Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek Bad Homburg has made a major breakthrough on grass, reaching her first-ever WTA Tour final on the surface by defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 6-3 at the Bad Homburg Open. The four-time French Open winner and current world number one looks primed to challenge for Wimbledon 2025 glory next week.
Swiatek, 24, who had never previously reached a grass-court final, delivered a dominant display to dispatch Paolini in just over an hour. The Italian, currently ranked world number five and runner-up at this year’s French Open and Wimbledon finalist in 2023, had no answers to Swiatek’s powerful baseline game and clever court positioning.
“I am super happy – I was not expecting this,” Swiatek said in her post-match interview. “I just did my job, knew what I wanted to play and went for it.”
Key Milestones in Iga Swiatek Bad Homburg Grass-Court Journey
- First career WTA final on grass
- First win over a top-10 player on grass (Paolini, world no. 5)
- Three-time French Open winner and 2022 US Open champion
This victory marks a significant milestone for Swiatek, who has often been viewed as a clay and hard court specialist. Her previous best result on grass was a quarter-final finish at Wimbledon 2023.
Despite skipping grass-court tournaments last year between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Swiatek made the conscious decision to train in Mallorca this year before entering Bad Homburg—an approach that appears to be paying dividends.
Swiatek to Face Pegula or Noskova in Final
Swiatek will meet either American top seed Jessica Pegula or Czech rising star Linda Noskova in the final on Saturday. Pegula is aiming for her third WTA title of the season, while Noskova is seeking her second career title.
The timing couldn’t be better for Swiatek. With Wimbledon 2025 beginning on Monday, this victory sets a confident tone heading into the prestigious Grand Slam event.
Paolini Overpowered Despite Strong Season
Jasmine Paolini, who reached the French Open final earlier this month, started the match with promise but was quickly overwhelmed. Swiatek broke serve three times in a 29-minute first set, and while Paolini earned an early break in the second set, Swiatek stormed back, winning six of the final eight games.
Paolini will look to reset before Wimbledon, where she’ll be one of the seeded players after her breakout year on both clay and grass.
Elsewhere on the WTA Tour: Alexandra Eala Makes History
At the Eastbourne International, Philippines’ Alexandra Eala stunned Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to reach her first WTA final. The 20-year-old, who memorably defeated Swiatek in Miami earlier this year, is the first Filipino to achieve this feat.
Ranked 74th in the world, Eala is set to face either Maya Joint or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the Eastbourne final. She will then face defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round at SW19.
Wimbledon Watch: Swiatek Eyes Breakthrough on Grass
Despite her dominance on clay, Wimbledon has eluded Swiatek so far. She has never progressed past the quarter-finals and has faced early exits in four out of five appearances.
However, with her power game adapting well to grass and this week’s final in her pocket, expectations are high. A title at Bad Homburg would boost her confidence as she aims to complete the rare career Grand Slam.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images | Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning match point against Jasmine Paolini at Bad Homburg.
