Iga Swiatek refused to overthink her shocking US Open 2026 exit after the former world No. 1 squandered a 5-0 lead in the opening set before losing 7-5, 6-3 to Qinwen Zheng in the fourth round on Sunday. Swiatek appeared in control when she raced into a 5-0 advantage, but Zheng responded by winning seven consecutive games to take the opening set. The Chinese player then maintained her momentum in the second set to end Swiatek’s campaign in New York.
Swiatek, however, played down the significance of the collapse when asked how she would process surrendering such a commanding lead.
“It’s just one match, like… try to play the same way as usual,” Swiatek told reporters. “What do you mean? Do you think it’s something crazy? You can lose a set from any score, nothing special about that. Just that’s what happened and that’s it.”
Iga Swiatek in press after her loss to Qinwen Zheng:
“More specifically about the first set, having been up 5 love and bouncing back from that.. how do you think you’ll go about internalizing that and growing from it?”
“It’s just one match, like…. try to play the same way as… pic.twitter.com/sYQ9dmKWKE
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 7, 2026
Iga Swiatek Blames Errors for Momentum Shift
The 24-year-old said she did not feel mentally overwhelmed after Zheng fought her way back into the match. Instead, she pointed to a sudden increase in unforced errors that allowed her opponent to regain confidence.
“For sure, I felt like I started missing too many shots, she started playing, and I let her back into the match,” Swiatek said.
Swiatek said she attempted to change her approach once the momentum had shifted but could not find a way to regain control.
“Today, I didn’t have a problem getting back into the match mentally. I just started making mistakes. I wanted to adjust it, but nothing kind of worked at that point,” she said.
“I knew I’m going to have another chance, and I wanted to use it, but I missed them all.”
Zheng’s victory completed a remarkable turnaround in a match that initially appeared to be slipping away from her. After recovering from 5-0 down, she converted the opportunity to take the first set and never allowed Swiatek to regain the initiative.
Swiatek Looks Beyond Disappointing Major Season
The defeat means Swiatek will finish the 2026 season without a Grand Slam title, ending a run in which she had won at least one major championship every year since 2022.
Her best Grand Slam result this year came at the Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. She then suffered early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon before her fourth-round defeat in New York.
Despite the disappointment, Swiatek said she would take encouragement from her performances during the second half of the season and focus on improving rather than dwelling on the loss.
“This second half of the season is better for me anyway,” she said. “I don’t plan to stop there; I know I can improve my game.”
