Iga Swiatek beat Yue Yuan in the first round of the Australian Open 2026 on Monday, 19 January, at Rod Laver Arena. The match was not easy for Swiatek, as Yue Yuan played with confidence and pressure from the start. Yue Yuan broke Swiatek’s serve early in the first set and took a surprising 3–1 lead, raising the possibility of an upset. Swiatek struggled with unforced errors at first but stayed calm and slowly worked her way back into the match.
Swiatek fought hard to level the first set at 5–5 with a strong backhand winner that broke Yuan’s serve. The set went to a tie-break, where Swiatek showed her class and experience to edge past the Chinese qualifier and take the opening set. Despite losing the tie-break, Yue Yuan continued to challenge Swiatek and did not let the match slip away easily.
In the second set, Swiatek moved ahead early and looked more in control, but Yue Yuan again pushed back and made it competitive. Swiatek’s first-serve percentage dropped, and Yuan won more points on her own serve, keeping the pressure on the Polish player. Even so, Swiatek stayed composed, raised her level at the right moments, and finished the match in straight sets.
The win came after a tough battle in both sets and showed Swiatek’s ability to handle pressure in the opening round. With this victory, Swiatek progressed to the next round and extended her head-to-head record against Yue Yuan, having previously beaten her in Beijing in 2025.
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