Four thousand eight hundred and nine points against 133
Iga Swiatek wasted little time on Thursday at Flushing Meadows. The Pole brushed aside Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour and a quarter to reach the third round of the US Open.
The rankings gap made the script obvious. Podoroska, world No. 449 and in the draw via a protected ranking, had 133 points to her name when she stepped on court. Swiatek has 4809 and sits eighth in the world.
This never looked like turning into a contest. No wobble, no tight set, no mess on serve. Exactly the sort of business Swiatek has too often failed to get done for much of the season.
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A streak nobody else on tour can match
The win matters most for what it extends. Swiatek has now reached the third round at 27 straight Grand Slams. Across the four majors, no other player is currently matching that level of consistency at the opening hurdle.
The numbers tell you plenty about her career. Even when things have been messy, the Pole has never fallen in the first round of a major. That is the base that has kept her in the top 10 through months without a trophy.
Twelve wins in 13 matches since Toronto
The turnaround came in Canada. Swiatek took the Toronto title on 14 August, ending a 326-day wait for a tournament win. Since then she has put together 12 wins in 13 matches on the North American swing.
The only blemish came against Jessica Pegula, who knocked her out in the Cincinnati semi-finals. She will not be facing a test like that just yet.
For a spot in the last 16, the Pole meets the winner of Harriet Dart and Marie Bouzkova. Neither looks built to trouble her on a fast hard court. The real test comes later, when the draw tightens and the seeds start bumping into each other.
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