Mats Wilander evaluated Iga Swiatek’s performance in the semifinals against Madison Keys, noting that the Polish star appeared "a little tense," leading her to commit uncharacteristic errors. The 5-time Grand Slam champion squandered a break lead in the third set and missed a match point, allowing the American to seal the victory 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 [10-8].
The former world No. 1 spoke to Eurosport about the errors that cost Swiatek the match. According to the Swedish tennis legend, Swiatek unusually faltered at crucial moments, such as when she had break points at 4-4 or her match point at 6-5.
“She looked a little bit tense. That is for sure. She lost her momentum in the match after she was up 5-2 in the first set,” Wilander told Eurosport. “Madison Keys did unbelievably well to bring it back but then I thought, okay, she wins it 7-5. That’s it. I never thought Madison Keys [would come back]. The mental effort by Madison Keys was incredible.”
“I have to say Iga looked a little bit tight. She missed a few shots we are not used to seeing her miss. I thought in certain situations in this match she didn’t come right to the ball,” he added. “She got too close to it. The backhand usually is rock solid, and she missed that down the line and kind of inside out down the line. It was unusual.”
Swiatek exits the Australian Open once again, matching her best result at the tournament with the semifinals in 2022. The Polish player also missed the chance to finish the tournament as world No. 1 and will face challenges in advancing her ranking in the coming months, given the significant points she needs to defend.
For Madison Keys, this victory brings only joy, as the American reaches her second Grand Slam final, eight years after her loss at the 2017 US Open to Sloane Stephens. This time, she arrives with an 11-0 record this season and will face 2-time defending champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.