{
  "id": 5031454,
  "title": "Swiatek banks on renewed confidence as Medvedev battles to regain lost form",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/swiatek-banks-on-renewed-confidence-as-medvedev-battles-to-regain-5031454",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T05:39:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/09/02/swiatek-banks-on-renewed-confidence-as-medvedev-battles-to-regain-lost-form"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The second round of the US Open commenced on Wednesday, with Daniil Medvedev, the seventh seed, aiming to overcome his recent struggles before the tournament. Meanwhile, former champion Iga Swiatek seeks to capitalize on her renewed confidence. Top seed Aryna Sabalenka continues her title defense, while Jessica Pegula attempts to end Belarusian's reign as world number one.\n\nDespite her Wimbledon victory last year, Swiatek failed to capitalize on her season, suffering semifinal exits at the Australian Open and the French Open. She also lost in the US Open's quarterfinals. Following a coaching change in April, Swiatek worked on her serve and forehand, but results were slow. However, she secured an easy win in the US Open's first round, boosting her confidence as the six-time Grand Slam winner pursues her second US Open title. She remarked, \"I just feel like my work clicked. All these things that I needed to do with Francis... it became more automatic. I'm happy that this work paid off and it's getting the results now.\"\n\nIn contrast, Medvedev, the former champion, has often struggled with consistency on the biggest stages, failing to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2024 US Open. He lost in the third round at Wimbledon in July and experienced early exits from three tournaments last month. However, Medvedev appeared calm and determined during his first-round victory over Hugo Gaston in straight sets. He acknowledged, \"The last couple of weeks weren't easy, but you know how it is, sometimes you lose matches, sometimes you win... I'm really glad the way I played.\"\n\nMedvedev's main challenge lies in maintaining consistency, as he will face wildcard Sebastian Gorshkov, who made his Grand Slam main draw debut with a win over Raphael Collignon. Jessica Pegula, currently ranked third, is more focused on reaching the summit of the WTA rankings and dethroning Sabalenka. She stated, \"I'd like to win a major, and I think the number one spot will be more available if I'm able to do that.\" Pegula, who started the year at number six, reached the Australian Open semifinals and Wimbledon's last eight, rapidly closing the gap with Sabalenka.",
  "summary": "Seventh seed Daniil Medvedev is looking to shake off his struggles ahead of the US Open, while former champion Iga Swiatek looks to build on her newfound confidence.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Swiatek banks on renewed confidence as Medvedev battles to regain lost form",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/swiatek-banks-on-renewed-confidence-as-medvedev-battles-to-regain",
        "published": "2026-09-02T04:18:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Swiatek banks on renewed confidence as Medvedev battles to regain lost form",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/swiatek-banks-on-renewed-confidence-as-medvedev-battles-to-regain-5034701",
        "published": "2026-09-02T05:39:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Swiatek banks on renewed confidence as Medvedev battles to regain lost form",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/swiatek-banks-on-renewed-confidence-as-medvedev-battles-to-regain-5046784",
        "published": "2026-09-02T07:44:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}