WATCH: Yulia Putintseva stuns World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in third round of Wimbledon 2024

In a stunning turn of events at Wimbledon 2024, World No.1 Iga Swiatek was eliminated in the third round by Yulia Putintseva. The 29-year-old Russian-born Kazakhstani player showcased an exceptional performance, defeating the Polish tennis star 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 to secure her place in the fourth round.

Swiatek, who has only reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals once before, started the match dominantly. She took control early, breaking Putintseva’s serve twice and winning the first set 6-3. However, Putintseva, playing in her maiden third-round match at Wimbledon, responded with remarkable resilience and strategic brilliance.

Here is the video:

Phenomenal Putintseva 😲@PutintsevaYulia upsets world No.1 Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in a stunning performance to advance to the fourth round! 👏#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/lUquT4mBDH

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2024

The second set saw a complete shift in momentum. Putintseva elevated her game, displaying an aggressive yet calculated approach that left Iga Swiatek struggling to keep up. The Kazakhstani player bulldozed through the set, allowing Swiatek to win just one service game, and clinching the set 6-1. Putintseva’s powerful baseline shots and tactical placement left the top seed with little room to manoeuvre.

How Yulia Putintseva wrote history!

Entering the third set, Swiatek attempted to regain her footing, but Putintseva maintained her relentless pressure. Swiatek, usually composed and confident, appeared flustered, making a series of unforced errors that cost her crucial points.

Yulia Putintseva capitalized on Swiatek's mistakes, quickly building a 4-0 lead in the decisive set. During this run, she needed only two winners, with the majority of points coming from Swiatek's errors, highlighting the top seed’s off-colour performance.

Despite her best efforts, Swiatek was unable to recover, and Putintseva sealed the set 6-2, completing her remarkable comeback. This victory is particularly surprising given Swiatek's dominance over Putintseva in their previous four encounters, where she had not only won every match but every set as well.

Swiatek, who had entered Wimbledon on a 21-match winning streak on clay and had skipped her scheduled grass-court tuneup, struggled to adapt to Putintseva's tactical play. Her frustration was evident as she muttered to herself and looked visibly unsettled, a rare sight for someone who has led the WTA rankings almost continuously since April 2022.