A few days after the conclusion of the women’s tournament at the Australian Open, it’s time to reflect. Looking at the reactions from various tennis pundits and the reports from eager journalists, a few striking observations emerge—one of which is highly questionable. It concerns Iga Swiatek.
There’s no doubt about the two happiest players leaving AO 2025: American Madison Keys, without question, followed closely by lucky loser Eva Lys. Lys was already on her way to Austria, set to compete in Linz (where she has since been eliminated by Petra Martic), when she was suddenly called back to Melbourne to replace Anna Kalinskaya. That emergency call happened twice more before she ultimately bowed out in the fourth round against Iga Swiatek.
Unjustified Criticism: The Swiatek Narrative
Ironically, it was Swiatek who received significant criticism in the international media—completely unjustified. She lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Keys, who ultimately had fewer problems against Aryna Sabalenka. The simple fact was that the Keys who played in the semifinals was nearly twice as good as the Keys who faced Sabalenka, against whom she faded in the latter half of the match.
Keys was simply outstanding in that semifinal against Swiatek. It was the best match of the tournament and the best match Keys has ever played. Her forehand was so dominant that day that she hit the ball harder than most of the men combined.
Yet many pundits framed it as “Iga Swiatek was not at her best.” That’s scoreboard journalism. In reality, Swiatek was more likely to win that match. She fought toe-to-toe with a red-hot Keys and never mentally checked out. She played with courage, matching the American’s power, and even won her fair share of points that way. The idea that she was already “mentally in the locker room” is simply false.
Swiatek served more first serves in than Keys and won more points on her second serve. And then there was that legendary super tiebreak. Swiatek repeatedly had the chance to go up by three points. At those crucial moments, she played just a fraction too safely. But who wouldn’t? When you keep leading in a chaotic tiebreak, would you go for broke every time the opportunity to create a three-point gap arises? Especially when you get that chance four, five, even six times? No, you’d expect your opponent to eventually crack. But Keys didn’t.
A Semifinal That Proves Swiatek is Ready for More
The only fair conclusion is simple: Iga Swiatek played an excellent semifinal. She played her best Australian Open ever. She could have easily been in the final against Aryna Sabalenka.
Under Belgian coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek is already a different player. There are more reasons to believe she’ll have a great 2025 season than not. Her Australian Open performance was top-tier. The only disappointment should be that she ran into the best version of Madison Keys ever. But pundits and journalists listing her among the tournament’s biggest losers? That’s absurd.
She is younger than Jannik Sinner and still ahead of him in career titles. Maybe not in popularity, but in achievements—and that’s what ultimately matters.
Iga Swiatek should have no doubts after her Australian Open 2025 run. Despite facing criticism, she delivered one of her strongest performances in Melbourne, proving her resilience and adaptability. Her semifinal loss to Madison Keys wasn’t a failure—it was a battle against an inspired opponent playing the match of her life. Swiatek fought toe-to-toe, showcasing her evolving game under coach Wim Fissette. With her determination and form, 2025 could be a defining season.
Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open
- 2019: R64 (as a Qualifier, lost 6-2 6-0 to Camila Giorgi)
- 2020: R16 (Lost 6-7 7-5 7-5 to Anett Kontaveit in a thriller)
- 2021: R16 (Lost 3-6 6-1 6-4 to Simona Halep)
- 2022: SF (Lost 6-4 6-1 to Danielle Collins, mentally (collapsed)
- 2023: R16 (Lost 6-4 6-4 to Elena Rybakina)
- 2024: R32 (Upset by Linda Noskova 3-6 6-3 6-4)
- 2025: SF (Madison Keys defeats her 10-8 in the super tiebreak)