Iga Swiatek demolished her first opponent at the Wuhan Open to advance to the round of 16.
Swiatek left world number 41 Marie Bouzkova with little room to manoeuvre, as she swept aside the Czech star 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday.
The Pole bounced back from a disappointing loss in the China Open round of 16, a match in which she hit an astonishing 70 unforced errors.
Swiatek has become virtually unstoppable during the early stages of tournaments, seemingly a class above some of her peers on the WTA Tour.
She demonstrated this yet again on Tuesday, setting a new record in the process.
Iga Swiatek has won 68 consecutive opening matches at tournaments
The Polish star recently admitted to being unaware of some of the statistical records she has achieved in recent history.
Swiatek has achieved another record after her latest victory in Wuhan, after becoming the first player to win their opening eight matches at the China Open.
As per OptaAce, Iga Swiatek has won a 68th consecutive opening match at WTA-level events [including United Cup and WTA Finals].
This total represents the most consecutive opening wins of any player since the Tier format’s introduction in 1990.
Swiatek will now look ahead to a potential clash against an Olympic gold medallist in the Wuhan Open round of 16.
In fact, if Swiatek does play this opponent, it would be a rematch of their recent Wimbledon semi-final.
Swiatek’s potential match against Belinda Bencic
If Belinda Bencic defeats Elise Mertens on Wednesday, she will face Iga Swiatek in the Wuhan Open round of 16.
The pair have met five times on the WTA Tour, with Swiatek emerging victorious on four of those five occasions.
They last met in the 2025 Wimbledon semi-finals. Swiatek ended Bencic’s Wimbledon dreams, winning 6-2, 6-0.
Swiatek went on to win her first Wimbledon title, securing a historic 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova in the final.
