Iga Swiatek’s bid to make it four titles at the Italian Open failed as she lost the semifinal clash against Elina Svitolina in three sets (6-4, 2-6, 6-2). However, the loss did not seem to deter the former World No.1, as she only took the positives from her time in Rome and is viewing it as a good stepping stone for bigger events to come.
The Italian Open was the first event in 2026, where the Pole broke through the quarterfinal barrier and reached the last four. After her Rome exit, she opined that the loss notwithstanding, she was in a better place mentally and was aiming for better results while having a good time on the court.
“Looking from the perspective of how I felt even in the USA, the tournament in Rome is a step forward for me. Obviously, I want more, but playing tennis still brought me pleasure. And that’s not so obvious and shouldn’t be taken for granted,” said Swiatek
She had four quarterfinal exits this season, including at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, where she lost to Elena Rybakina and Svitolina, respectively. In between, she had an unexpected opening round loss at the Miami Open, losing to Magda Linette, which was her first opening round loss in more than four years.
Iga Świątek po meczu z Elina Switolina: „Patrząc z perspektywy tego jak się czułam choćby w USA, to turniej w Rzymie to dla mnie krok do przodu. Wiadomo, że chcę więcej, ale wciąż sprawiało mi przyjemność granie w tenisa. A to nie tak oczywiste i nie powinno się brać jako pewnik” pic.twitter.com/NPUi8FRk0b
— Dominik Senkowski (@dsenkowski07) May 14, 2026
One of them is that she retired mid-match in her previous event in Madrid, and playing five full matches in Rome keeps her physically in good standing. Secondly, during her campaign, she blew away high-caliber opponents like Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula, which shows she is rediscovering her form.
This is the second time Svitolina has beaten Swiatek in 2026, following her Indian Wells victory in March. Coming into the match, the Ukrainian had a clear plan to counter Swiatek’s clay-court game.
What Did Elina Svitolina Say About Her Game Plan Against Iga Swiatek?
Svitolina played a physically and emotionally grueling three-set match against Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, it seemed that Swiatek had more energy coming into the match as she dispatched Jessica Pegula in straight sets in her last eight match. After her quarterfinal, Svitolina had said that she had a specific game plan in mind to counter Swiatek and assert her dominance in the match.
“I expect a big battle. I know what I have to do to beat her. I hope I have that opportunity now. I’ll try to recover, work on my game plan, and try to execute it,” said Svitolina
Svitolina walked the walk, showing no signs of fatigue from her previous match and covering the court as much as possible to get Swiatek’s topspin-heavy baseline shots over the net. She challenged the Pole’s serve repeatedly in the first set, securing three service breaks to win the first set. As expected, Swiatek composed herself and got the range of her topspin shots in the second set, winning it 6-2.
The pivotal moment of the match came at the beginning of the third set, where Svitolina used all her experience and grit to save three break points to hold serve. This shifted the momentum, as she broke Swiatek in the next game and never looked back. As the set progressed, Svitolina’s counterpunching style forced the Pole to lose her topspin accuracy and go for flatter hits, something that was right up the alley for the Ukrainian.
What remains interesting is that Swiatek had talked about redeveloping her topspin shots with Francisco Roig as her new coach, and that was the area her opponent attacked.
The surface in Rome is quite similar to that of Roland Garros, and Svitolina might have shown the world the recipe by which one could neutralize Swiatek’s clay-court game. Should the two meet at the French Open, one can expect a great match where the Pole brings something new to solve the Svitolina puzzle.
