World No. 16 Ekaterina Alexandrova stunned the tennis world on Monday night, defeating reigning No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the round of 16 at the Miami Open. The 6-4, 6-2 victory marked Alexandrova’s first career win over a reigning top-ranked player.
Alexandrova, a 27-year-old Russian, played with remarkable composure and aggression throughout the match. She broke Swiatek’s serve twice in the first set and held her own serve comfortably. In the second set, Alexandrova continued to dominate, breaking Swiatek’s serve twice more and closing out the match with a powerful forehand winner.
Swiatek, who had won 17 consecutive matches and three consecutive WTA 1000 titles, struggled to find her rhythm against Alexandrova’s relentless pressure. The Polish star committed 25 unforced errors, compared to just 10 for Alexandrova.
Alexandrova’s victory is a testament to her hard work and determination. She has been steadily climbing the WTA rankings in recent years and has now reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Her win over Swiatek is a major confidence boost and could propel her to even greater heights in the future.
The upset has sent shockwaves through the tennis world and has opened up the draw at the Miami Open. Alexandrova will face either No. 8 seed Danielle Collins or No. 10 seed Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals. With her newfound confidence, Alexandrova will be a formidable opponent for any player she faces.
