© Getty Images Sport – Julian Finney
Iga Swiatek is set to return to action and the Pole has learned her projected path to the Tokyo title. After suffering a shock US Open round-of-16 exit, Swiatek is playing again at next week’s WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo. In the Japanese capital, Swiatek is the top-seeded player and has a first-round bye.
After a first-round bye, Swiatek will likely play against Noa Hibino in her tournament opener. In the Tokyo quarterfinal, Swiatek is projected to play a seeded player for the first time in the tournament as she could easily meet against eighth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova.
The semifinal stage in Tokyo could bring a major matchup as Swiatek and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina are projected to battle for a final spot. Should Swiatek reach the Tokyo final, the names that she could meet there include Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari and Caroline Garcia.
Swiatek hopes to bounce back in Tokyo
At the US Open, Swiatek failed to defend her title after surprisingly losing to Jelena Ostapenko in the round-of-16. With that result, Swiatek also lost the world No 1 ranking for the first time since achieving it in 2022 April.
Two days…
