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Korea Open – Swiatek Outlasts Alexandrova
Top seed Iga Swiatek rallied from a shaky opening set to defeat No. 2 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in the Korea Open final in Seoul. The victory marked Swiatek’s third title of the season and the 25th of her career.
Swiatek struggled early, committing nine double faults and getting out-aced 6-2, as Alexandrova rolled through the opening set in just 30 minutes. The second set shifted momentum. Both players exchanged early breaks before settling into rhythm and pushing to a tiebreaker. Swiatek dominated the breaker 7-3, flashing her trademark depth and consistency to force a deciding set.
Alexandrova, the 2022 Korea Open champion, looked poised to reclaim the crown after building a 3-1 advantage in the third. Swiatek, however, fought back with sharp returns and strong baseline rallies. At 6-5, she broke Alexandrova on her second match point, completing a two-hour, 41-minute comeback. The win added another trophy to her growing hard-court résumé.
Billie Jean King Cup – Italy Defends Title
Team Italy repeated as champions after Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Jasmine Paolini delivered singles victories over the United States in Shenzhen, China. The Italians became the first back-to-back winners since the Czech Republic claimed three straight from 2014-16.
Cocciaretto was clinical in her opener, breaking Emma Navarro’s serve three times en route to a 6-4, 6-4 straight-set win. Paolini then sealed the tie by outlasting Jessica Pegula, converting her fourth match point to complete the upset. The 2-0 sweep meant a deciding doubles rubber was unnecessary.
The triumph gave Italy its second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup title, cementing the nation’s depth and rising strength in women’s tennis. For the U.S., the loss extended a drought that dates back to 2017, when they last won under the event’s former name, the Federation Cup.
