Iga Swiatek has survived a third-round scare at Australian Open 2026.
The second seed, vying to become the third-youngest woman to complete a career Grand Slam behind Serena Williams and Stefanie Graf, dropped her first set of the tournament but kept her title hopes alive with a rollercoaster 6-1 1-6 6-1 victory over 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday night.
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Poland’s most successful tennis player was stretched for one hour and 44 minutes at Margaret Court Arena on Saturday night.
“I know that Anna can play amazing tennis,” said the six-time major champion.
“She’s risking a lot so at the same time, she might even start playing out so I just wanted to be there … to still be proactive and put pressure on her.
“I wanted to focus on myself no matter what was going on on the other side of the net, and I kept going because the momentum can change.”
Under a closed roof, a laser-focused Swiatek consolidated an early break and dropped just two points on serve as she raced to a 3-0 lead.
Comfortably controlling rallies from the baseline and seizing opportunities to charge the net, the 24-year-old Swiatek earned a second break and a 5-1 advantage when Kalinskaya sprayed a forehand wide.
Although the AO 2024 quarterfinalist saved a set point with a searing forehand winner, she promptly punched a backhand return into the net to hand Swiatek the set.
After receiving an on-court medical time-out for what appeared to be a lower-back issue, Kalinskaya started the second set with aplomb.
The 31st seed, who upset Swiatek in the first meeting of their career in 2024, began to unleash her powerful, flat groundstrokes that have troubled her Polish rival.
By fearlessly striking a pair of winners, Kalinskaya earned her first break points of the match on Swiatek’s serve and converted when the world No.2 sent an on-the-run forehand sailing over the baseline.
Though the Pole immediately broke back with a cross-court forehand winner, Kalinskaya reclaimed the upper hand, breaking again when a Swiatek forehand found the net.
The two-time AO semifinalist had a trio of opportunities to break back but was denied by a steely Kalinskaya who dug deep, producing her first ace of the match en route to consolidating for a 4-1 lead.
Swiatek, suddenly vulnerable, contributed a double fault before Kalinskaya ripped a forehand winner to break the second seed to love. Striking the ball with a newfound freedom while serving for the set, the 31st seed banked another three forehand winners – including one on set point – to push the match into a decider.
With both players competing in their first third set of AO 2026, it was Swiatek who surged to a 2-0 lead, guiding a stunning backhand down the line to break her lower-ranked foe.
As Swiatek refocused, a loose service game from Kalinskaya handed the 24-year-old another break. The Pole, fist-pumping and in the zone, then held to love in less than two minutes, giving Kalinskaya an unenviable task of having to serve to stay in the match at 0-5.
The 31st seed rose to the challenge, putting the match on Swiatek’s racquet.
The Pole saved a break point and then set up her first match point before Kalinskaya extended the battle, and then earned another two break points but was unable to convert.
On her second match point, Swiatek couldn’t help but beam when she placed a forehand on the line with such precision that Kalinskaya asked for a video replay before the second seed’s victory was made official.
In the fourth round, Swiatek will tackle Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, who advanced by walkover following the withdrawal of two-time AO champion Naomi Osaka.
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The second seed lost just four games to the world No.168 in their only prior meeting in 2021.
Swiatek made 44 per cent of first serves in the second set against Kalinskaya before lifting her accuracy to 70 per cent in the third set, and will aim to avoid a similar dip when she takes on Inglis.
The second seed has spent a little over five hours competing in Melbourne, a fraction of the 13-plus hours clocked by the Australian en route to her first ever Grand Slam fourth round.
“She has [had] a great run,” said the Pole of Inglis.
“I've got to go for it.”