After a strong start to her Wuhan Open campaign, Iga Swiatek hit a tough wall in the quarterfinals. Until then, she hadn’t dropped a set. Against Marie Bouzkova, she showed her full range of skills, cruising to a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win to reach the round of 16. Next up was Belinda Bencic, another smooth performance, 7-6, 6-4, and barely a scratch. But against Jasmine Paolini? Something was off. The Pole found herself in a real fight, one that ended with her shock exit from the tournament.

On Friday, the two WTA stars collided in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000, both flying high on form. History, though, sat squarely in Swiatek’s corner. Paolini had faced her six times before and had never pulled off a win. That’s why this one raised eyebrows. The Italian finally flipped the script and did it in style.

At the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, Paolini blitzed through Swiatek 6-1, 6-2 in just 65 minutes. She went full attack mode, soaking up Iga Swaitek’s pace and firing back with precision. The stats said it all, only three unforced errors and 15 winners. That’s locked-in focus. Every time Swiatek faced a break point, six of them, Paolini pounced and converted them all. It wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.

Now, Iga Swiatek leaves Wuhan after starting her Asian swing on a high note with the Korea Open title. Will this setback slow her momentum heading into the next stop? Only time will tell.

However, Iga’s Wuhan run came with a sweet bonus. On October 9, 2025, she notched a major milestone after taking down Belinda Bencic in the third round. The Polish star came from behind to win 7-6(2), 6-4. She shook off a slow start in the first set, snatched the tiebreak, then broke Bencic in the second and never looked back. The win was her 125th at the WTA 1000 level and sent her into the quarterfinals against Jasmine Paolini. Even better, it made her the third player to hit 25 WTA 1000 quarterfinals in the fewest main-draw appearances.

She pulled it off in just 41 tournaments. Currently, Serena Williams holds the record at 32, Maria Sharapova next at 39. Those 41 events include her first Cincinnati Open title over Paolini 7-5, 6-4 and an unforgettable Wimbledon 2025, where she demolished Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in 57 minutes, the first double bagel in a Wimbledon women’s final in the Open Era and the first since 1911. Anisimova got revenge in the US Open quarterfinals, 6-4, 6-3, but Iga Swiatek’s run there still padded her record.

And the history keeps stacking. With her wins this year in Korea and Cincinnati, that Bencic victory also made Iga the ninth player to reach the quarterfinals or better at all 10 WTA 1000 tournaments. She now shares that honor with legends like Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Petra Kvitova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, and Caroline Wozniacki. Sure, she didn’t make it further in Wuhan, but she’s keeping her head high!

Iga Swiatek speaks about her focus this season

On October 6, fresh off a shock defeat to Emma Navarro in Beijing, Swiatek turned her focus straight to the Wuhan Open. Navarro had pulled off quite the upset, capitalizing on Swiatek’s 70 unforced errors in a tense three-set battle.

However, during a chat with Tennis Actu TV, Iga Swiatek was reminded of a curious stat — that she has never lost a completed WTA 1000 match after winning the first set. Her reaction was pure Iga. “I don’t know. There are a lot of things like that that I hear, and it really strikes me, because I am not aware of this stuff. I don’t really follow that,” she said.

“These are things that the media or fans are catching and making a big deal out of it. But we are just focused on playing, and I am happy that I am one of these players who can have these kind of stats. I am really trying to be consistent and be there and play my best tennis. I think after I finish, I am going to have a look at these stats and think I did a good job.”

And she did just that in Wuhan. After a first-round bye, the Polish star looked steady and sharp, cruising past Marie Bouzkova and 13th seed Belinda Bencic in straight sets. Even though her campaign came to a halt sooner than expected, her composure and focus stayed intact. The big question now: Will she carry that same mindset into the next tournament? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!