Iga Swiatek criticized for making a tactical error during her US Open defeat to Amanda Anisimova

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It wasn’t to be for Iga Swiatek in New York, as she fell at the quarterfinal stage for the second year in a row.

The Pole established herself as a pre-tournament favorite when Swiatek won the Cincinnati Open last month.

Carrying that momentum forward, Swiatek defeated the likes of Anna Kalinskaya and Ekaterina Alexandrova en route to the US Open quarterfinals.

It was there that her run came to an end, however, when Swiatek lost to Amanda Anisimova in straight sets, 4-6, 3-6.

Sharing her thoughts on the match, former British star Laura Robson claimed Swiatek made a tactical error during her US Open exit.

Laura Robson thinks Iga Swiatek made a tactical mistake targeting Amanda Anisimova’s backhand

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Robson gave her verdict on Swiatek’s quarterfinal tactics.

“You could tell that maybe [Iga] Swiatek wasn’t ready for it, she wasn’t expecting it, and looked rushed herself,” she said.

“Was looking up at her player’s box, looking like, I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know where to go to.

“Swiatek, for me, sometimes gets in this mood of trying to out-hit the big hitters and play really stubbornly. I thought tactically she didn’t play her best match there; she was going way too much to [Amanda] Anisimova’s backhand side, which has been lethal.

“She’s been cracking winners on that shot down the line and has been all tournament, but there was this concerted effort to just keep going to that side in the hope that it might break down, so anyway, there’s a lot for Swiatek to dissect after that one, and I’m sure that her team will get to it.”

Robson believes Swiatek’s serve placement worked against her, allowing Anisimova to hit backhands at will.

“In particular, on the serve, she’s got this natural kick serve, especially on the second, but it was going to Anisimova’s backhand all the time,” she said.

“Until midway through the second set, she had yet to hit a serve to the forehand, so you wonder, tactically, what is she trying to achieve there?

“Her positioning was getting further back behind the court, feeling so rushed on the backhand side, the knees dropping to the ground all the time.

“And you have to say, Anisimova moved so much better than she did when they played at Wimbledon.”

Just two months ago, Swiatek defeated Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the Wimbledon final, but was unable to repeat the feat at Flushing Meadows.

Failing in her bid to win her second US Open title, Swiatek will now turn her attention to Melbourne and the chance to complete the Career Grand Slam.

Can Iga Swiatek finally win the Australian Open in 2026?

Swiatek is a six-time major champion and has picked up titles at three of the four Grand Slams.

• 2020 French Open
• 2022 French Open (2)
• 2022 US Open
• 2023 French Open (3)
• 2024 French Open (4)
• 2025 Wimbledon

She is, however, yet to win the Australian Open, despite coming close on several occasions.

The Pole qualified for her first semifinal in 2022, where she took on America’s Danielle Collins.

Losing in straight sets, Swiatek missed out on a place in the championship match.

Returning to the last four in 2025, the 24-year-old took on another American, Madison Keys.

Failing to convert a match point, Swiatek lost to Keys, 7-5, 1-6, 6-7, in a three-set thriller.

She’d love nothing more than to go all the way in 2026, but might need to make a few minor adjustments to her game.

As Robson mentioned, Swiatek is prone to overplaying against the big-hitters on tour, getting her tactics wrong when it matters most.

It’s up to Wim Fissette and the rest of her coaching staff to provide the world number two with a more concrete game plan should she reach the latter stages of the Australian Open next January.

Only time will tell if Swiatek can complete the Career Grand Slam in Australia, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

The 2026 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 12, 2026.