It’s no secret that Iga Swiatek thinks two shots ahead on court. The Polish No.1 is chasing her maiden Australian Open title, and so far, she’s on track. Her opening match brought a minor wardrobe issue, quickly solved with a rip in her skirt to boost flexibility. That smart fix paid off, propelling her into the second round to meet Marie Bouzkova. This time, Iga’s lightning-fast reflexes saved her from something more chaotic.

On Thursday, during her match against Bouzkova, the two were locked in a fierce rally. In the first set at 4-2, Swiatek rushed the net. Her return dropped close to Bouzkova’s side, hit the court once, then spun back to Swiatek’s end.

With quick instincts, the Pole jumped aside just in time as the Czech star’s racquet swung over the net, missing Swiatek by only a few centimeters. Bouzkova immediately appealed to the chair umpire, insisting that Swiatek had touched the ball after it crossed the net. But the video review told a different story.

It showed Iga Swiatek standing clear, ready for Bouzkova’s next move. Bouzkova’s only real hope was to argue that Iga’s racquet had crossed the net, but it wasn’t even close. The umpire stood firm, and Swiatek claimed the point for 15-0.

In the end, the win was for the World No.2. She took down Bouzkova with a clean 6-2, 6-3 win after one hour and 19 minutes. She’s on a good roll for the challenges ahead. Especially since she’s eyeing the Career Slam this time around. Not to mention, the Pole seems at ease competing right now.

“It felt great playing today,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview. “I felt more free than in my first round, so I really wanted to go for it. And for sure, the conditions also weren’t easy. I don’t know if you guys feel that, but on the court it’s super windy. So I needed to adjust for that, and I’m really happy with the performance for sure.”

Her latest win carried her into the Australian Open’s third round for the seventh year in a row, a streak of consistency that most players only dream of. Even more impressive, she’s now made the third round at 24 straight Grand Slam events, her last early exit dates all the way back to the 2019 US Open, when she fell to Anastasija Sevastova.

With this milestone, Swiatek has etched her name in history as the first WTA player in the Open Era to reach the Round of 32 at the first 24 women’s singles majors of a single decade. She might have a few errors on the court, but she’s certainly putting her best foot forward. Even noting her inspiration from a certain ATP legend.

Iga Swiatek credits Novak Djokovic for making it into the third round

The Pole kept her rhythm steady and sharp, dropping just five games over Marie Bouzkova. Even though she was broken once in each set, Iga never really lost control. Her command was clear in the numbers, 31 winners to Bouzkova’s mere three. Since the start of 2021, Swiatek has now racked up 92 Grand Slam match wins, more than any other WTA player during that span.

At 24, she already owns a resume that most players would dream of, with 25 WTA titles and an incredible 125 weeks as world No.1. Yet amid all that success, Iga Swiatek admits it can be easy to breeze past what she’s achieved.

“I’m usually kind of happy after I finish the whole tournament, you know, if I won. If not, then I’m a bit less happy, but for sure I got to learn to appreciate every single match and not take anything for granted, and, you know, play to win, not to lose. It was a good day today, and I felt good.”

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Her focus now isn’t just on results but on enjoying the process, and she’s looking to one very familiar source for motivation. Novak Djokovic, fresh off his own straight-sets victory in the Australian Open’s second round, continues to inspire her. At 38, he remains the only player of that age or older still ranked inside the ATP top 100.

“The perspective changes, but you always need to remind yourself to enjoy playing,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not easy with so many matches per year, you’re going to have bad days or you’re going to be judged. But it’s crucial to come back to that. For example, Novak can play for so long. He achieved everything but he still enjoys winning and this feeling. So it’s good to look at people like that and find some inspiration.”

Her next challenge is the 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya. Will she carry this momentum and mindset into the third round, possibly making a deep run past the semis this year? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below!