All eyes will be on Naomi Osaka and Iga Świątek on Monday, May 11, as they have set up a blockbuster fourth-round showdown at the 2026 Italian Open. Osaka had a priceless reaction to drawing the world No. 3 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, disclosing how she feels about the challenging matchup.
What Naomi Osaka Said About Facing Iga Świątek in Rome
After suffering a 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2 loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the Madrid Open, Osaka arrived at the Italian Open with the aim of making a deeper run. She defeated Diana Shnaider 6-1, 6-2 in the third round and later told reporters that she hopes to go “really, really far” in Rome to gain some momentum ahead of the French Open.
However, when reporters informed her that she is up against Świątek, the optimism quickly turned into laughter. “Oh, my God. Sorry. Damn (laughter),” Osaka said.
The former world No. 1 humorously lamented her “cruel” fate of having to lock horns with three-time Italian Open champion Świątek mere days after losing to Sabalenka. Nevertheless, she expressed excitement for the match despite having lost both of their most recent encounters.
“Life is a little cruel. Damn. Sabalenka, now Iga (laughter). I don’t know. I think obviously for me that’s where I show up. I think even though it hasn’t been in my favor the last couple of times, for me those matches are the most fun. I’m excited at the thought. I don’t know, it just makes me smile,” she added.
There is, however, one silver lining for Osaka. If she manages to get past Świątek, she will not have to worry about another showdown with Sabalenka later in the tournament, since the world No. 1 crashed out with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 loss to Sorana Cîrstea in the third round.
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Iga Świątek Prepares for ‘Tough’ Matchup Against Naomi Osaka
During her own press conference following a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Świątek opened up about her tactics for the upcoming battle with Osaka. She recalled her hard-fought 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5 victory in their closely contested meeting at the 2024 French Open, acknowledging that it will be a “tough” contest.
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be a tough match. She is playing better on clay, I would say. Two years ago I could feel that at Roland Garros,” Świątek said. “I’m going to prepare tactically, see how she plays now. We had a chance to practice in Madrid. When she has a good day, she feels the ball well, she’s a really tough opponent. I need to be ready to, yeah, not give anything for free, fight for every point.”
The Pole also expressed immense excitement for the matchup, saying, “Honestly for me, since I didn’t play many matches, playing against a good top player is a nice experience. I’m also really excited. Yeah, no matter what’s going to happen, it gives me some lesson before Roland Garros. Either if I win or lose, I can kind of also see where my level is at.”
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The winner of the highly anticipated match between Naomi Osaka and Iga Świątek will advance to the quarterfinals in Rome, where a showdown awaits against either No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula or Anastasia Potapova.
