2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko beat Iga Swiatek for a remarkable fifth consecutive match in the Qatar TotalEnergies Open semifinal. The Latvian’s victory in Doha is the most impressive yet because the Pole was the three-time defending champion. Swiatek has never looked as uncomfortable at the tournament as Ostapenko made her in a 6-3 6-1 hammering.
The five-time Grand Slam champion’s superb career shows there is much more right than wrong with her game. Yet, there are areas to improve that would give her a better chance of beating Ostapenko at her best.
What Iga Swiatek Needs to Add to Break Jelena Ostapenko Curse
1. More Variety on Second Serve
Swiatek’s first and second serve have improved in the last 18 months. The 23-year-old’s serving stats in 2024 were the best of her career, and her hard work to enhance the shot should not be dismissed or taken for granted.
However, it still lacks variation. Swiatek hits her second serve with more depth than the past, but she does not adapt it much. Ostapenko thrived on knowing where the second serve was going to land and punished it several times. In the face of that pressure, Swiatek did not have a kick serve to fall back on. She also did want to change up the pace or hit it shorter and wider in the box to try and surprise Ostapenko and throw her off.
2. Adding a Slice
Swiatek’s backhand is one of tennis’s best and most unreliable shots. Ostapenko’s flat and powerful backhand is one of the few shots capable of disrupting the Pole off that side. Swiatek’s usual dominance with her backhand means she does not usually need to alter from her flat hit.
Although beating Ostapenko in Doha would have been difficult because of her level, a slice might have given Swiatek some hope. The Latvian was so comfortable against flat and topspin shots. Giving Ostapenko balls that skidded would have provided a different look and possibly disrupted her. An example of that strategy working was when Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova used her slice and other variety to perfection to beat Ostapenko in the quarterfinal during her run to glory at SW19.
3. Becoming More Comfortable in Difficult Conditions
The four-time French Open champion has proven herself to be the most devastating women’s player in conditions she likes. However, she has a tendency to become slightly flustered when her rhythm gets broken. That was shown in the semifinal in Doha against Ostapenko, where it was windy and challenging to control shots.
Some might have expected that to favor Swiatek more since her greater spin usually makes it easier to control the ball. Instead, Ostapenko thrived, but Swiatek looked uncomfortable. While the outstanding way in which Ostapenko played should not be forgotten, Swiatek also made some uncharacteristic errors where her timing was not what fans were used to.
Being unsettled by a tough matchup undoubtedly played a role, but Swiatek’s inability to adapt to the windy conditions contributed to how heavy the defeat was.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
