Iga Swiatek is deep into a gripping second act. After months without a trophy since the 2024 French Open, she returned to the spotlight in the grandest way possible by winning Wimbledon. It was the kind of win that felt like a spark. But the path to this point hasn’t been empty. Even without titles earlier this year, Swiatek came close on several occasions. Now back on hard courts, her upcoming match brings a familiar face and a reminder of her past dominance. She has beaten this opponent decisively before, but it’s not just the scoreline people remember from that time.

Iga Swiatek’s sportsmanship has been a talking point more than once. Some players have complained about her habit of holding up her racket to slow down play when returning serve. At the semifinal of the Australian Open, she took a long toilet break before Madison Keys’ serve and followed it with shadow warm-ups just as Keys was ready to start. Her feud with Danielle Collins is also well-known. Last year at the Olympics Collins had to retire due to illness during their match and, at the net, told Swiatek she felt the Pole was being “insincere” about her illness.

Now in Cincinnati, Swiatek’s schedule shifted unexpectedly. She was due to face world No. 25 Marta Kostyuk in Monday’s third-round action, but the Ukrainian withdrew with a right wrist injury. That gave the World No.3 a direct pass to the round of 16, where Sorana Cirstea, the 54th-ranked WTA player, will be waiting.

The memory most fans have of her meetings with Swiatek comes from Doha in 2o24. In that match, Swiatek barely gave Cirstea room to breathe, winning 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour. The post-match interview seemed routine, with the Pole talking about her 90th week as world No. 1 and how she would spend her free time in Qatar. She didn’t make any comments about her opponent, something that’s not unusual in tennis interviews.

According to Sport.pl, one Romanian outlet published a piece titled “Świątek showed arrogance after the match against Cirstea.” Tennis expert Alexandru Tacina criticized her, saying, “The Polish woman decided not to comment on her rival, as is usually the case at tennis tournaments. Świątek showed a lack of politeness, not to mention her rival. Instead, she talked about the records she continues to break, but also about what she will do in her spare time in Doha after winning against Cirstea.” He added that she “did not want to comfort Sorana.”

While the accusations gained traction in some corners, Cirstea herself never said she felt disrespected. The two later faced off in Madrid this year with the same 6-1, 6-1 result and appeared to be on cordial terms. With their Cincinnati meeting set, attention shifts back to the tennis itself.

Beyond this match, Iga Swiatek is keeping her sights firmly on the US Open. And she has a notable name backing her.

Former WTA star picks Iga Swiatek as her US Open favorite

Former world No. 24 and British No. 1 Annabel Croft shared her pick during Sky Sports’ Cincinnati Open coverage. Instead of going with the defending champion and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, she chose Iga Swiatek. “I’m actually going with Swiatek actually, just after the way she won Wimbledon,” Croft said. “I think it’s given her a big boost again and she’s back.”

Croft, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon junior singles titles in 1984, knows what it takes to win on the big stage. She believes Swiatek can lift her second US Open crown, adding more weight to the expectations around the Pole.

The 23-year-old’s history in New York already has a highlight. She claimed her first US Open title in 2022, beating Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6 in the final. Last year, she fell in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist Jessica Pegula.

With Wimbledon in her pocket and momentum on her side, Iga Swiatek enters Cincinnati and the US Open stretch as a dangerous contender. The spotlight is fixed on her again, both for her tennis and the conversations around her.