After a practically perfect run and with a one-set advantage over Madison Keys, former WTA No.1 Iga Swiatek had already anticipated the possibility of facing Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Open 2025, but fate decided otherwise for her.
The Polish player was sensationally overtaken by the 29-year-old American, who won the third-set supertiebreak with a score of 5-7 6-1 7-6(8), reaching the second Slam final of her career eight years after the one at the 2017 US Open, lost to Sloane Stephens.
At the press conference, the world number 2 in the WTA ranking expressed her disappointment at having seen a goal that seemed within her reach vanish.
“It’s hard to say because it was a matter of one or two balls. It was a long match, so there were many changes of pace and many different moments. I think Madison was brave in her decisions in the end and she crushed me when she needed to. I would say that I wasn’t as free as in the previous matches to push in the important moments. I stopped moving, so there’s no way to win the match when you don’t move,” analyzed the Pole.
The 5-time Grand Slam champion then looked back on her start to the season, explaining: “It’s difficult to talk about it now, but overall it’s been very positive. As…
