Iga Swiatek was not at her best, but still managed to defeat world No. 63 Katie McNally in the round of 64 at the Italian Open, overcoming a small second set deficit to reach the next round. The Polish star faced many difficult moments during the competition, but her experience and patience ultimately helped her win 6-1,6-7(5), 6-3.

Swiatek started the match impressively, directing rallies from the baseline and repeatedly pushing McNally to the back of the court with heavy topspin forehands. He won the opening set 6–1, breaking the American several times and barely allowing his opponent to gain any momentum. McNally initially struggled to deal with Swiatek’s depth and consistency, especially during longer rallies.

McNally makes Swiatek work hard

However, the second set turned into a much tighter contest. McNally raised his level significantly by attacking the net more often and taking advantage of some of Swiatek’s loose moments. The American’s aggressive approach paid off as he won the set 7-6 in a tense tiebreak, changing the momentum of the contest somewhat.

Despite the setback, Swiatek responded with maturity in the deciding set. He immediately regained control by improving the accuracy of the first serve and reducing his unforced errors. Swiatek won 54 percent of the total points in the match and converted six break points in crucial moments, underscoring her superiority.

McNally fought hard throughout the match, but Swiatek’s experience and consistency on clay ultimately proved decisive. Swiatek will next face the winner of the match between Emma Navarro and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

svitek is fighting hard

The former world No. 1 has endured an unusually difficult clay-court season by her lofty standards, struggling to rediscover the dominance that once made her virtually unbeatable on the surface. She arrived on clay in early 2026 after inconsistent results and failed to build momentum during the European swing.

Her struggles reached a painful point at the Madrid Open, where she was forced to retire during her third-round tie against Ann Li. Swiatek lost the first set 7-6(4), bounced back to win the second set 6-2, but was trailing 0-3 in the deciding set when she decided she could no longer continue.

The Polish star was visibly distressed, sought medical attention during the match and eventually left the court in tears. With the French Open approaching, Swiatek will now hope to recapture the form that once helped her win a hat-trick of Roland Garros titles.

– ends