Iga Swiatek crashed out of the 2025 Canadian Open after a surprising defeat to Denmark's Clara Tauson in the last 16 round. The world number three fell 6-7(1), 3-6 to the 19th-ranked Tauson on Sunday evening in Montreal.
"I made too many mistakes in the tiebreak," Swiatek admitted in her post-match press conference. "In the second set, I felt Clara had the wind in her sails and I didn't really know how to solve the problems."
The Polish star struggled with consistency throughout the match, committing a staggering 46 unforced errors - with 25 coming from her usually reliable forehand side. This erratic performance ended her impressive nine-match winning streak, during which she had surrendered just one set.
Swiatek showed glimpses of her fighting spirit when she recovered from 5-3 down in the first set, but her momentum faltered badly in the tiebreak where she lost six consecutive points. The second set followed a similar pattern - after falling behind 1-4, she managed to break back and close the gap to 3-4, only to lose her serve again at a crucial moment.
Interestingly, this was Tauson's first victory over Swiatek in four meetings, coming just weeks after their Wimbledon fourth-round clash where the Pole emerged victorious.
"I just felt like after I won the first set that I needed to continue, because I know she's never going to give up," Tauson explained after her breakthrough win. "I think obviously getting a win against her after losing to her in Wimbledon and a couple of weeks ago is nice."
For Swiatek, this defeat represents a significant setback following her maiden Wimbledon title last month. Her record at the Canadian Open now stands at 8-4, with her best result being a semi-final appearance in 2023.
The six-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged her struggles with the transition to hard courts: "Of course, I didn't play perfectly here. I always feel like I have to adapt to hard courts. I feel like I made the same mistakes I did at the end of my hard-court season in March."
Swiatek will look to bounce back at the upcoming WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, which begins on August 7. Can she quickly rediscover her form, or will this defeat signal a challenging hard-court season ahead?
