Iga Swiatek Vs Yue Yuan, Australian Open: Polish Star's Career Grand Slam Bid Starts With Comfortable Win

Iga Swiatek's quest for the Career Grand Slam started with a victory as the world number two progressed to the second round of the Australian Open with a win over Yue Yuan. 

Swiatek is yet to go beyond the semi-finals at Melbourne Park, but she made a strong start to her 2026 campaign with a controlled 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 triumph in just under two hours. 

But the Pole was put instantly under pressure after being broken by Yuan in the first game of the opening set, but Swiatek quickly recovered as the pair continued to trade blows. 

A tie-break would decide the first set, with Swiatek sealing the advantage at the second time of asking, and from there, she was able to see out the contest with relative ease. 

Swiatek got the better of her opponents serve and raced into a 3-0 lead in the second set, and though Yuan provided a response, the early damage proved too much to recover from.

The six-time grand slam champion confirmed her progression to the second round against the serve, sending a stunning backhand return down the left baseline. 

Her next opponent in Melbourne will be Czechia's Marie Bouzkova, who beat Renata Zarazua in her opening-round encounter. 

Data Debrief: Swiatek maintains perfect slam record

Just a few months ago, Swiatek handled Yuan with ease, defeating her 6-0 6-3 in the second round at Beijing in 74 minutes, but she was made to work for her victory here. 

However, she showcased her quality and in doing so, became the first player to win 25+ consecutive women's singles grand slam opening rounds since Karolina Pliskova (25 between Wimbledon 2016 and the Australian Open 2023).

Swiatek has also now made the second round in each of the last 25 grand slam events, becoming the first player to reach the round of 64 for 25+ consecutive women's singles majors since Svetlana Kuznetsova (26 in a row between the Australian Open 2006 and Roland-Garros 2012).