Iga Swiatek disagrees with her opponent as she reacts to shock Wimbledon collapse

Ewan West 06 Jul 2024 8:44 PM

Iga Swiatek looks on during her loss to Yulia Putintseva at Wimbledon in 2024

Iga Swiatek’s hopes of winning a maiden Wimbledon crown were dashed as she collapsed to a shock defeat to Yulia Putintseva in the third round of the 2024 event.

The world No 1 fell to a surprising 6-3, 1-6, 2-6 loss to 35th-ranked Putintseva on No 1 Court at the All England Club on Saturday.

Swiatek had won all four of her previous encounters with Putintseva without losing a set and she looked on course for another convincing win when she took the opening set 6-3.

However, the five-time Grand Slam champion lost her serve twice in both the second and third sets as her unseeded opponent turned the match on its head in dramatic fashion.

The defeat to the 29-year-old Kazakh ended Swiatek’s superb 21-match winning streak and her bid for a fourth consecutive title, following triumphs in Madrid, Rome and at Roland Garros.

Swiatek is still searching for a first grass-court title and Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam at which she has not reached at least the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old Pole now holds an 11-5 (69%) record at Wimbledon and has lost before the quarter-final stage in four of her five appearances.

Wimbledon: Iga Swiatek becomes second player to achieve feat that eluded tennis legends

In her press conference after losing to Putintseva, Swiatek responded to her opponent’s assessment of what decided the match and also discussed her determination to win Wimbledon in her career.

Q. Your opponent just said that she feels as though she won this match and took this match and it wasn’t about what you did. What are your thoughts about what happened?

Swiatek: I think it’s never only one person. We’re literally playing a tennis match. It’s about what I’m playing as well.

I totally let her come back into the game in the second set. I shouldn’t have done that. I made some mistakes as well. But for sure, she used her chance.

Q. How determined are you to win this title one day? Is it something you put above the other Slams?

Swiatek: If I had another Wimbledon in two months, I would be really, really determined and for sure I’d focus really hard to work for it. But it’s gonna be in a year. I’m not sure what’s gonna happen in a year.

Obviously I’m determined in every tournament. This part of the season isn’t easy. It’s the middle of the season and we’re switching surfaces.

Going from this kind of tennis where I feel like I’m playing the best tennis of my life to going to another surface where I kind of struggle a bit more, it’s not easy.

All that stuff kind of combines to me not having a really good time at Wimbledon (laughs), but again, I feel like I’m gonna do a better job at recording. If I would have more energy going into the tournament I can work through that and focus on the right stuff.

Putintseva reaches the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time

Prior to this year’s tournament, Putintseva held a 5-9 record at Wimbledon and had never progressed beyond the second round.

In her on-court interview, Putintseva said: “It feels great. It feels really great. I don’t know.

“I was so focused on just playing fast and not giving her time. That worked, so that’s pretty much it. I was thinking while I was playing that I beat the world No 1 before on grass. I think it’s meant to be.

“My childhood [is where I get my feisty personality from], I was always really fired up as a kid, honestly I have no words. I am just so happy right now that I played so good, the fans brought me back to life after the first set.”

The world No 35 will face 13th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round.