Iga Swiatek’s run in New York almost came to an abrupt end at Arthur Ashe Stadium when pitted against world number 66 Suzan Lamens.
The Wimbledon champion took the first set comfortably 6-1, but was met with a defiant Lamens in the second, who levelled the contest.
Swiatek and her coaching team were visibly frustrated, and it looked for a moment as if the Dutch star was closing in on a monumental upset.
It was not to be for Lamens, however, as the world number two fought back and secured the victory, winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Her pursuit of a second US Open title goes on, but Swiatek’s performance left a lot to be desired, and shocked former champion Andy Roddick.
Andy Roddick’s reaction to Iga Swiatek’s second-round win
Analysing her victory in New York, Roddick said on the Served podcast: “Swiatek almost lost, guys. It was weird because it was so early in the day that there wasn’t a ton of energy or atmosphere.
“I was going wow, wow, wow, this is like a ground shaking match that is taking place right now.
She didn’t play that well either.
“She was missing a lot more than she has. And listen it happens during the Slam, of the seven matches that you win, you are not going to play well in all seven of them most the time.
“But Swiatek to her credit, earlier this year, when things weren’t going her way and she was losing some, there was more panicked looks at her box.
“There wasn’t one today. I promise you that she didn’t feel like she was in control of effort. She didn’t play great but got through.”
Iga Swiatek’s third-round opponent at the US Open
Swiatek will now go toe-to-toe with 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya in the third round of the US Open.
She has played the Russian twice at tour-level events in the past, with the two tied in their head-to-head record.
Their first clash came in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, where Kalinskaya, unseeded at the tournament, delivered a huge upset.
In the second and most recent matchup between the two at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, Swiatek emerged victorious in straight sets.
The WTA stars will now meet for the first time at a Grand Slam, with a place in the fourth round up for grabs.
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