"I didn't expect to win this match," admits Swiatek after her victory against Paolini in Bad Homburg

Iga Swiatek has ended her dry spell. While her last final on the main tour dated back to her victory against Jasmine Paolini at Roland-Garros in 2024, the Polish player, currently ranked 8th in the world this week but set to return to the top 4 after the WTA 500 tournament in Bad Homburg, will compete for the title in Germany.

The 24-year-old has secured her 27th career final and will aim for her 23rd WTA title—and her first on grass—against Jessica Pegula this Saturday. Before that, Swiatek reflected on her semifinal win against Paolini (6-1, 6-3).

"Honestly, I didn’t expect to win this match. I’m just happy I did my job. I knew what I wanted to do on the court, and I’m glad I was able to keep the momentum on my side until the end.

You know, it’s not easy because Jasmine (Paolini) is a real fighter. Tactics change depending on the surface, but on grass, we both bring a lot of intensity.

I think I understand her playing style, but it’s the same for her. I knew today (Friday) she’d try to come to the net often, so I made sure she couldn’t.

I tried to keep her behind the baseline as much as possible, and I’m really satisfied with how consistently I managed to do that in this match," Swiatek told Tennis Up To Date.