Świątek vs Vekić in Beijing: Who won the WTA match?

In brief

The match was won by Iga Świątek, who staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Donna Vekić and advance to the next round of the WTA tournament in Beijing.
The final score of the clash on the Chinese courts was 6:4, 3:6, 7:5 in favor of the Pole.
In the third round, the player from Raszyn will face Magda Linette, setting up an all-Polish duel in China's capital.
The head-to-head record between Iga Świątek and Donna Vekić has extended to 5-0 for the Polish representative.

Iga Świątek – Donna Vekić: The outcome of the Beijing clash

The match was won by Iga Świątek, who staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Donna Vekić and advance to the next round of the WTA tournament in Beijing. The Polish tennis player closed out this exhausting match with a score of 6:4, 3:6, 7:5, spending over two and a half hours on the National Tennis Center's center court. Donna Vekić set extremely tough conditions for the world number one, forcing our representative to fight for every single point until 5:5 in the deciding set. Cool-headedness in the final moments and a break of the Croatian's serve in the twelfth game of the third set decided the final success.

The actual date of this clash was October 2023, during the Pole's championship run for the China Open trophy, not 2026 as incorrectly stated in some online databases. The morning start time (Polish time) forced fans to wake up early, but the spectacle rewarded every minute spent in front of the screen. The Croatian played boldly, hitting flat shots just over the net and pushing the favorite away from the baseline, causing the match to slip out of the favorite's control in the second set.

For Świątek, this was only her second appearance during that edition in China's capital. After a trouble-free win in the first round against Spanish player Sara Sorribes Tormo, the confrontation with Vekić was a completely different weight class. The victory secured the Pole a spot in the round of 16 of the WTA 1000 tournament, where the bracket paired her with her compatriot, Magda Linette.

The duel in Beijing confirmed that the autumn part of the season in Asia is a testing ground for the nerves of the world's top players. Donna Vekić left the court with a sense of huge loss, as she led with a break in the third set and had opportunities on her racket to extend her lead. However, Świątek managed to neutralize her opponent's strengths, keeping her chances for the final tournament triumph alive.

Course of the competition: The Pole's comeback and the fight for every game

The start of the match promised a relatively calm afternoon for the favorite. In the first set, Iga Świątek quickly took control of the rallies, effectively returning the Croatian's deep serves. The 6:4 win in the opening set was the result of a single break, earned at 2:2. The Pole precisely countered her opponent's shots to the corners, not allowing the representative from Osijek to take the initiative.

Trouble began in the second set. Donna Vekić took risks, accelerated her first serve, and began ruthlessly hunting for the Pole's second serve. The strategy worked. Świątek lost her timing, began hitting forehands out of bounds, and dropped her own serve twice. The 3:6 result in favor of the Croatian fully reflected what was happening on the court. The Pole was helpless against her opponent's aggressive return, and frustration and helplessness appeared on her face.

The deciding set brought massive emotions and twists. Vekić quickly broke the leader's serve, taking a 2:0 lead. The margin for error for the Pole shrank to zero. Then, the grueling chase began. Świątek stopped looking for winners at all costs, switched to higher topspin, and patiently forced the Croatian to run. A break back to 2:2 calmed the situation, but only for a moment. At 3:4, the Polish representative had to defend two break points that could have decided the fate of the entire match.

The key fragment occurred at 5:5. Vekić led 40:15 on her own serve but could not close out the service game. Two unforced backhand errors gave the Pole a chance, which Świątek immediately used with a measured drop shot. Serving for the win at 6:5, the world number one did not concede a single point. She ended the fight with an ace, sealing a 7:5 win after a tough, exhausting battle.

WTA tournament in Beijing in the tennis calendar

The China Open at the National Tennis Center is one of the most demanding stops on the entire WTA Tour. A prize pool exceeding 8 million dollars and 1000 ranking points to be won mean that the entire world elite descends on the Chinese capital without exception. For players fighting for qualification to the season-ending WTA Finals, every match won in Beijing carries double weight.

Playing conditions on the Beijing hard courts are specific. The balls bounce relatively low, and the cooler autumn air slows their flight in the evening hours. Conversely, matches played in full sun favor players relying on a powerful serve and flat hitting, which was a huge asset for Donna Vekić. Świątek needed quite some time to adapt her characteristic heavy-spin forehand to the specifics of this surface.

The six-hour time difference relative to Poland created logistical challenges for coaching staffs. The change in climate zone, the long journey from tournaments played in North America, and the need for immediate adaptation to local smog and humidity mean that favorites often fall here in the early stages. The defeats of highly seeded tennis players are no anomaly in Beijing, but a constant element of autumn competition.

For the Polish tennis player, the win over Vekić in the second round was fundamental. It allowed her to maintain match continuity in a tournament where she ultimately reached for the final cup, defeating Liudmila Samsonova in the final. The road to this success, however, led through obstacles such as the Croatian's resistance, where pure tennis had to give way to ruthless tactical discipline and determination.

