“I think it was the most intense and, like, crazy final I played,” Iga Swiatek recalled after her thrilling win over Aryna Sabalenka in the 2024 Madrid Open final. It was a 3-hour, 11-minute classic where she clawed back from 1-3 down in the third set and saved three match points to win 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7). But as the 2025 edition looms, defending the title won’t be easy. One major hurdle for Swiatek? Jelena Ostapenko. Despite Swiatek’s dominance on clay, including four Grand Slam wins, Ostapenko has been a consistent thorn in her flesh. Will she prove to be the Pole’s nemesis once again?

Iga Swiatek’s 2025 season has been filled with deep runs but no titles so far till now, making it a frustrating stretch for the second seed. After a SF defeat to Madison Keys at the AO, Swiatek followed up with another SF loss in Qatar, a quarterfinal exit in Dubai, and similar QF setbacks at both Miami and Stuttgart. Despite strong performances, she hasn’t quite managed to break through to lift a trophy, and things don’t seem to get easier at the Madrid Open either.

Kicking off her title defense at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid, Swiatek will begin her campaign after a first-round bye and face either Alexandra Eala or Viktoriya Tomova in the second round. Should she progress, a third-round clash against Linda Noskova awaits, before a potential fourth-round showdown against Jelena Ostapenko, her long-time nemesis.

Further down the line, Swiatek could run into Madison Keys or Emma Navarro in the QF, followed by a possible SF against Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva. Aryna Sabalenka could be waiting in the final. But why are all eyes on the looming battle with Ostapenko?

Iga Swiatek’s struggles against Jelena Ostapenko continued at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, as the Pole suffered her sixth consecutive defeat to the former World No. 5. The Polish ace, who has now lost all six of her encounters against Ostapenko on the WTA Tour, was unable to break the pattern of their one-sided rivalry in Stuttgart.

In a tense QF clash on April 19, 2025, Swiatek fought hard for 2 hours and 10 minutes but fell short, losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. This defeat came on the back of an earlier loss to Ostapenko at the Qatar Open semifinals this season, further compounding the Pole’s frustrations with the Latvian.

“She’s a great clay-court player, but I won [Roland Garros], so I can say the same thing for myself. I tried to be aggressive today, to take time away from her. Because when she has time, she’s playing very well,” Ostapenko said after securing a 6-0 H2H against Swiatek.

Subsequent to a frustrating loss on her preferred surface, Swiatek shed light on her defeat at the hands of the Latvian player and her plans for the future.

“I had my chances to win,” Iga Swiatek opens up after her latest loss against Jelena Ostapenko at the Stuttgart Open

Iga Swiatek entered the WTA 500 Stuttgart Open as the second seed, kicking off her campaign with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over qualifier Jana Fett after a first-round bye. But Jelena Ostapenko, once again, dashed her title hopes in the quarterfinals. Despite being ranked 22 places below Swiatek, Ostapenko asserted dominance in their one-sided rivalry, claiming a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory.

Swiatek’s shaky start, which included two double faults and an early break, set the tone for the opening set, and Ostapenko kept up the pressure with aggressive returns.

Still, the second seed showed glimpses of resilience. She battled back in the second set, capitalizing on a rare lapse from Ostapenko to take control and force a decider. Her serve improved, her forehand began to dictate play, and she forced errors from her opponent. But the momentum didn’t last. The former French Open winner rediscovered her rhythm in the third set, while Swiatek’s form dipped once more. 

“Well, I think today was a tight match, so for sure I had my chances to win. Before, like, for sure, like, these matches were different. Like, she went for it and she was smashing every ball kind of perfectly. Today she didn’t, she made some mistakes. I had my chances. I just didn’t use them,” Iga said post-match.

Now heading into Madrid, Iga Swiatek will be defending her crown with an impressive 13-2 record at the tournament. However, with a challenging draw ahead, the question remains: can the Pole overcome her struggles against the ever-dangerous Latvian, Jelena Ostapenko?