DOHA, Qatar—Iga Swiatek’s return to competitive tennis at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Tuesday was briefly interrupted, not by a formidable opponent, but by her own cell phone. The former world No. 1 repeatedly silenced her ringer while speaking with reporters following a dominant 6-0, 6-3 victory over wildcard entrant Janice Tjen.
“I should really answer that!” Swiatek reportedly said, according to reports, before excusing herself to return to the locker room. The win marked a strong start for the three-time Doha champion, who conceded only three games against the rising Indonesian player.
The victory was particularly notable for Swiatek’s 36th 6-0 set achieved in a WTA 1000 tournament—a record established since 2009, according to Tennis.com. Swiatek expressed a lack of remorse regarding the one-sided scoreline.
The Qatar TotalEnergies Open, a WTA 1000 event, has seen other notable results on Tuesday, with Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina securing wins while several seeded players were eliminated, as reported by Tennis Threads Magazine. The tournament, which began on February 8th and runs through February 14th, features a total prize pool of $3,237,200, according to betmgm.com.
The field includes a number of top-ranked players, though the early rounds have already witnessed upsets. The tournament’s progression will be closely watched as players compete for ranking points and the substantial prize money available.
