Iga Swiatek has reached the third round of the US Open without losing a single service game across her opening two matches. The Polish star defeated China's Wang in the first round and Argentina's Nadia Podoroska in the second round, going unbroken in both contests to maintain a clean record on conceded breaks.
Winning a Grand Slam title requires seven match victories, and Swiatek has completed just two so far in New York. However, building early confidence in her serve is significant after the stroke faltered during much of the 2026 season. Her dominant delivery has allowed her to control matches from the outset.
Iga Swiatek is a professional tennis player from Poland who has won multiple Grand Slam singles titles and held the world number one ranking. The US Open, played on hard courts at Flushing Meadows in New York, is the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the annual tennis calendar.
Serving struggles earlier in the season
Before arriving at this year's US Open, Swiatek had failed to win a single Grand Slam match in 2026 without dropping her serve at least once. Across 12 matches at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon, she was broken in every single contest.
At the Australian Open in early 2026, Swiatek played five matches and suffered 14 service breaks, averaging 2.8 breaks per match. At Roland Garros, she competed in four matches and was broken 15 times, an average of 3.75 breaks per match. During Wimbledon, she played three matches and lost her serve 10 times, averaging 3.33 breaks per match.
Her serving difficulties attracted expert attention during Wimbledon. Former 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova told the BBC after Swiatek beat Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-3 that Swiatek's return game rated 9.5 out of 10. However, Navratilova noted that Swiatek surrendered two service breaks, describing her delivery as overly risky and predictable in direction.
The last Grand Slam event where Swiatek served effectively was Wimbledon in 2025. On her way to winning the title that year, she surrendered her serve only six times across seven victories, averaging 0.85 breaks per match. Her start in New York marks a stark turnaround from her earlier 2026 major performances.
Coaching adjustments and biomechanics debate
The technical improvement of Swiatek's serve follows ongoing debate regarding tennis biomechanics. Rivals Coco Gauff and world number one Aryna Sabalenka both previously addressed double fault issues by working with biomechanist Gavin MacMillan. Prior to the US Open, Gauff explained that working with a specialist transformed her mindset from hoping to make contact last year to expecting aces and troubling opponents.
Biomechanist Dr. Piotr Krezalek of the Krakow Academy of Physical Education, who has worked with Polish ski jumpers for over 20 years, stated on Sport.pl that biomechanics plays a crucial role in sport by refining small technical details. He noted that his laboratory could use a multi-camera system to capture Swiatek's movements in three dimensions to identify areas for growth.
Swiatek was asked about hiring a biomechanist in 2024, but she repeatedly explained that she was not convinced, citing a lack of time and full trust in her coaching staff. Former coach Wim Fissette was unable to stabilize her serve, but her current coach, Francisco Roig, has guided clear improvements. Eurosport studio commentator Maciej Synowka remarked that Francisco Roig, whom he referred to as Uncle Francisco, had performed effective work with the Polish player.
Following Wimbledon, Swiatek and Roig spent three weeks training together. Returning to competition after a month off, she immediately won the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto. Although she suffered a momentary service collapse against Marta Kostyuk in Toronto, losing all service games in one set while winning just one of 17 service points, she still won that match. She then went unbroken in her Toronto quarterfinal against Diana Shnaider and her final against Jelena Rybakina. In Cincinnati, she reached the semifinals but failed to hold serve throughout any match, losing serve seven times against Jessica Pegula while facing 18 break points.
Defensive composure against Podoroska
Swiatek's serving composure was evident in her first-round win over Wang, after which she joked with Eurosport reporter Pawel Kuwik that she was not the right player to speak about serving. She lightheartedly remarked that the serve is merely intended to put the ball in play, before adding that she was happy with her variation, spin, and flat serves down the T, aided by how balls travel through the New York air.
In her second-round match against Podoroska, Swiatek faced her stiffest serving test at 5-3 in the first set when she fell behind 0-40, giving up three consecutive break points. She responded by placing a 96 mph (154 km/h) serve that forced Podoroska to hit her return into the net.
On the second break point at 15-40, Swiatek delivered a 92 mph (148 km/h) serve that forced another net error, prompting commentator Marek Furjan to describe the placement as clever and smart. On the third break point at 30-40, she hit a 93 mph (150 km/h) heavily rotated serve near the line, which commentator and former player Joanna Sakowicz-Kostecka praised for its direction and spin.
Podoroska earned a fourth break point during deuce, where Swiatek missed a 112 mph (180 km/h) first serve into the net. However, Swiatek saved the break point using an 82 mph (132 km/h) second serve. Match statistics showed Podoroska generated higher average speeds on first serves (153 km/h to 151 km/h) and second serves (136 km/h to 127 km/h), yet Swiatek won 78 percent of her first-serve points and 73 percent of her second-serve points compared to Podoroska's 59 and 55 percent. Podoroska created break opportunities in only that single game.
Upcoming third round matchup
Swiatek will next play 26th seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic in the third round. This will mark the fourth meeting between the two players, with Swiatek having won all three previous encounters despite losing service games to Bouzkova in each match.
Bouzkova broke Swiatek's serve twice during a 6-2, 6-3 defeat in the second round of the 2026 Australian Open. She also secured single service breaks during a 6-1, 6-1 loss in Wuhan in 2025 and a 6-4, 6-2 defeat in the third round of Roland Garros in 2024.
While Swiatek enters as the superior player on overall record, the upcoming match will test whether her newly established serving stability can withstand an opponent who has consistently capitalized on her service errors in past tournaments.
