Heavyweight showdown: Swiatek and Rybakina set for quarterfinal blockbuster
Iga Swiatek defeated Maddison Inglis 6-0, 6-3 on Monday night to secure her place in the Australian Open quarterfinals. The world No 2’s clinical victory sets up a high-stakes meeting with No 5 seed Elena Rybakina, marking the twelfth chapter of one of the most compelling rivalries in modern women’s tennis.
Iga Swiatek, 2025 | © Imago / PsNewz
Iga Swiatek defeated Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis 6-0, 6-3 to continue her relentless pursuit of a career Grand Slam. In a match that lasted just 73 minutes, the 24-year-old Pole dominated from the baseline, refusing to allow the Melbourne crowd to lift the local underdog.
With this win, Swiatek reached her 14th career Grand Slam quarterfinal and achieved a historic milestone: she is now the youngest woman to reach six consecutive Major quarterfinals since Serena Williams.
Clash againSt Rybakina
The upcoming quarterfinal against Elena Rybakina represents a significant jump in quality. Rybakina, the No 5 seed, reached the last eight following a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory over Elise Mertens. While Swiatek leads their overall head-to-head 6-5, the Kazakh star has traditionally been a “thorn in the side” for the world No 2.
Rybakina won their most recent competitive meeting at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in late 2025 and famously defeated Swiatek in their only previous Australian Open encounter in 2023.
The matchup features a fascinating clash of styles: Swiatek’s heavy-topspin aggression and elite movement versus Rybakina’s flat, booming serve and effortless power. “It’s one of the best matchups in women’s tennis,” and the stakes could not be higher. For Swiatek, a win would move her closer to becoming only the seventh woman in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam. For Rybakina, it is a chance to return to the final for the first time since 2023 and prove that her power remains the ultimate equalizer against the world’s best.
Extreme Heat and Strategic Adjustments
While the performance on court was seamless, the conversation after the match shifted quickly to the brutal conditions awaiting the players in Melbourne. Upon being told that temperatures were forecast to climb well above the 40-degree mark, the No 2 seed was visibly stunned.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s supposed to be like 42 Celsius right?” Swiatek asked. When corrected that the forecast had risen to 44 degrees, she replied, “44?!?! Oh my god. I have no idea what I’m gonna do.”
The extreme heat forecast for Tuesday has forced tournament organizers to adjust schedules, but Swiatek remains focused on the marginal gains. Having previously triumphed at the 2025 Wimbledon and US Open, her “one-two punch” and footwork have looked sharp throughout the first week. She has dropped only one set so far, a minor lapse against Anna Kalinskaya in the third round, before returning to her “bagel-manufacturing” best against Inglis.
