World No. 2 Iga Świątek delivered a stunning performance on Saturday, January 24, beating Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 on Margaret Court Arena. However, the narrative took a dramatic turn when the interviewer informed the Polish champion that two-time champion Naomi Osaka had withdrawn from the tournament, leaving her in shock.
Świątek, who would have been Osaka’s fourth-round opponent, was concerned for the Japanese during her on-court interview.
Iga Świątek Expresses Her Feelings on Naomi Osaka’s Withdrawal from the Australian Open
Świątek came through a roller-coaster performance against Kalinskaya in the third round, securing a 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 victory in one hour and 41 minutes at Margaret Court Arena. The Polish champion demonstrated intense gameplay, racing through the first set in just 25 minutes and establishing a commanding 5-1 lead with a double break that put immediate pressure on her opponent. However, Kalinskaya mounted a remarkable comeback, capitalizing on Świątek’s unforced errors and breaking her serve three times to dominate the set completely.
Świątek called for a medical timeout to address the physical demands after the second set, and returned with renewed determination. The second seed won five consecutive games at the start of the third set, effectively taking the match away from Kalinskaya’s reach. Despite the Russian winning a point, the Polish champion held serve to secure the match and book her berth in the 4R.
During her on-court interview, Świątek was informed that Osaka had withdrawn from the tournament and that her next opponent would be Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis. The news appeared to catch the Polish player by surprise, as she said,
“Well, I don’t know what my reaction should be, but hopefully Naomi is well, because I didn’t know, I mean, she was playing great. I haven’t watched, but I saw from the scores that she likes playing here as well, so I hope she’s well.” She showed genuine concern for her fellow competitor’s well-being after learning about the announcement.
Osaka’s withdrawal was a shocking moment for the tennis community and marked another setback for the two-time champion in her comeback campaign. The 28-year-old took on Antonia Ružić in the first round before mounting a hard-fought victory over Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea in a tense three-set encounter. During this match, Osaka requested a medical timeout due to physical concerns, which ultimately led to her withdrawal.
On Saturday evening, Osaka announced her withdrawal through an Instagram story, explaining her difficult decision to the tennis community. “I’ve had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” she posted. Later reports confirmed that Osaka was dealing with a left abdominal injury, the same issue that had forced her to retire from a third-round match at the same tournament the previous year.
MORE: Naomi Osaka’s Shocking Australian Open Withdrawal – ‘Can’t Risk Further Damage’
Świątek Now Faces Australian Maddison Inglish in the Australian Open 4R
Świątek advanced to face local qualifier Inglis in the round of 16. The WTA World No. 168 had fought her way through an impressive qualifying run and a brutal main-draw campaign. In the first round, she beat fellow Australian Kimberly Birrell, winning 7-6(6), 6-7(9), 6-4 in an intense match that proved to be particularly difficult. Her victory represented her first main-draw singles win at a Grand Slam tournament in four years, making the achievement more meaningful.
Following this triumph, Inglis faced German veteran Laura Siegemund in the second round, where she won 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), reaching the third round at the Australian Open only the second time in her career.
As the World No. 2, Świątek enters the match as a clear favorite, with around 95% chances of advancing to the quarterfinals, according to PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator. The Polish champion is pursuing a career slam, as she is yet to lift the trophy at Melbourne Park despite reaching the semifinals in 2022 and 2025.
