Iga Swiatek hasn’t won a tournament since claiming her fourth French Open title in June 2024. Although she came closer to securing a title quite a few times this year by reaching the semifinals on five previous occasions, the Pole failed to deliver when it mattered the most. But competing for the first time in nearly weeks since her 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros came to an end at the hands of the current world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek got off to a winning start on grass. With her recent win in R16 of the Bad Homburg Open, she has now become the fastest player since Serena Williams to achieve 300 WTA Tour-level victories. Reacting to this incredible feat, Swiatek shared a post on her IG story with the caption, “Like… when did it happen?” Can she extend that number further by winning her QF match against Ekaterina Alexandrova in this pre-Wimbledon event?
Iga Swiatek vs Ekaterina Alexandrova: Head-to-Head
If we take a look at Iga Swiatek’s records at the major tournaments this season, she reached the SF at the AO, but over there, she was knocked out by the eventual champion, Madison Keys, in the SF. Then, in the French Open, she faced a defeat at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka in the same round. Can she come up with a better performance on the grass-court major? Well, a lot of this depends on her preparation in tournaments like the Bad Homburg Open. Here in this tournament, she was handed a BYE in the first round, but then in the second round, Swiatek managed to beat the two-time Grand Slam champion, Victoria Azarenka, quite comfortably (6-4,6-4) in the R16.
What was her reaction after securing her first victory on this surface in 2025? “It was my first match on grass this year, actually having byes in these tournaments is not always a great thing because I want to play on grass as much as possible right now, but I’m really happy that I’m through to the next round,” said Swiatek.
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 2, 2024 Poland’s Iga Swiatek tosses a ball to serve during her fourth round match against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Her next opponent in this tournament, Ekaterina Alexandrova, has been in good form this season and, unlike the Pole, she has even won a title in 2025. Other than making quite a few deep runs in her previous tournaments this year, the Russian managed to clinch a title at the Linz Open earlier this year by defeating Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska by 6-2,3-6,7-5.
In this tournament, though, Alexandrova has already secured two victories against some strong opponents. She defeated the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open champion, Belinda Bencic, by 6-1,6-2 in her first match before getting the better of the former world number 3, Maria Sakkari, in the next round by 6-3,6(2)-7,6-3. Can she now beat the five-time Grand Slam champion in her next match?
Swiatek vs Sakkari: Head-to-Head
Iga Swiatek has crossed paths with the Russian five times in her career so far. Currently, the Pole leads the H2H record against Ekaterina Alexandrova by 3-2.
2024 Miami Open R4: Alexandrova 6-4,6-2.
2024 Qatar Open R16: Swiatek 6-1,6-4.
2023 Madrid Open R16: Swiatek 6-4,6(3)-7,6-3.
2022 Ostrava Open SF: Swiatek 7-6(5),2-6,6-4.
2021 Gippsland Trophy R16: Alexandrova 6-4,6-2.
Prediction: Swiatek to win this contest in straight sets
Ekaterina Alexandrova, a two-time WTA titlist on grass (‘s Hertogenbosch in 2022 and 2023), will start this match as the second favorite against Iga Swiatek. This will be their first meeting on grass. Although Swiatek, who is currently ranked 8th in the world, has failed to win a title this season, her overall consistency in this season of making longer runs has been quite impressive. She has a win-loss record of 33-10 this season, and her overall record is 19-8 on grass. While Alexandrova (ranked 18th) has a win-loss record of 25-12 in 2025. Her overall win-loss record is 43-20 on this surface.
Both these players will be keen to get some wins under their belts before kick-starting their campaign at Wimbledon. Iga Swiatek had previously reached the SF at the Bad Homburg Open in 2023, while before this, Alexandrova’s best record was reaching the second round in 2024.
Now, if we take a look at their playing styles, Alexandrova is known for her aggressive baseline game, powerful groundstrokes, and strong serves. Talking about her serves, she has already hit 157 aces this season! Ekaterina Alexandrova loves playing a high-risk game, and she aims to finish off the points pretty quickly. Alexandrova also has a unique ability to generate powerful groundstrokes off both wings.
But will it be enough to beat someone like Iga Swiatek? Looks a bit unlikely on this surface at the moment! Swiatek is known for her powerful, precise groundstrokes, exceptional court coverage, versatile shot selection, and tactical awareness. Even the Pole is known for her aggressive baseline game. Her heavy topspin forehand can cause a few troubles for Alexandrova in this match. So, considering all these factors, I feel Swiatek has the edge in this match.
The post WTA Bad Homburg: Iga Swiatek vs Ekaterina Alexandrova; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.
