Just a few weeks ago, Iga Swiatek stunned everyone by lifting the Wimbledon title after defeating America’s Amanda Anisimova by 6-0,6-0 in the final. Following that 57-minute wrap-up, the Pole said, “It’s something that is just surreal. I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself.” She claimed that she’s happy with her performance on grass, and this win means a lot to her. So, owing to her impressive performance on grass, where, other than clinching the title at SW19, Swiatek also made it to the final at the Bad Homburg Open, her fans were pretty much optimistic about her keeping this winning run intact at the North American hard court swing as well. But…

The world number 19, Clara Tauson, had other ideas. The 22-year-old Dane, who had previously won one title (ASB Classic), was all set for a blockbuster clash against the Pole R16 of the 2025 Canadian Open. This was their fourth meeting, and guess what? Previously, Tauson hadn’t won a match against the former world number one. But this time, she stepped onto the court with real intent! Although Iga Swiatek showcased a dominating performance in her previous two matches by securing victories in straight sets, in this match, she failed to bring up that same level. Despite giving a tough fight in the first set, she failed to outclass the Dane! Hence, Tauson defeated her by 7-6(1),6-3.

How does it feel to beat the six-time major champion in straight sets? Well, while sharing her thoughts in her on-court interview after securing a spot in her second WTA 1000 QF, Tauson said, “Unreal, totally unreal (laughs)!” Further sharing her thoughts about her strategy in this match, she added, “I don’t know, I was playing good tennis. It’s tough conditions here with the win, but yeah, I really tried my best to keep my head cool and keep working. Even though I was broken in the second set, I was feeling confident, and I’m really happy about the win.” Tauson won eight of the last eleven points in this match.

Before this meeting, Tauson had gone down to Swiatek in the R16 of the 2025 Wimbledon. So now, she feels “nice” to secure her revenge against the Pole.

With this win against Iga Swiatek, Clara Tauson has now secured her fifth triumph against a top-10 player and her third of the season. She has now defeated both Aryna Sabalenka (1) and Swiatek this season. Simply remarkable!

A missed chance for Iga Swiatek?

The 2025 Canadian Open has been a tournament filled with upsets. Previously, we saw Coco Gauff going down to the Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko in the R16 by 1-6,4-6 and now Iga Swiatek faces a similar fate. Gauff’s exit from this tournament had opened the doors for the Pole to become the new world number 2, but the failure to extend her nine-match winning streak has now blocked that path for Swiatek.

Coco Gauff had 7,669 points before the start of the Canadian Open, and after reaching the fourth round, she had increased that to 7,789 in the Live Rankings. On the other side, heading into this event, Iga Swiatek had 6,813 points (856 points behind the American). But after making it to the fourth round, Swiatek had increased that to 6,933.

If Iga Swiatek had managed to reach the QF, she would have reached 7,028 points, and winning the title in Montreal would have ensured her 7,813 points, and that could’ve been 24 points clear of Coco Gauff. But unfortunately for the Pole, she had to face yet another missed chance! With the 2025 US Open knocking at the door, Swiatek would’ve surely wanted to get some wins under her belt from her campaign in Montreal. Her previous best record at the US Open was winning the title in 2022, but in the past few years, she has failed to find success here.

In 2024, she exited the US Open after losing to Jessica Pegula in the QF by 6-2,6-4. Can Iga Swiatek come up with a better performance in this edition and secure her second major title of this season?