For weeks following the highly publicized US Open Mixed Doubles, there have been speculations that world no. 2 Iga Swiatek suffered from a foot injury. In fact, during the high-pressure contest at the Flushing Meadows between Amanda Anisimova and Iga Swiatek, the Polish tennis player had the shock of her life. She lost in straight sets in the quarterfinals to Anisimova. Fans gasped for breath as the World No. 2 bowed out of the tournament. But what came out after the match was more than tactical issues; she had a foot injury aggravated by a blister.

“It was very chaotic for me in terms of what happened behind the scenes,” Swiatek admitted after losing the match in straight sets (6-4, 6-3). On the other hand, the Polish tennis superstar defeated Anisimova for the Wimbledon title and didn’t lose a set throughout her crowning moment. Nevertheless, Swiatek shared the update on her injury following the US Open troubles.

Speaking to the Korea Times, Swiatek mentioned, “I haven’t been practicing a lot because I needed time to recover and to do everything to just be ready to play matches. “So physically, I feel great. I feel like I need to practice some more, but I don’t have any pain or anything. It’s all good,” as the player prepares to return to winning ways.

Since the injury at the Cincinnati Open, Swiatek has looked uncharacteristically shaky. Coach Wim Fissette also confirmed that she used pain injections to play in the quarterfinals. The determined tennis player never backed down, but she found it problematic to execute some elements of her game. For example, her serve lacked conviction. For a player who committed minimal unforced errors, Swiatek had a bucketful of them during the tournament.

Likewise, her footwork became an issue as a result of those blisters. The physical limitations surely slowed the rampaging Polish train from winning her seventh Grand Slam. In other words, her preparations for the tournament were compromised entirely. Plus, the pressure situation at Grand Slam tournaments doesn’t help either.

Even though she won Wimbledon and reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows, the injury halted her progress. The probability of the injury affecting her performance at the US Open remained a cause for concern for her fans. Flipping this disappointing chapter in her life, Swiatek could now look to Korea and win the Seoul Open. Interestingly, it’ll be her first visit to Seoul, the same city where her father graced the Olympics stage back in 1988.

Korea Open awaits Iga Swiatek to exact revenge

The Polish star will debut at the Korea Open at Olympic Park Tennis Center in Seoul – the same court that hosted tennis matches during the 1988 Olympics. Her father, Tomasz, represented Poland during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and finished seventh in the men’s quadruple sculls event.

Swiatek had also commited to play last year’s Korea Open but was forced to withdraw due to her provisional suspension over a failed d*ug test. Thus, returning after the injury speaks volumes about her determination, as she suffered the injury at the Cincinnati Open this year.

Although she’s the favorite to win the tournament, considering she’s fit, Swiatek looks to stay humble and fight for her position. “Honestly, I don’t think it makes any sense to already be thinking about the final; here anyone from the main draw can win this tournament. There are great players who have come here to compete, so I prefer to take it slowly, step by step. For now, all I’m thinking about is my first match,” said Swiatek in an interview.

The WTA 500 competition features top players like Anisimova. Hence, a showdown between these two superstars could be the hottest ticket in Seoul following the engaging narrative. They have played two games against each other in their careers. The players are at a stalemate, with both winning one match against each other. Therefore, the party arrives in South Korea to see if Swiatek can defeat Anisimova, following her injury concerns.