Iga Swiatek was brought to tears after surviving a scare in the first match of her title defence at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.
The world No 3 was tested in a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory against 79th-ranked Taylor Townsend in the opening round on Centre Court.
After breaking serve three consecutive times to win the first set comfortably, Swiatek quickly found herself facing a 0-4 deficit in the second set before Townsend levelled the match.
Swiatek then saved four break points to hold serve in a 23-point opening game of the third set, which lasted 21 minutes.
The six-time major champion broke to take a 4-2 lead in the decider, but her 30-year-old American opponent broke straight back in the following game.
The 25-year-old then delivered the decisive blow by breaking to take a 5-3 lead before serving out to love.
Following her celebration, Swiatek cried and hid her face in her towel as she sat in her chair.
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Swiatek’s emotions were still close to the surface when she spoke in her on-court interview.
“Well, I’m not sure if I’m able to talk that much (smiles), No, just, it was a tough couple of weeks,” said Swiatek.
“Not a season where everything went how I wanted. I don’t think I won any three-set matches this year, so I’m happy that I could do it here.
“Obviously it means a lot opening the court as the defending champion. So yeah, just happy to be here.”
Swiatek also discussed the importance of holding serve in the marathon first game of the third set.
“Yeah, well, sometimes just serving the ball in might be a tough ask, so this game for sure was about that, and it was about believing that I can do it, ’cause it was long and many break points,” she said.
“So at the end, I’m happy I kept my composure. I was listening to the box and they were supporting me a lot. I knew I needed to be solid and not look for winners or serves that would give me a point. Play more safe, to have a chance to play a rally.
“So yeah, I’m happy at the end that this game went well, because I think it was crucial. Yeah, into the next one.”
Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli shared her thoughts on Swiatek’s emotional reaction.
“You can see the relief on Iga’s face. It was a very intense match,” said the former world No 7.
“The moment it turned was in the very first game of the third set. It was absolutely pivotal because she was really losing the momentum of this match.”
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