Iga Swiatek’s French Open preparations have been dealt a devastating blow after the World No.1 was forced to retire injured in the third set of her Italian Open quarter-final against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The Polish tennis superstar -who won the first stanza before dropping the second in a tiebreak – limped off the court in despair at 2-2 in the deciding set.
The three-time major winner claimed the first set 6-2, before her Kazakh opponent hit back to claim the second stanza after prevailing 7-3 in the tiebreak. There were worrying signs when Swiatek grabbed at her right leg and then required treatment on the injury.
During the second-set tiebreaker, Swiatek grasped her right knee after shifting directions a few times behind the baseline. Close to tears, she took a medical timeout after the set and left the court. When she returned, her upper right thigh was bandaged but the World No.1 looked in obvious discomfort.
The 21-year-old lasted just four more games before succumbing to the injury that left viewers devastated for the defending French Open champion, who faces a race against time to be fit for the clay court grand slam. “It’s never good to win like this,” Rybakina said after the match. “I hope it’s nothing serious for Iga.
It’s the third time that the big-serving Rybakina has beaten Swiatek this year, accounting for three of the Pole’s six losses in 2023. The retirement also ended Swiatek’s 14-match winning streak in Rome, leaving fans gutted for the Pole ahead of the French Open, which starts in just 10 days.
