The curious case of Swiatek's hex against Ostapenko

BBC News

21-04-2025

In the latest edition of Second Serve, our new weekly snapshot of the tours, BBC tennis reporter Jonathan Jurejko looks at the key talking points.
Usually Iga Swiatek is the one dishing out the bagels.In recent years, the five-time major champion has become known for the ruthless manner of her victories, subjecting many opponents to the ultimate embarrassment of losing a set without winning a game.Now 23-year-old Swiatek finds herself in the position of being on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline - having lost to Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth time in a row.Ostapenko extended her flawless head-to-head record against the world number two in the Stuttgart quarter-finals on Saturday.So what's behind the one-sided results?Having won the 2017 French Open, Ostapenko certainly has the pedigree and her explosive ball-bashing - when it works, and the winners outweigh the unforced errors - can have devastating consequences.Swiatek has encountered trouble against aggressive ball-strikers, too, so that adds further weight to the explanation.You also wonder whether there is a mental block against an opponent who a player knows has their number.Swiatek disputed that afterwards, saying her head "was much more clear" against Ostapenko in Stuttgart than her previous defeats.While the agony was prolonged in Stuttgart, you can't imagine a player of Swiatek's quality will suffer a career-spanning hex.There is a long way to go until Swiatek enters the conversation of being on the receiving end of the most dominant head-to-head record.Gael Monfils has lost all 20 of his matches (so far) against Novak Djokovic, while Richard Gasquet's 18-0 record against Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer's 14-0 against Roger Federer are other notable lopsided match-ups in recent years.In fact, Swiatek could shake off the hex as early as next week, with Ostapenko slated to be a prospective last-16 opponent in Madrid.
British number four Harriet Dart caused a stink by telling her French opponent to put on deodorant at the Rouen Open.Rafael Nadal might not be playing the French Open this year - a strange feeling indeed - but the 14-time men's singles champion will be honoured in a ceremony at Roland Garros.Serena Williams claims she would have been treated differently to Jannik Sinner if she had failed two doping tests.
The two-year wait is over for Holger Rune. The 21-year-old Dane has finally got his hands on another ATP trophy after beating childhood friend Carlos Alcaraz to the Barcelona title.The reward is a leap back into the world's top 10 - as well as the customary jump into the pool.Alexander Zverev may not have made the most of chasing down banned world number one Jannik Sinner, but the German ensured he did not lose any further ground - and moved back above Alcaraz to number two - after retaining his Munich title. Hungary's Fabian Marozsan has broken back into the top 60 after coming through qualifying in Munich to reach his first ATP semi-final.
In the WTA rankings, Ostapenko has made the most notable progress. The Latvian has climbed back into the top 20 after reaching the Stuttgart final, where she faces world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Monday.Elina Svitolina is just out of Ostapenko's reach after the Ukrainian won the Rouen title, with beaten finalist Olga Danilovic set to move up to a career-high 34th.
The world's best have converged on Madrid for the next ATP Masters-WTA 1000 combined event of the season.Nineteen of the top 20 men are playing - only Jannik Sinner remains missing - with two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz classed as the favourite on a slower clay surface where the balls travel heavier because of Madrid's altitude.Russia's Andrey Rublev is the defending champion.All of the women's top 20 are set to compete in the Spanish capital.Swiatek defends her title as she looks to bounce back and close the gap on Sabalenka at the top of the rankings.Sabalenka might not yet have mastered the clay courts like she has the hard courts - but her two titles on the red dirt have both come in - you've guessed it - Madrid.
British number ones Jack Draper and Katie Boulter took to the practice courts last week instead of playing in tournaments before Madrid, while Emma Raducanu has spent time doing a training block in Los Angeles. The trio will return to competitive action in Madrid this week.In the men's doubles, Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski missed out on their first title together - but there was still a British champion in Barcelona.Luke Johnson and Dutch partner Sander Arends took the trophy after a tight 6-3 6-7 10-6 win over Salisbury and Skupski.Three British players - Eden Silva, Emily Appleton and Maia Lumsden - competed in the Rouen women's doubles main draw, but lost their respective matches.And what about the next generation? Junior US Open champion Mika Stojsavljevic won the under-18 girls' title at the National Championships, while Oliver Bonding claimed the boys' event.Both winners are rewarded with wildcards into Wimbledon qualifying and a place in the main draw of the Junior Championships.
What is Second Serve?
With so many professional tennis tournaments taking place across the world, and across so many levels, it can be hard to keep up with everything from one week to the next.As part of BBC Sport's commitment to offer more for tennis fans, Second Serve will be your weekly round-up of the biggest stories in the sport.As well as the main talking point, you can see which ATP and WTA players are making significant progress - or struggling for form, how the British contingent are doing and what the next stops on the calendars are.You can also sign up to get the latest tennis news from BBC Sport delivered straight to your mobile phone.