Iga Świątek spoke about dealing with the hot conditions in Cincinnati after booking her place in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event. The third-seeded Pole beat 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last four of the tournament for the third year in a row.
Iga Świątek’s Response on Dealing With Conditions in Cincinnati
Świątek produced a dominant effort on a warm day in Cincinnati and when asked how she kept herself hydrated and handled the conditions, the Pole said:
“There’s no secret, I just drink, but water. Well, honestly, I think we kind of need to get used to it with how the world is changing and it’s gonna be worse and worse I guess.”
Iga Swiatek after beating Anna Kalinskaya in Cincinnati
“It’s hot today… How do you stay hydrated and still look so calm on court?”
Iga: “There’s no secret, I just drink water.” 💀
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 15, 2025
Speaking on her strategy for the match, Świątek said: “Just played my game. For sure, it wasn’t easy. Just happy I was solid and had the intensity to apply pressure.”
The six-time Grand Slam champion will next face a tough opponent in Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. The Kazakh booked her place in the last four of the Cincinnati Open for the very first time in her career with a dominant 6-1 6-4 win over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Świątek and Rybakina Will Lock Horns for the 10th Time
Świątek and Rybakina have faced one another nine times previously, with the Pole leading their head-to-head 5-4. The Kazakh won four out of their first six encounters but Świątek came out on top every time the two have locked horns so far in the 2025 season.
The first fixture between them came at the United Cup and the Pole won 7-6(5), 6-4. They next met in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open and this time, Świątek registered another straight-set win, triumphing 6-2, 7-5. The most recent encounter between the two came in the fourth round of the French Open, and Rybakina got off to a flying start as she won the opening set 6-1.
However, Świątek won the second set 6-3 to force the match into a decider, which she won 7-5 to book her place in the quarterfinals of the clay-court Major. Whoever out of the two comes out on top, will reach the Cincinnati Open final for the first time in their respective careers.
