Swift start: Iga Swiatek easily wins at US Open, but she's here to talk about Taylor and Travis

NEW YORK (AP) — Good thing Iga Swiatek had a Swift start to her U.S. Open. There was some big news waiting when she got off the court Tuesday.

Swiatek quickly found out that Taylor Swift had become engaged to boyfriend Travis Kelce, a topic that dominated her postmatch news conference much more than matters of tennis.

Swiatek has been a devoted Swiftie for more than a decade, got a handwritten note from the singer while attending an Eras Tour concert shortly after winning the 2024 French Open and knows her way around Swift's music just as well as she does the court.

“Obviously she had a lot of boyfriends, so we know all about that. So hopefully this one will, you know, stick forever,” Swiatek said. “Travis seems like a great guy. She seems super happy, so I’m happy for her.”

The 24-year-old from Poland had an easy start to her quest to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in the same year, needing just an hour to beat Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2.

That seemed largely forgotten soon after. Her team showed her the news of Swift and Kelce — who attended last year's U.S. Open final together — on Instagram, which conveniently happened right around the time she was wrapping up her match.

“She posted when I finished,” Swiatek said. “Maybe that’s not a coincidence, I don’t know.”

Swiatek listened when Swift was the record guest on the “New Heights” podcast Kelce does with his brother, Jason, eager for news about the singer's next album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Swiatek will obviously buy it — she's just not sure how yet.

“I kind of want to go to the store and buy it there physically,” he said. “I don’t know if there are going to be other ones released, because she does these countdowns on the website. I don’t know if she’s going to do another one or something. But maybe next one I’m going to actually preorder, but for sure I want to have the original, the first one, and I’m probably going to go in October to some store and buy it physically.”

Swiatek was puzzled when some reporters laughed at the number of Swift questions she received, and jokingly denied a request to tackle an actual tennis one.

She played brilliantly in a match in which she won the point on 23 of 26 first serves and had a 26-5 advantage in winners in the opening match of the day on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Swiatek went nearly a week between matches after losing in the mixed doubles championship match with Casper Ruud last Wednesday night. But her rhythm came right back in a dominant start to the tournament.

A second title for the 2022 champion at Flushing Meadows would make her the first woman to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the same year since Serena Williams in 2012. Swiatek also has a chance to regain the No. 1 ranking if she wins the title and Aryna Sabalenka loses before the quarterfinals.

That can all wait. Swiatek — and her friends she texted to make sure they knew — were more interested in talking about Swift.

“Well, I’m just happy for her, because she deserves the best,” Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, returns a shot to Emiliana Arango, of Colombia, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, waves to fans after defeating Emiliana Arango, of Colombia, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, returns a shot to Emiliana Arango, of Colombia, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, reacts after scoring a point against Emiliana Arango, of Colombia, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK (AP) — Oh baby, the Marlins quickly decided to give Pete Fairbanks his first start since 2020.

Miami's closer left Yankee Stadium after pitching in the first inning in order to get home Sunday night ahead of his wife giving birth.

When it became clear the start of the game against New York was going to be delayed by rain, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough decided to open the game with the 32-year-old right-hander and send scheduled starter Chris Paddack to the bullpen.

Fairbanks' wife Lydia was scheduled to have labor induced on Monday morning.

“Let's just go ahead and let’s bank an inning here at the start of the game, and then you can take off and go enjoy,” McCullough said after the Marlins' come-from-behind 7-6 win, recalling his pregame discussion with Fairbanks.

This will be the third child for Fairbanks and his wife after a son, Isak, and daughter, Lotte. A daughter, Ellis, died after 19 weeks, 6 days of gestation during the 2023-24 offseason due to Turner Syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by a missing or partial X chromosome.

Rain caused the game to start at 5:10 p.m. after a 3-hour, 35-minute delay. McCullough made the decision while speaking with Fairbanks during breakfast in the visitors clubhouse.

Fairbanks threw a 27-pitch first inning, allowing Ben Rice’s three-run homer that put New York ahead 3-1. He then left to catch a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Tampa International Airport.

“Today being the last we’re going to have him for a few days, we knew we were going to pitch him today,” McCullough said.

Left-hander Andrew Nardi relieved for the bottom of the second and the right-handed Paddack entered in the third.

“Skipper told me early on when I got to the ballpark that there was going to be a little change in the game plan," Paddack said. “It was a little weird.”

Paddack allowed an unearned run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings while striking out four and walking four, rebounding from a loss to Colorado in his first start when he gave up eight runs over four innings.

“I actually threw my pregame bullpen there in the first inning," Paddack said. “It was a little longer inning than we were expecting out of Pete, so was able to sit down there in the second. And then once we started swinging the bat at the top of the third, I walked over and mentally right there, I said: `The switch is on. This is a start.'”

A 32-year-old right-hander, Fairbanks agreed to a $13 million, one-year contract with the Marlins in December after the Tampa Bay Rays declined an $11 million team option. He had 27 saves last year and has two for the Marlins, raising his total to 92 in eight major league seasons.

Fairbanks had last pitched on Tuesday and the start was just his third in 279 big league appearances, the first since he pitched 1 2/3 innings for Tampa Bay at the New York Mets.

After Fairbanks left the mound, catcher Liam Hicks didn't speak with the closer.

“I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled with how he did,” Hicks said. “He’s not really a guy you want to approach if he didn't do that well.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Miami Marlins pitcher Pete Fairbanks throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Miami Marlins pitcher Pete Fairbanks reacts after getting the final out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)