US Open 2024: Iga Swiatek's projected path to final ft. potential QF with Emma Raducanu
World No.1 Iga Swiatek will be stepping into the US Open 2024 as a former champion, looking to claim more glory after winning her fourth Roland Garros title earlier this year. She will be looking to end the year on a high by replicating her 2022 victorious campaign at Flushing Meadows.
After a semifinal loss at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Masters in straight sets, Swiatek's encounter with Sabalenka will turn heads as she prepares for redemption. The two players have already been involved in some iconic match-ups together, and since they have been drawn on opposite sides of the draw, a potential final between them could be a match for the ages for tennis fans.
In 2022, Swiatek won the French Open and the US Open, and she will be looking to replicate that feat this year. Here is a list of players she may have to go through as she looks for a title-winning outing at the 2024 US Open.
R1 Opponent- Qualifier
Iga Swiatek will begin her 2024 US Open campaign against a qualifier. The main rounds are set to commence from August 26 and Swiatek, the top-seeded player in the women's draw, would be looking to reach the second round comfortably.
R2 Opponent - Daria Saville / Qualifier
The 23-year-old Polish player could come across Australia's Daria Saville in the second round. Saville's best performance at the US Open was in the second round in 2023 when she suffered defeat in straight sets at the hands of Swiatek. The latter would be expected to sail through this round, potentially increasing her head-to-head record against Saville to 3-0.
Possible R3 Opponent - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/Elisabetta Cocciaretto
In the third round, Iga Swiatek can come across against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto. While Swiatek has yet to play a professional match against Cocciaretto, she has defeated Pavlyuchenkova in the Italian Open in straight sets in 2023, which would serve as a boost for her preparations, stepping into this potential fixture.
Possible R4 Opponent- Mirra Andreeva/Liudmila Samsonova
Iga Swiatek could face Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round, against whom she enjoys a comfortable 3-0 head-to-head record. She has defeated Samsonova twice on hard and once on clay courts, which would prove advantageous if they met each other. Swiatek played against Mirra Andreeva recently, emerging victorious in three sets in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters.
Considering she has already defeated her potential R4 opponents, Swiatek's road to the quarterfinals should be comfortable.
Possible QF Opponent - Danielle Collins/Emma Raducanu/Jessica Pegula
Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek have met each other on eight occasions, with the Polish star emerging victorious seven times, including at the Australian Open. Six of those victories have come on hard court, which proves her advantage over the American player. The latter would however be expecting the home crowd's support in New York.
Another great US Open match-up could be a quarterfinal between Emma Raducanu and Swiatek, who have played each other three times. Swiatek has won all three matches, with one of those victories coming on the hard court. Raducanu has also been away from action for a while, dealing with injuries and inconsistent performance, so her route to the semifinals would only be more challenging if she met her nemesis in Swiatek.
One of the most exciting fixtures this US Open could be Jessica Pegula facing Swiatek in the quarterfinals, with the duo having met each other on nine occasions before this. The Polish star enjoys a comfortable margin over Pegula, defeating her six times, with most of the victories coming on hard court, making the former's route to the semifinal seem quite possible.
Possible SF Opponent - Elena Rybakina/Jelena Ostapenko/Naomi Osaka
Iga Swiatek could face her most formidable challenge in New York in the form of Elena Rybakina, who has defeated the Polish player four times in their six meetings so far. However, Swiatek did defeat Rybakina to win the Qatar Open in straight sets earlier this year, which could help provide extra motivation for the Pole.
Swiatek could face another tough competitor in Jelena Ostapenko if she reaches the semifinals, who has defeated the 23-year-old on four occasions, including three hard court victories. A possibly comfortable outing in the semifinals could be against Naomi Osaka, against whom she has an advantage of a 2-1 head-to-head record.
However, given the quality of her opposition, it would be challenging for Swiatek to move ahead in the semifinal, unlike earlier rounds.
Possible Final Opponents - Aryna Sabalenka/Coco Gauff /Qinwen Zheng
Aryna Sabalenka is coming into the US Open with a recent victory over Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters. However, Swiatek enjoys a winning record against Sabalenka, with an 8-4 head-to-head count.
On the other hand, Swiatek would be expected to improve her already daunting record over Coco Gauff if the two meet in the final. The Polish player has defeated the American on 11 occasions in their twelve meetings. Another player that will be looking to reach the final is the reigning Olympic gold medalist from China, Qinwen Zheng.
Swiatek has won six times against Zheng's. The latter has so far only achieved one victory over Swiatek, which came earlier this month at the Dubai Championships. Her recent form, including the gold medal-winning efforts in Paris, could prove to be decisive in this tournament despite Swiatek's experience.