Polish tennis star Iga Świątek secured her first Korea Open title on Sunday afternoon at Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center. The world number two staged a dramatic comeback against Russian opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova, winning 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 in the final. The victory marked her third WTA title of 2025 and the 25th of her career.
After the match, Świątek spoke about her family’s special connection to Seoul during her on-court interview.
What Did Iga Świątek Say During Her On-Court Interview?
Świątek defeated Alexandrova in a thrilling three-set match that lasted two hours and 45 minutes. The Polish player struggled early, losing the first set badly before fighting back to win. During her post-match interview, the Pole thanked her team and family. She made special mention of her father’s Olympic history in Seoul.
“I want to thank my team, part of the team who’s still in Poland and resting. Oh, and my family as well,” Świątek said on court. “I’m happy that I could win here because of the family history and my dad couldn’t win the Olympics but at least I won this tournament.”
Her father Tomasz Świątek competed in rowing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He finished seventh in the men’s quadruple sculls event. Swiatek’s victory in Seoul completed their family’s Olympic story. She invited her father to visit next year, saying “hopefully he’s gonna come next year to enjoy everything.”
💬 “My dad couldn’t win the Olympics [here] but at least I won this tournament!”@iga_swiatek after winning in Seoul 🏆#KoreaOpen pic.twitter.com/TwQDp3HM3R
— wta (@WTA) September 21, 2025
The 24-year-old also thanked the tournament volunteers and umpires during her speech. She expressed gratitude to the fans who supported her throughout the week.
How Demanding Was Świątek’s Korea Open Campaign?
Świątek faced a challenging schedule during the tournament due to rain delays. She played three matches in just 36 hours over the weekend. Bad weather forced organizers to reschedule several matches.
On Saturday morning, Świątek defeated Barbora Krejčíková 6-0, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. The match was moved from Friday because of heavy rain. Later that evening, she returned to beat Maya Joint 6-0, 6-2 in the semifinals. Both matches took place within hours of each other.
Swiatek d. Maya Joint 6-0 6-2 in Seoul
Iga reaches her 4th final of the season.
She had to play 2 matches today… & she dropped only 5 games.
6-0 6-3.
6-0 6-2.2 bagels in 1 day.
✅56th win of 2025
✅Won 21 of last 23 matchesShe takes no prisoners.
🇵🇱❤️ pic.twitter.com/WYVAbEzvDP
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 20, 2025
The double duty on Saturday didn’t seem to affect Świątek’s performance. She won both matches convincingly, spending only two and a half hours on court combined. Her clinical play continued from her earlier tournament matches.
MORE: Iga Świątek Shares Relaxing Moment at Korea Open After Grueling Day in Seoul
Sunday’s final proved much tougher against former Korea Open champion Alexandrova. The Russian won the tournament in 2022 and knew how to play in Seoul conditions. Świątek had to dig deep after losing the opening set to complete her comeback victory.
After winning the Korea Open, Świątek heads to Beijing for the China Open. The WTA 1000 tournament begins on September 24 at the National Tennis Center. She won the China Open title in 2023 and will be the top seed this year as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the event due to injury.