Tactical perspective of the competition

A tactical analysis of the Świątek vs. Vekić clash shows how thin the line is between success and failure in women's tennis at this level. Donna Vekić came onto the court with a very simple but difficult-to-neutralize plan. She deliberately avoided prolonged rallies from behind the baseline, where the Pole's mobility and fitness gave her an indisputable advantage. The Croatian shortened the rallies, sending every second shot on average at a speed exceeding 120 km/h.

The Pole had huge difficulties finding the right depth of shot in the second set. Her balls landed regularly around the service box, which was an invitation for her well-prepared opponent to attack directly. Świątek recorded as many as 14 unforced forehand errors in this part of the match, and her first-serve percentage dropped drastically below 50 percent.

The turning point occurred in the middle of the third set when Tomasz Wiktorowski from the coaching box ordered the Pole to change the geometry of her shots. Instead of flat responses through the middle of the net, Świątek began sending deep, angled balls with heavy topspin toward the baseline. Vekić was forced to hit the ball at shoulder height, which immediately took away her power and precision. The Croatian no longer had time to set up for a powerful swing.

The last three games of the deciding set were a display of tactical maturity by the Polish representative. Instead of risking on the return, Świątek hit the ball deep into the center of the court, waiting for an error from her impatient opponent. Vekić could not withstand the pressure. Her forehand, which had functioned flawlessly for two sets, began hitting the net in the most important moments.

Head-to-head record between Świątek and Vekić in WTA tournaments

The history of confrontations between Iga Świątek and Donna Vekić is a story of the Pole's absolute dominance, although almost every one of their duels provided plenty of excitement. Before stepping onto the court in Beijing, the official H2H record between these players was 4-0 in favor of the Polish representative. The win in China's capital extended this result to 5-0, reinforcing the Pole's psychological advantage.

The first direct clash took place during the 2020 Australian Open. At that time, the rising star Świątek won smoothly 7:5, 6:3. A few weeks later, the ladies met in Doha, where the Pole conceded only four games to her opponent, triumphing 6:3, 6:1. This was a period when Vekić was looking for optimal form after injuries, and the Pole's playing style did not suit her at all.

The duels played in 2022 and 2023 were much more intense. In the final of the prestigious San Diego tournament, Świątek needed three sets to break the Croatian's resistance, winning 6:3, 3:6, 6:0. The next chapter was written on clay in Rome in 2023, where the Pole won in two sets 6:3, 6:4, although the match was interrupted due to rain, and Vekić fought a close battle game for game.

Although Donna Vekić possesses one of the most powerful serves and forehands on the WTA tour, her record against Świątek remains ruthless. Five losses in five matches show that the Pole's style, based on outstanding defense and the ability to transition to counterattack, is an insurmountable barrier for the Croatian in the deciding phases of matches.

Iga Świątek's future prospects on Chinese courts

Defeating Donna Vekić opened a highway for Iga Świątek to further successes in China's capital, although the next task carried a completely different weight. In the round of 16, the Pole's opponent was Magda Linette, who had dealt with Jennifer Brady in her part of the bracket. A Polish duel at the WTA 1000 level in Asia sparked huge interest among fans back home, being a rare event in the history of domestic tennis.

The match with Vekić exposed certain service deficiencies of the Pole, which her staff had to correct immediately on the training courts. A low percentage of first serves against opponents like the Croatian generates huge danger, because modern women's tennis rewards aggressive returns. However, the victory, pushed through by sheer willpower, gave Świątek the necessary mental impulse that paid off in subsequent rounds against Linette, Caroline Garcia, Coco Gauff, and Samsonova.

For the Polish tennis player's camp, the triumph in Beijing was fundamental in the context of the chase for the WTA ranking leader position, which at that moment of the season was held by Aryna Sabalenka. Every point won on the Chinese courts brought the Pole closer to regaining the crown during the WTA Finals in Cancún. The struggle with Vekić turned out to be the turning point of the entire Asian tour, hardening her championship form for the deciding weeks of the year.

The win over the Croatian also reminded us of an old truth about high-ranking tournaments: titles are not won solely by matches won 6:0, 6:1. Sometimes the most important step to a trophy is surviving a crisis on a windy, cold day on the other side of the globe, when the serve fails and the opponent hits everything into the court. Świątek passed this exam in Beijing with honors.

What this means for you

Iga Świątek's 6:4, 3:6, 7:5 win over Donna Vekić is proof for Polish fans that the Pole can tip the scales in her favor even on days with poorer serving performance. The victory secured her a pass to the third round of the China Open, in which fans were treated to a rare Polish duel against Magda Linette in a tournament of this rank.

Questions and answers

Who won the Iga Świątek – Donna Vekić match in Beijing and with what score?

The match was won by Iga Świątek, defeating Donna Vekić with a score of 6:4, 3:6, 7:5 after a match lasting over two hours.

Who did Iga Świątek face in the next round after defeating Vekić?

The Pole's next opponent in the round of 16 of the Beijing tournament was her fellow countrywoman, Magda Linette.

In which year did this WTA tournament match in Beijing take place?

The duel was played at the beginning of October 2023 as part of the China Open tournament, which ultimately ended with Świątek's triumph in the entire event.