Iga Swiatek, the 2023 champion, staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Donna Vekic in the third round of the China Open on October 5, 2026. Vekic, the 30th seed, had a commanding lead at 6-4, 5-2, but Swiatek broke back twice to level the second set at 5-5 and then secured the tiebreak 7-0, forcing a deciding set.
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In the final set, both players exchanged breaks early on. However, Swiatek broke Vekic again for a 3-2 lead and ultimately sealed the match with a 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2 victory after 2 hours and 40 minutes.
After the match, Swiatek reflected on her performance, stating that she initially struggled with her game plan but became more aggressive and confident, which helped her regain control of the match. Vekic's loss marked her third defeat to a top-10 player this year, following earlier setbacks against Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open and Jessica Pegula at Indian Wells.
With this win, Swiatek has reached the round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event for the 40th time in her career and is aiming for her 13th title at this level. She has also achieved her 147th victory in WTA 1000 events, ranking just behind Serena Williams and Aryna Sabalenka in career wins.
Swiatek will next face No. 10 seed Iva Jovic, who defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 7-5 in the earlier third-round match.