Iga Świątek enjoyed a commanding start to her Qatar Open campaign, cruising to a dominant straight-set victory over Indonesia’s Janice Tjen. The Pole set the tone immediately in Doha, racing through the opening set without dropping a game. Later, when faced with a playful question, Świątek admitted she felt no remorse for her ruthless display against the Indonesian.
Iga Świątek Gets Honest on Whether She Felt Like Conceding a Game During Dominant Qatar Open Move
Świątek has firmly established herself as one of the most dominant forces in women’s tennis, and despite an underwhelming quarterfinal exit at last month’s Australian Open, she wasted little time in reasserting her authority. The Pole bounced back emphatically at the WTA 1000 event in Doha, where she is competing as the top seed, and earned a direct entry into the second round.
Up against Tjen, Świątek encountered little resistance throughout the contest. The Pole was ruthless in the opening set, conceding just eight points as she raced to a 6–0 win. The second set proved relatively more competitive, with Tjen showing brief resistance, but Świątek’s authority never truly wavered.
After an exchange of early breaks, the world No. 1 struck decisively in the eighth game before serving out a comprehensive 6–0, 6–3 victory in just 1 hour and 9 minutes. Notably, the match had Świątek’s 36th 6-0 set at WTA 1000 events, the most since 2009.
During her post-match press conference, the world No. 2 was asked about the achievement and whether she felt any remorse over her dominant display in the second-round encounter.
The 24-year-old was honest enough to respond that she would feel sorry for her opponent when she was young. However, as she matured, she realized playing at full intensity is essential, believing easing off would be disrespectful to her opponent.
“I think when I was younger, I felt that way. But later on, you know, you just want to win it. It’s sports, so it doesn’t make sense to stop or play 80%. I’m here to perform my best. I also always felt it wouldn’t be respectful towards the opponent to give them something because we’re here to play our best. I always just try to focus on myself and that’s it.”
Świątek extended her remarkable consistency to 72–0 in opening matches across her last 72 WTA events, a streak that also includes the United Cup and the WTA Finals. She will next take on Russian-Australian Daria Kasatkina in the third round, marking their eighth meeting on tour. The Pole heads into the clash brimming with confidence, holding a commanding 6–1 advantage in their head-to-head record.
