Top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland was ousted from the Australian Open by 50th-ranked Czech 19-year-old Linda Noskova in the third round.
Noskova, the 2021 French Open junior champion, rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win in Melbourne.
“I felt like I had everything under control until she broke me in the second set,” said Swiatek, who nearly went out in the second round two days earlier. “I came here and I wasn’t playing kind of natural anymore (during the tournament). I don’t know, like my split step was too late sometimes. Reaction a little bit slower. Some other things.”
Noskova gets 19th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the round of 16.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men
“It was an unbelievable match for me,” Noskova said. “When I’m going to be aggressive, I can play with anyone.”
Noskova snapped Swiatek’s 18-match win streak dating to Oct. 1. She’s the youngest woman to beat the world No. 1 at a Grand Slam since Nicole Vaidisova took out Amelie Mauresmo at the 2006 French Open.
Swiatek, the world’s dominant player since first ascending to No. 1 in March 2022, has won three French Opens and a U.S. Open. Her best Australian Open result was making the semifinals in 2022.
Swiatek was the last top-10 player left in the top half of the women’s draw.
Victoria Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion from Belarus, is the most accomplished player left in the top half.