the contest at a set apiece. Also Read: I will leave Barcelona if I think I'm not the solution, says head coach Xavi ahead of El Clasico In the third set, Swiatek raced to the net to catch up with a drop shot and sent a backhand down the line for a 4-2 lead she would not relinquish, improving to 4-1 lifetime against Pegula when the American's shot landed in the bottom of the net on match point. "I was leading in the first set so I knew I had the game to win this match but I lost my focus in the middle of the set," Swiatek said in an on-court interview. "I didn't want to make that mistake again so I came back and I wanted to be really composed and not lose those important moments," she said, adding that she spent the rain delay doing crossword puzzles. Also Read: Manchester United's Mason Greenwood charged with attempted rape, assault Swiatek, 21, will look to claim her eighth title of the season on Sunday. With her run to the semi-finals of the WTA 500 event, Pegula will break into the world top five when rankings are released after the final.

World no.1 Iga Swiatek rallies past Jessica Pegula to reach San Diego Open final

Iga Swiatek lost to&nbsp;Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova in the&nbsp;Ostrava Open final, going down&nbsp;7-5, 6(4)-7, 3-6 in three hours and 16 minutes on Sunday (October 9). After her defeat, despite being touted as a favourite, Swiatek won hearts by showing her full support to mental health issues.

After the summit clash, Swiatek made heads turn by announcing that she will donate her prize money from the Ostrava Open in support of mental health. "I really wanted to play well here to have a big amount of money to donate ... and I'm pretty happy that I could do that," Swiatek said in her on-court interview.

"I really want to spread awareness and let people know that they can use the help if they need it, or help others if they have resources. I'm pretty happy to use my position that way," she added.

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Later, Swiatek also congratulated her opposition Krejcikova, who made a stunning comeback to win despite being a set down. "Too emotional and too tired right now to express how challenging and unique today has been. I am so grateful...and I just want to say congrats to Barbora Krejcikova. What a battle, what a performance. So great that you are back," Swiatek tweeted.

While she may have lost the battle, the Pollish star Swiatek has won hearts for her gesture in support of mental health. Following her heartfelt gesture,&nbsp;ATP World No. 3 Casper Ruud took to his Instagram story to laud the world number one. He wrote, "Wow Iga Swiatek, thank you for raising awareness to the world mental health day today."

Swiatek has been an advocate of mental health for quite some time. The 21-year-old's maturity is being hailed all across the sporting fraternity.

Iga Swiatek lost to Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova in the Ostrava Open final, going down 7-5, 6(4)-7, 3-6 in three hours and 16 minutes on Sunday (October 9).

Iga Swiatek lost to Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova in the Ostrava Open final, going down 7-5, 6(4)-7, 3-6 in three hours and 16 minutes on Sunday (October 9). After her defeat, despite being touted as a favourite, Swiatek won hearts by showing her full support to mental health issues. After the summit clash, Swiatek made heads turn by announcing that she will donate her prize money from the Ostrava Open in support of mental health. "I really wanted to play well here to have a big amount of money to donate ... and I'm pretty happy that I could do that," Swiatek said in her on-court interview. "I really want to spread awareness and let people know that they can use the help if they need it, or help others if they have resources. I'm pretty happy to use my position that way," she added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Women’s Tennis Association (@wta) × ALSO READ | Novak Djokovic beats Stefanos Tsitsipas in Astana Open final to bag 90th career title Later, Swiatek also congratulated her opposition Krejcikova, who made a stunning comeback to win despite being a set down. "Too emotional and too tired right now to express how challenging and unique today has been. I am so grateful...and I just want to say congrats to Barbora Krejcikova. What a battle, what a performance. So great that you are back," Swiatek tweeted. While she may have lost the battle, the Pollish star Swiatek has won hearts for her gesture in support of mental health. Following her heartfelt gesture, ATP World No. 3 Casper Ruud took to his Instagram story to laud the world number one. He wrote, "Wow Iga Swiatek, thank you for raising awareness to the world mental health day today." Swiatek has been an advocate of mental health for quite some time. The 21-year-old's maturity is being hailed all across the sporting fraternity.

'I want to spread awareness' - Iga Swiatek to donate Ostrava prize money for mental health, wins hearts

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