Swiatek Advances to Second Round at Wimbledon After Victory Over Kudermetova

Iga Swiatek cleared the first-round hurdle at Wimbledon. After reaching her first career grass-court final on the main tour at the WTA 500 tournament in Bad Homburg, the Polish player, who climbed back into the top 4 thanks to her run in Germany, now hopes to make a strong showing at Wimbledon, where her best result so far was a quarterfinal appearance in 2023.

Facing Polina Kudermetova in the opening round, the eighth-seeded Swiatek was efficient in the match. She saved one break point and converted 100% of her opportunities to break her opponent’s serve.

After a tight first set, the 24-year-old player pulled away in the second set. In the end, she secured a straight-sets victory (7-5, 6-1 in 1 hour and 8 minutes) and advanced to the second round, where she will face Catherine McNally, who defeated Jodie Burrage (6-3, 6-1).

"Playing in this heat, I’m glad to see some clouds coming in. I wasn’t sure how I’d survive it! In tennis, we have to be ready for rain, heat, and everything else—especially here in Britain, as you’ve seen," Swiatek joked on court shortly after securing her 34th WTA tour win of the season.