Some of Iga Swiatek’s titles come easy. Her victory on Sunday over Ekaterina Alexandrova in Seoul? Far from it.
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Iga Swiatek dug deep on Sunday at the Korea Open, rallying past Ekaterina Alexandrova 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 to claim her 25th career title, and third of the 2025 season. The victory, sealed in two hours and 41 minutes, was a back-and-forth battle that featured heavy hitting and plenty of clutch tennis from the world No.2.
Swiatek, who was blitzed in the opening set, clawed her way back with a gutsy second-set tiebreak and overcame a break deficit in the decider to notch her sixth win in nine meetings with the world No.11. She has won all three of their clashes this season.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I won it because you were playing great and I just tried to stay alive,” Swiatek told the crowd after her stirring comeback.
Alexandrova had the numbers on her side—30 winners to Swiatek’s 23, and fewer errors (25 to 40)—but it was the Pole who rose when it mattered most. Serving at 4-5, 30-all in the second set, Swiatek uncorked a serve-plus-forehand combo to stave off danger and, after emerging from another 30-all while serving at 5-6, surged to a 3-0 lead in the breaker.
In the final set, she steadied after three double faults left her trailing 2-1, broke back for 3-all, and saved a pair of break points while serving at 4-4. Finally she converted her second championship point with a brilliant crosscourt forehand winner.
“It’s always super difficult to play against her,” Alexandrova said of Swiatek after their high-quality battle. “I did my best today, it wasn’t enough – maybe next time.”
Swiatek, who now owns a 57-13 record in 2025, closed the win with a warm embrace at the net before sharing emotional hugs with her team. The win, in the city in which her father participated in the 1988 Olympics games, was poignant on many levels. Not only was her fighting spirit on display, her joy at having delivered a special moment in her Seoul debut was also palpable.