World No. 1 Iga Swiatek comes from behind to defeat Jule Niemeier, advancing to US Open quarterfinals. (0:51)
The US Open announced the first seed it got for its two-day championship next week, the No. 1 overall seed Iga Swiatek of Czech Republic.
Swiatek, who had said she would decide between the US Open or the Australian Open when the draw was announced Saturday afternoon, is the first to know which US Open berth she will pick as she has to wait eight days for a Grand Slam match.
She will be seeded No. 1 and play top-ranked Maria Sharapova, No. 2 and No. 3 Simona Halep, No. 4 Karolina Pliskova or No. 5 Madison Keys on the same day while the other four seeded players will play each other.
No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek is the first ever seed to go down in the round of 32 at the US Open. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
Swiatek is making her fourth appearance at the US Open and will be aiming to become only the second Czech to play in the women’s major final since the US Open adopted a “Super Six” format in 2017. She lost to Maria Sharapova in her previous US Open appearances in 2013 and 2017.
The US Open is the first tournament of the season that holds a “Super Six” format. At least four US Open-level players make up the draw, with the top three seeded, and then the fourth-seeded players battle it out to reach the final round.
US Open organizers announced Friday morning that they got the No. 1 seed.
“I want to thank the US Open for this amazing opportunity,” Swiatek said. “They put a good amount of effort into putting together this incredible event for all the fans. Obviously I’m excited about everything being announced today. It’s a great honor to be a part of this tournament and I can’t wait to get on the court.”
Swiatek, who will be 30 years old in September, won the title at last year’s tournament. She was runner-up at the 2013 US Open and was a finalist at the 2012 and 2014 major tournaments.
She has won two career Grand Slam titles, the 2015 US Open and the 2017 Australian Open. Overall, she has won 31 Grand Slam singles titles.
Swiatek’s