world number one Iga Swiatek beaten in the 3rd round by Linda Noskova, 50th in the world

The Pole fell on a bone named Linda Noskova on Saturday and left the 2024 Australian Open prematurely.

It’s a new surprise in this Australian Open which was already not lacking. Iga Swiatek, world number one, and among the favorites for the first Major of the season, was beaten on Saturday January 20 in the third round in Melbourne. Her tormentor is a player little known to the general public, the Czech Linda Noskova, victorious in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 6-4). With this success, we will hear about her more and more, for the one who is already in a good place among the great hopes of women’s tennis at 19 years old, after having notably won Roland-Garros among the juniors in 2021.

The 50^e world player did not steal her victory, far from it. Not afraid of the challenge that presented itself to her, Noskova displayed her quality from the baseline, where her power and her size (1.79 m) worked wonders. She will face the winner of the match between Elina Svitolina and Viktorija Golubic.

Massacre among the favorites

For Iga Swiatek, the setback is serious. The Pole had systematically reached the round of 16 at Grand Slams over the last three seasons, with the exception of Wimbledon 2022 and the victory of Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet. In Melbourne, her consistency was all the more remarkable, as she had only been beaten in the first week in 2019, for what was then the very first Major of her career.

With this surprise result, only four of the top 17 seeds are still in the running in the women’s draw: defending champion Aryna Sabalenka (n°2), US Open winner Coco Gauff (n°4), winner of Roland-Garros 2021 Barbora Krejčíková (n°9) and the Chinese Zheng Qinwen (n°12), future opponent of the last Frenchwoman in the running, Océane Dodin.