After a dominating run to the semis, Iga Swiatek‘s Australian Open 2025 journey comes to a heartbreaking end. In the epic battle against Madison Keys, the Pole fell 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) to the resilient American, who claimed four of the final five points in the super tie-break to secure place in Saturday’s final. Despite her defeat, the former world No.1 Andy Roddick still liked her ‘Rafa-ish’ intensity during the match.

The high-stakes match saw Swiatek struggling to find her rhythm, with 41 unforced errors and seven double faults spoiling her gameplay. Despite this, the world No. 2 managed to put herself in the position to win, earning a match point in the third set. But, a crucial double fault was enough to hand keys a service break, which ultimately took the contest to a thrilling tiebreaker. Swiatek initially led the tiebreak, but Keys staged a sensational comeback and leveled 7-7. She then went on to finish strong with some breathtaking shots sealing the victory in the end.

Although Swiatek is out of the tournament, Andy Roddick singled out her unwavering intensity as the best part of her game. Speaking on his podcast Served with Andy Roddick, the former tennis champion elaborated some parallels between Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal. “She emotes more than Rafa, which makes us view her as…Rafa doesn’t give you anything when he’s losing points. Iga will look at the box and maybe look a little more panicked sometimes, but she’s right back as far as point-to-point and refocusing and resetting It’s not hard to see that Rafa was her idol. She mimics that” Roddick explained.

Roddick also aptly noted the Polish star’s intensity and ability to bounce back. “One point to the next one, to the next one, her intensity never falters,” he said. Swiatek herself has often spoken of her admiration for Nadal and was even being spotted reading a book about him earlier during the tournament. She has described the 22-time Grand Slam winner as her ”biggest inspiration” and an “amazing person off the court“, highlighting Nadal’s impact on her own career.

Even after the semifinal defeat, Swiatek’s performance at this year’s Australian Open matched her career best in Melbourne, having the same result as the semifinals of 2022. She notched five straight-set victories which solidified her reputation as a dominant force in the WTA.

Iga Swiatek Remains Optimistic Despite Australian Open Exit

The 29-year-old Madison Keys was the second American to end Iga Swiatek’s Australian Open run following Danielle Collins’ victory over the Pole in 2022. This defeat also ended her hopes to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking, as Aryna Sabalenka retains the spot for now.

Reflecting on her performance in Melbourne, Swiatek remained optimistic about the future and expressed pride in her campaign despite the semifinal loss. “It was tight, you know, from the beginning. And the second set, for sure, like, it was something that I just wanted to forget about and get back to my game, you know?” Swiatek said. The Polish star also acknowledged her American rival by saying, “I think I played good, but she played better. And so I would say like I did everything I could. I wouldn’t say like I flopped or that I should have won.”

Despite failing short of the final, Swiatek’s optimism shows her growth as a player and determination to improve further. With inspiration drawn from Rafael Nadal, she continues to epitomize his spirit and focus and remains a force to be reckoned with, in the next chapter of her journey.