By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday Could 6, 2025
It’s virtually unusual to say it: Iga Swiatek has gone three clay-court tournaments with out successful a title. No, the sky isn’t falling – removed from it – however by the Polish juggernaut’s lofty commonplace, it’s stunning.
It is a participant that rode a 23-match successful streak on the floor into the Olympic semifinals in Paris final 12 months. We have been changing into so accustomed to her dominance on the floor that it was getting onerous to think about her ever dropping on it once more.
However issues change shortly in tennis, and now – simply 10 months later – Swiatek is struggling to search out her self-belief and luxury forward of her title protection in Rome.
Failed title defenses in Doha and Indian Wells raised a couple of flags. Swiatek didn’t appear to be snug in her personal pores and skin and losses to her private kryptonite Jelena Ostapenko (in Doha) and rising teen Mirra Andreeva (at Indian Wells) appears to spotlight her relative frailty.
Would clay be the elixir, the panacea for Swiatek’s struggles? To this point it has not been.
Ostapenko bought her once more in Stuttgart, after which she suffered an unthinkably lopsided loss to Coco Gauff within the semis in Madrid, 6-1, 6-1. One other title protection down the drain, and extra cause to marvel what’s inflicting probably the most dependable clay-courter within the girls’s recreation to drop her stage?
It feels like Swiatek has pinpointed one thing. She’s having hassle in her head, and it’s resulting in poor selections.
Come for the social content material, keep for the candy shock!Iga Swiatek receives Tiramisu throughout Media Day in Rome. pic.twitter.com/u5i1cmD8IP
— Jimmie48 Pictures (@JJlovesTennis) May 6, 2025
“This 12 months I really feel like I’m struggling a bit extra with my perfectionism,” Swiatek mentioned on media day in Rome. “I wish to for positive concentrate on being disciplined on the courtroom and making proper decisions, not the alternatives that typically come out in my head, however being actually stable. I feel I can try this. That is my predominant focus now.”
Maybe it truly is that straightforward. Simply settle for the battle, play the straightforward, grinding recreation, and focus actually onerous on the patterns which have at all times labored.
Swiatek absolutely has it in her to make a sudden turnaround in Rome, and Paris, the place the floor is slower and fits her recreation like a heat glove within the lifeless of winter. The slower situations will give her a fraction extra time to determine her patterns, and concentrate on “being actually stable.”
And, in case you take away the loss to Gauff, and various shaky moments within the quarterfinal win over Madison Keys in Madrid, you can say that Swiatek just isn’t removed from her finest. There haven’t been any first-round losses, and in Stuttgart she was near lastly getting a win over Ostapenko.
The 23-year-old World No.2 takes solace in her consistency, whereas on the identical time sounding a bit impatient with herself.
Three time champ’s again in her lounge!Iga Swiatek practices in Campo Centrale on Monday. pic.twitter.com/qe3uq7KIEr
— Jimmie48 Pictures (@JJlovesTennis) May 5, 2025
“The match with Coco for positive wasn’t good,” she mentioned. “I had hassle focusing. I wasn’t shifting nicely. I feel every little thing type of constructed up at one second. That is why the rating was like that.
“For positive I am proud of the consistency. That is one thing that I at all times need. There is not any event the place I am going in and I am not ready. However for positive I wish to additionally win some tournaments. That is additionally the aim.”
Although some may marvel about Swiatek’s relationship with coach Wim Fissette, the Pole had nothing however good issues to say about him in her press convention in Rome. She feels like a participant who believes she’s on monitor to finish her title drought, and shortly.
“It is similar to in the future,” she mentioned of her loss to Gauff in Madrid. “You’ll be able to’t choose every little thing by it. I am persevering with the work that I have been doing. I belief the method. We’ll see on the following one.”
