"I told myself the third time would be the charm," Bondar reflects on her victory over Svitolina at the US Open

Anna Bondar pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the first round of the 2025 US Open. The world No. 97 delivered an outstanding performance to eliminate Elina Svitolina, ranked 13th in the WTA, in straight sets (6-2, 6-4).

This was the third time this season the two players had faced each other, following Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. On each previous occasion, the Ukrainian had come out on top. But this time, Bondar found the keys to overcome her opponent, who made far too many unforced errors (41 in total).

The Hungarian thus ended Svitolina’s streak of winning her first-round matches in Grand Slam tournaments, a run that spanned her last 22 Major appearances since Wimbledon 2018. Bondar, 28, reflected on this significant victory.

"It's incredible. I'm very happy. I'm speechless. This is the third time I've played Svitolina in a Grand Slam. When I saw the draw, I couldn't be thrilled, but then I had to accept it and told myself that the third time would be the charm.

And that's what happened. She's an excellent opponent, and I expected her to fight until the end. She battled hard, and I was a bit tense toward the finish, but I'm very satisfied with my first serves in the final game.

It was very important for me to win this match. In our previous meetings, she had always taken an early lead in the first set and started playing with more confidence.

It was crucial for me not to fall behind on the scoreboard and to break her serve right away. That was a key moment that allowed me to take the initiative and prevent the set from unfolding like it did in our previous matches.

I played with more boldness than in our match at Wimbledon. In Paris, we also had a great match. This time, I approached the match with a different mindset and tactics, trying to maximize my opportunities by playing aggressively.

Against such opponents, you can't play cautiously. We decided that I should play freely and aggressively on the court. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest wins of my career.

After all, it came at a Major tournament against an opponent I had already lost to twice and against whom I wasn’t the favorite. It’s a huge victory," Bondar stated. She will face Maria Sakkari in the next round, for Tribuna.