WATCH: Controversial scenes as Iga Swiatek's opponent Victoria Azarenka smashes racket in frustration at Dubai Tennis Championships

Victoria Azarenka took her frustrations out on her racket after being beaten 6-0 by World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the first set of their match in Dubai. The Belarusian had barely made a dent in Swiatek, as the Pole swept to a one-set lead in their second-round match at the Dubai Duty-Free Championships.

As a result, Swiatek moved closer to matching Azarenka's record of 33 sets won by a 6-0 scoreline at WTA 1000 events since the format's inception in 2009. The Pole's dominance continued into the second set, which she took 6-2 to progress into the third round. The match was a contest between two former Dubai champions, but on this occasion, her dominance was complete.

Swiatek's superiority was so pronounced in the first set, that the WTA took to their X (formerly Twitter ) account to sing the Pole's praises and show the moment that Azarenka lost her composure. They posted:

"Storming ahead. Iga Swiatek puts on a show of dominance after taking the opener 6-0 in just 27 minutes over Azarenka"

Both players have Majors under their belts, but 35-year-old Azarenka's best days are behind her. Her two Australian Open victories were in 2012 and 2013, while Swiatek has raced to five Grand Slam victories since 2020 at just 23. It's not the first time that Swiatek has "bageled" Azarenka - the last time they played in Doha in 2024 Swiatek ran out a 6-4, 6-0 winner.

After their match, Iga Swiatek paid homage to "legend" Victoria Azarenka

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships - Day Three - Source: Getty

Iga Swiatek's form in 2025 has been inconsistent, and some felt she might struggle against the veteran. She had an epic semifinal encounter against Madison Keys in the Australian Open semifinal, where she lost to the eventual champion 7-5, 1-6, 6-7(8).

She then breezed through the rounds at the Qatar Open before coming up against a resurgent Jelena Ostapenko in the penultimate stage and was soundly beaten 3-6, 1-6. She now leads Azarenka 4-1 in their head-to-head.

Azarenka is nearing the end of her career and has endured a tough start to the year. She lost as the 21st seed to unseeded Lucia Bronzetti in the first round in Melbourne, and to eventual winner Amanda Anisimova at the same stage in Qatar. After the match, Swiatek was quick to acknowledge Azarenka's status in her post-match interview:

"She's a legend and I have so much respect for her. Her career is outstanding and she's still playing super-good, so I just wanted to be ready. We've played a couple of times so I was aware of how she plays so I was ready for anything."

Swiatek moves on to the third round, hopeful of improving her season's results so far. Azarenka remains a faded force but will hope to avoid many more sets in which she's unable to trouble the scorers.