Iga Swiatek does exactly what she said she wouldn’t just days ago during defeat to Jelena Ostapenko

Follow us on Google Discover

Iga Swiatek’s impressive run at the Qatar Open came to an end at the hands of Latvian star Jelena Ostapenko.

The three-time defending champion had looked in fine form, reaching the semi-finals of the Qatar Open without too much trouble.

Swiatek beat Linda Noskova in a three-set thriller to qualify for the quarter-finals, where she took down Elena Rybakina to book her spot in the last four.

It was there that she met Ostapenko, who was yet to drop a set in Doha, producing several stand-out performances.

Having knocked out fourth seed Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16, Ostapenko beat Ons Jabeur to advance to her seventh WTA 1000 semi-final.

Ostapenko produced another stellar display in the semis as she handed Swiatek her first defeat in Qatar since 2020.

Her dominant performance bothered the Pole, pushing her to do something she had assured fans she wouldn’t do just days ago.

Iga Swiatek smashes racket during defeat to Jelena Ostapenko after saying she wouldn’t just four days ago

Swiatek can be seen smashing her racket as Ostapenko took a 6-3, 3-0 lead in the second set.

Racket smashes are not uncommon on the WTA Tour, although fans wouldn’t have expected Swiatek to be the one showing her frustration.

Earlier in the week, following her win against Maria Sakkari, Swiatek said she wouldn’t smash a racket for various reasons.

“It doesn’t make sense for me to throw the racket, it’s not the racket’s fault, you know, and I always try to kind of give a good example to the kids as well,” she said.

“I have been throwing rackets when I was younger, but this is why I do all the mental training, and I try to kind of be a better player to learn how to deal with this stuff.

“I don’t know, there’s no point, I guess.”

A powerful display from Ostapenko prevented Swiatek from keeping her word, as she smashed the racket before going on to lose in straight sets, 3-6, 1-6.

The Latvian bested her opponent in almost every statistic as she secured her spot in Saturday’s final.

Jelena Ostapenko wins fifth straight match against Iga Swiatek

No other player on the WTA Tour has beaten Swiatek five times, as Ostapenko continues to cause problems for the five-time Major winner.

• 2025 Qatar Open SF – Jelena Ostapenko beat Iga Swiatek in two sets
• 2023 US Open R16 – Jelena Ostapenko beats Iga Swiatek in three sets
• 2022 Dubai R16 – Jelena Ostapenko beats Iga Swiatek in three sets
• 2021 Indian Wells R16 – Jelena Ostapenko beats Iga Swiatek in two sets
• 2019 Birmingham R32 – Jelena Ostapenko beats Iga Swiatek in two sets

The 2017 French Open champion certainly looks to have the better of Swiatek, as she explained in her post-match interview that she was confident of securing the win.

“Thank you guys for coming, I feel like this court has a special energy, and it was always helping me, as I said, everything started for me on this court,” said Ostapenko.

“Yeah, I was pretty confident today, when I went on the court, I was pretty confident that I obviously would beat her because we played a lot of matches, and I kind of know how to play against her.

“I was focusing on myself, I knew what I had to do, and I’m really happy with the way I’m handling my emotions this week.”

Ostapenko then explained just how much she enjoys playing in Doha.

“I love this tournament, every time I’m waiting for this tournament to happen, and you know, it’s great to come here,” she said.

“They host us amazing here, the atmosphere on this court, the fans, everything, the facilities are even better now, I’m really pleased to be here.”

The Latvian star will now take on America’s Amanda Anisimova in the final, who beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second semi-final.

The pair faced off once before, in Doha three years ago, as Ostapenko won in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

She’ll no doubt hope to replicate that performance when she plays Anisimova for the title on Saturday, February 15.