World No. 2 Iga Swiatek faced familiar rival Linda Noskova at the Mutua Madrid Open on Saturday evening. While their previous encounters have often been closely contested affairs, Swiatek largely dictated play this time, securing a straightforward 6-4, 6-2 victory.
The reigning champion, Swiatek of Poland, successfully defended her title bid by winning her eighth straight match in Madrid. This victory propels her into the Round of 16 of the tournament. Swiatek, who was also a finalist in 2023, now holds an impressive career record of 15 wins and 2 losses at the event.
Rivalry Context
Swiatek`s initial matches in Madrid have pitted her against young, rising players who have troubled her recently. Following her first-round bye, Swiatek had to fight back after dropping the opening set to defeat 19-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala. Eala had notably knocked Swiatek out of the Miami Open just last month.
Her reward for navigating that challenge was a meeting with 20-year-old Linda Noskova. Noskova previously defeated Swiatek at the 2024 Australian Open, a breakthrough tournament where the Czech reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Since that loss in Australia, Swiatek had won all three subsequent main-draw matches against Noskova on the WTA tour. However, these were far from easy wins. Their last two meetings, at the 2024 Miami Open and 2025 Doha tournament, were grueling two-and-a-half-hour battles. Both were decided by the same tight scoreline of 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 in favor of Swiatek.
The key difference in their Madrid clash might have been the playing surface, as this was their first match on clay courts. Swiatek boasts a dominant record on clay at WTA 1000 events, winning nearly 90 percent of her matches (35-4 after her victory over Noskova). Although Noskova kept the first set competitive until the final stages, Swiatek consistently won the critical points to gain the advantage before cruising through the second set.
Match Highlights
In Saturday`s match, Noskova effectively utilized the powerful groundstrokes that have caused Swiatek problems in the past. Even after Swiatek earned a crucial break to lead 4-3 in the first set with deep returns, she immediately faced and had to save a break point in the subsequent game before consolidating her lead.
Serving for the first set at 5-3, Swiatek dug herself out of a 0-30 deficit to create set point opportunities. Noskova saved the first two with powerful backhand winners, but Swiatek ultimately converted her third set point when Noskova made an error, securing the hard-fought opening set.
The second set became significantly less challenging for Swiatek once she broke Noskova in the very first game. Unlike their previous marathon encounters, the rest of the match unfolded more routinely. Swiatek completed the win in just 1 hour and 17 minutes, converting all four of her break point opportunities throughout the match.
Next Up
In the Round of 16, Swiatek is set to face another in-form player, the No. 13 seed Diana Shnaider. Shnaider has had a dominant run through her first two matches this week, losing minimal games. She defeated Katie Volynets 6-1, 6-2 after a first-round bye, then blanked Anastasija Sevastova 6-0, 6-0.
This upcoming match will mark the first career meeting between the top-ranked Swiatek and the 21-year-old left-handed Shnaider.
