The Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek will desperately want to avoid playing in 2026

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If Iga Swiatek wants to add to her Grand Slam tally in 2026, she may need to avoid one player…

Earlier this year, Swiatek beat Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 at Wimbledon to clinch her sixth major title.

She also won another WTA 1000 title, taking down Jasmine Paolini at the Cincinnati Open.

However, one player in particular continued to trouble Swiatek in 2025, extending her winning record over the Pole.

Heading into the new year, Swiatek will hope she doesn’t see Jelena Ostapenko’s name in her draw!

Jelena Ostapenko is 6-0 against Iga Swiatek

Latvian star Ostapenko entered 2025 with an impressive 4-0 record against Swiatek.

Most fans expected her ‘luck’ to run out, but the 2017 French Open champion proved it wasn’t luck at all, producing two more stellar performances against her Polish rival.

Ostapenko beat Swiatek in the semifinals of the Qatar Open and the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

She now leads the head-to-head 6-0, and is the only player to have dominated Swiatek to this degree.

Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko’s head-to-head record

Swiatek has a winning H2H record against seven players ranked inside the top 10, making her struggles against Ostapenko all the more puzzling.

Iga Swiatek’s H2H record vs WTA Top 10 players

• Iga Swiatek [8-5] Aryna Sabalenka
• Iga Swiatek [11-4] Coco Gauff
• Iga Swiatek [1-2] Amanda Anisimova
• Iga Swiatek [6-5] Elena Rybakina
• Iga Swiatek [6-5] Jessica Pegula
• Iga Swiatek [6-2] Madison Keys
• Iga Swiatek [6-1] Jasmine Paolini
• Iga Swiatek [1-2] Mirra Andreeva
• Iga Swiatek [6-2] Ekaterina Alexandrova

The 24-year-old just hasn’t figured out a way to beat Ostapenko, something that will no doubt be of concern to Swiatek and her team in 2026.

It is important, though, not to overlook Ostapenko’s talents.

While her record vs Swiatek seems surprising given she is ranked 23rd in the world, it shouldn’t be forgotten that she is a former Grand Slam champion…

How did Jelena Ostapenko win the 2017 French Open?

Travelling to Paris in 2017 as the world number 47, Ostapenko was looking to become the first unseeded Grand Slam champion in eight years.

She nearly fell at the first hurdle, dropping the opening set to Louisa Chirico in round one, but battled back to win in three, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Moving on to the second round, Ostapenko defeated 2016 Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig in straight sets.

Another two-set win followed, as Ostapenko eased past Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, 6-1, 6-4.

Next up was Ostapenko’s first seeded test of the competition, with 23-seed Sam Stosur standing between her and a spot in the quarterfinals.

Just as she did in the first round, the Latvian fought back from a set down to win in a deciding set, to set up a quarterfinal clash with Caroline Wozniacki.

Continuing the trend, Ostapenko trailed the Dane 4-6, but won the second and third sets 6-2, 6-2, keeping her Grand Slam dream alive.

A three-set win over Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky followed, as Ostapenko advanced to her maiden Grand Slam final.

There, she beat Simona Halep, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, to become the lowest-ranked French Open champion since the rankings were introduced in 1975.

Jelena Ostapenko at the 2017 French Open

• 2017 French Open 1R – Jelena Ostapenko defeated Louisa Chirico, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
• 2017 French Open 2R – Jelena Ostapenko defeated Monica Puig, 6-3, 6-2
• 2017 French Open 3R – Jelena Ostapenko defeated Lesia Tsurenko, 6-1, 6-4
• 2017 French Open 4R – Jelena Ostapenko defeated Sam Stosur, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
• 2017 French Open QF – Jelena Ostapenko defeated Caroline Wozniacki, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
• 2017 French Open SF – Jelena Ostapenko defeated Timea Bacsinszky, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3
• 2017 French Open F – Jelena Ostapenko defeated Simona Halep, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Only time will tell if Ostapenko can win another Grand Slam in the future, but it will certainly be something to watch out for.

Perhaps she will challenge at the 2026 Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, January 18.