Injury in Iga Świątek’s hit match! The worst possible scenario?

There is no doubt that this is not how tennis fans imagined the scenario of Friday’s (i.e. August 21) hit. Iga Świątek and Jelena Rybakina had a chance to quickly check their form after… the recent final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto. Back then, the Pole was on top and, as reality showed, the competition in Cincinnati was no different.

Unfortunately, this time Rybakina’s health turned out to be crucial. Kazazka, with the score 1:4 and her own serve, after a short consultation with the medical services, finally decided that she was unable to continue playing. It turned out that the previously injured leg, most likely the Achilles tendon, had made its presence felt.

Iga Świątek’s 10th victory in a row! Jelena Rybakina’s nightmare before the US Open

The unanswered question is how serious the injury is. The Polish tennis player was very concerned about the fate of her rival.

– I felt uncomfortable looking at this situation. I hope Jelena will be okay. The next tournament is the priority. I know this one is important too. But the US Open is the US Open. I hope she will be ready for this. He is very close to being number 1 in the world. I felt we were playing another good match today. But health is the priority. I hope it will be OK, admitted Świątek in the post-match interview.

Indeed, Rybakina is one step away from number 1 in the WTA rankings. Before the match against the Pole, it was known that the Kazakh was only two victories away. Who knows, maybe such a preventive decision to end the match prematurely in Cincinnati will have a beneficial effect in the context of the US Open.

Either way, Świątek won for the 10th time in a row. The Pole’s rival in the semi-finals of the event, of which she was the champion last year, will be Jessica Pegula. The hosts’ representative dealt with another American – Amanda Anisimova.

Iga Świątek and all her championship titles

In her career so far, the Pole has won a total of 26 championship titles on courts almost all over the world.

Świątek won six Grand Slam titles, four times at Roland Garros (2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024), once at the US Open (2022) and Wimbledon (2025). To this should be added the prestigious triumph in the WTA Finals (2023).

In addition, wins in WTA 1000 tournaments, respectively, in: Rome (2021, 2022, 2024), Doha (2022 and 2024), Indian Wells (2022 and 2024), Miami (2022), Beijing (2023), Madrid (2024), Cincinnati (2025) and the latest – in Toronto (2026).

The list also includes WTA 500 competitions: Adelaide (2021), Stuttgart (2022 and 2023), San Diego (2022), Doha (2023) and Seoul (2025).

Plus a Polish tournament accent, WTA 250 in Warsaw (2023).

As for Polish topics, it is impossible not to emphasize the bronze medal of the Olympic Games in the singles competition in Paris (2024). Świątek also won the Polish national team in the United Cup in Sydney (2026).