What's Up With Iga Swiatek?

Four hours after losing to Danielle Collins in the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, Iga Swiatek entered the press conference room with red eyes. It was an unusual moment for a player to attend a press conference with such a time gap after finishing a match.

Among the responses given to reporters was an expression of pessimism ahead of the French Open Grand Slam at Roland Garros, Paris, from May 25 to June 8. "Of course, I would be foolish to hope for too much because at this moment I cannot play properly," said Swiatek.

The Polish female tennis player made this statement after being defeated by Collins with a score of 1-6, 5-7, on the clay courts of Foro Italico, Rome, Italy, Saturday (10/5/2025). Swiatek was the second seed, behind Aryna Sabalenka, in the tournament and held the title of defending champion.

The defeat to Collins marks the ninth loss out of 36 matches for Swiatek in 2025. On clay courts, Swiatek has only won six out of nine matches. This record has not resulted in any championship titles at any level; in fact, Swiatek has not reached the finals in eight tournaments.

The journey leading up to the 2025 French Open is different from the same period a year earlier. She surged past her competitors with 37 wins and only four losses. This record resulted in four championship titles from WTA 1000 tournaments, namely in Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, and Rome. The consecutive titles in Madrid and Rome were followed by her fourth French Open victory after 2020, 2022, and 2023. Swiatek has thus become the best female player on clay courts since 2022.

I think I wasn't there to fight and struggle. I was too focused on the mistakes, when in fact, they were mistakes.

The 2025 competition season is different for the 23-year-old tennis player. His best results include reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open Grand Slam, WTA Doha, Indian Wells, and Madrid.

Media in Poland reported that Swiatek faced a difficult time before competing in Madrid, April 22 – May 4, due to the passing of her grandfather. Swiatek was very close to and held great respect for someone who had such faith in her abilities. Swiatek even dedicated her victory in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January to her grandfather.

The loss of the figure she cherished may disrupt Swiatek's mental state. As she stated after being defeated by Collins in Rome, the 23-year-old tennis player felt that her spirit was not on the court, even though she was physically present there.

"I don't think I was there to fight and fight. I was too focused on the mistakes, when they were mistakes," he told tennis.com.

The pressure on her mental state not only led to a quick defeat in Rome. In several tournaments this year, Swiatek repeatedly displayed emotions and expressed them by getting angry at team members or smashing her racket. However, the tennis player, who has been competing in the professional arena since 2016, was previously known for her patience and maturity.

Swiatek has been collaborating with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz since the age of 17, as she understands the importance of mental health. She also applies a psychological approach to cope with the intense competition in professional tennis.

One of the things she does is to note what needs to be done when facing a particular tennis player, and then read the notes in her book during the match. Sometimes, Swiatek directly writes down what is on her mind during the breaks between sets.

Despite having a top-tier support team and being above other players during the 2022-2024 period, it does not mean that Swiatek has navigated every step smoothly. She felt pressured when she became the world number one for the first time from April 4, 2022, to September 10, 2023.

Swiatek even sought advice from Roger Federer on how to handle the pressure when they met in New York, prior to the 2023 US Open Grand Slam. "In the position of being the world's number one player, I always feel like I am being chased by others. I discussed with Roger so that I could enjoy my position more. He said that I just need to focus on the tournament, not on the ranking," she stated at that time.

After the 2023 US Open, Swiatek finally lost her top position in the world rankings due to her failure to defend the championship title (eliminated in the fourth round). However, eight weeks later, she returned to the top ranking, replacing Sabalenka. Four titles from WTA 1000 and the French Open allowed Swiatek to maintain her position at the top of the rankings until October 20, 2024.

However, the victory over Jasmine Paolini in the final of the 2024 French Open turned out to be Swiatek's last final until the tournament was held the following year. Since the moment at Roland Garros 2024, Swiatek has experienced a series of defeats that have affected her mentality, including losses in the third round of Wimbledon, the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the semifinals of WTA Cincinnati, the quarterfinals of the US Open, and the group stage of the WTA Finals.

As the year comes to a close, she is serving a one-month suspension due to doping. Swiatek has faced criticism from tennis fans and fellow players. For some, Swiatek has transformed from the "sweet girl" into the "bad girl."

Reflecting on Swiatek's journey over the past year, a combination of various situations has made her mental state fragile. In fact, this factor is what truly distinguishes players who can consistently compete at the highest level from those who merely "hit and run."

The series of situations that ultimately led to Swiatek's elimination in the third round of the WTA Rome has resulted in her being dropped from the top three rankings in the world for the first time since March 2022. Consequently, at the French Open, Swiatek could potentially face Sabalenka earlier than the final, a round that would allow them to meet as the two top seeds in the past year.

"I have already spoken with the team and we will try to change some key factors with my mindset target. I also need to find myself again. We do not want to wait too long because it is clear that I cannot play properly," said Swiatek. (REUTERS)