


Imagine what she does to her enemies.
Iga Swiatek crushed “best friend” Kaja Juvan in the third round of the U.S. Open on Friday, rolling to a 6-0, 6-1 win at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Swiatek and Juvan dined earlier this week in New York ahead of the matchup.
The two bonded over their love of reading as junior players to start this long-lasting friendship, according to the WTA Tour’s website.
There is no mercy during the grand slam season, though.
“We know how to keep it cool,” Swiatek said before the match. “We already played a couple of times against each other. I think we both can kind of cut off the off-court friendship and just play our game, and then we are friends back.
“I think we both know how to be professional and just play the match and that’s all.”
For the 145th-ranked Juvan, it was still a nice run in Flushing Meadows.
The Slovenian advanced through qualifying with three wins before upsetting 29th-seeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round.
Swiatek, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, had won the previous two matchups between the buds, though those were much closer affairs with Juvan even taking a set during the 2021 Gippsland Trophy.
“She’s my best friend on tour. She’s one of the most honest and I think smart people on tour,” Swiatek told reporters after her second-round win over Daria Saville.
Juvan can take solace in that she is not alone, as Swiatek is known for her “bagels” and “breadsticks” victories where her opponents barely make a dent on the scoreboard.
Swiatek beat Rebecca Peterson by an identical 6-0, 6-1 scoreline in the first round.
Swiatek shies away from the topic of her dominance even as it trends on social media.
“I don’t want to really talk about that,” Swiatek said at the French Open. “I really get why people do that, because it’s fun and tennis is entertainment and everything. But like from players’ point of view, I want to kind of be respectful to my opponents and, you know, you don’t see the stuff that is behind the scenes. Sometimes it’s not easy to play such matches and sometimes it’s not easy also for the opponents.”
Swiatek, the defending champ and favorite to win again, now awaits the winner of Jelena Ostapenko and Bernarda Pera to face in the fourth round.