By Angelica Medina
(Reuters) -Iga Swiatek arrives at the U.S. Open with her sights set on a seventh Grand Slam title and a potential return to world number one to cap what she calls a remarkable year of redemption following “the worst experience of my life”.
The 24-year-old Polish world number two has endured a rollercoaster 2025 campaign that began under the shadow of a doping ban but was transformed by her stunning Wimbledon breakthrough.
Swiatek’s journey to Flushing Meadows has been anything but smooth.
After her exit at last year’s U.S. Open against Jessica Pegula in the quarters, she was hit with a one-month ban after an inadvertent doping violation linked to contaminated sleep medication.
Eager to regain her fitness, she started the year with promise, but quickly encountered turbulence.
She tumbled out of the semi-finals at the Australian Open to Madison Keys, at Indian Wells to Mirra Andreeva and at the French Open to world number one Aryna Sabalenka – missing out on a fourth consecutive Roland Garros crown.
But Swiatek’s comeback story began at Wimbledon in July, where she delivered one of the most dominant Grand Slam final performances in recent memory.
She demolished Amanda Anisimova 6-0 6-0 to claim her maiden grasscourt major with an impressive ‘double bagel’, the first in a major title clash since 1988.
The victory also made her the eighth woman in the Open Era to win major singles titles on all three surfaces.
Swiatek maintained that momentum by claiming her first Cincinnati Open title on Monday, defeating Jasmine Paolini 7-5 6-4 without dropping a set throughout the tournament.
“I’m happy with the work we’ve been doing and the process. I’m a good player. I can play on any surface,” she said after securing her 11th WTA 1000 title, second only to Serena Williams’ 23.
Having won the U.S. Open in 2022, Swiatek returns to New York with her confidence restored and her powerful groundstrokes primed for another assault on American hard courts.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
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