What next for Iga Swiatek?
It’s a question the tennis world has been asking time and again over the last year and after it was confirmed that she has split with her coach Wim Fissette following an exit in her opening match at the Miami Open, the world No 3 is heading into the clay court season with a big cloud over her head.
Traditionally, this has been a moment of optimism for the Polish star, who developed a reputation for being the ‘Queen of Clay’ after some dominant displays on the red dirt following her first Roland Garros win in 2020.
Three further wins in the Paris major in 2022, 2023 and 2024 gave Swiatek an aura of invincibility on the surface, but that was shattered last year as she stumbled to some surprising defeats on her favourite surface.
She lost against Danielle Collins in the WTA 1000 event in Rome and nearly lost against Naomi Osaka in the early rounds of her title defence at Roland Garros.
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In the end, she was well beaten by Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals in Paris, with the 6-0 final set that went against her in that match highlighting the scale of her decline.
Remarkably, Swiatek bounced back from a poor clay court swing to win her first Wimbledon title on a grass court that has not been kind to her in previous years, but that proved to be a temporary high amid what was a disappointing spell working with Fissette.
News that Swiatek had parted company with her coach was not a surprise, but the bigger concern must be how she gets back on track after a year that has made little sense.
The old saying that form is temporary and class is permanent should apply to a seven-time Grand Slam champion, but this slide in fortunes for Swiatek has long since gone past the point where it is a temporary blip.
For too long now, this great champion has shown weakness when pressure is applied and her opponents know that if they take her out of her comfort zone and apply scoreboard pressure, the door to beat her will open.
Swiatek didn’t try to hide her despair as she sat with a towel over her head during change of ends as she lost against Elina Svitolins in Indian Wells and her comments after the shock defeat against Magda Linette in her first match at the Miami Open.
“I feel like I carry a lot of expectations when I’m on the court, and I need to get rid of them because my game has not been good enough to have any expectations,” said Swiatek.
“I’m a bit confused, but I’ll just work hard to get it back. I know I have it in me, I just lost it for a second.
“This is the worst nightmare a top tennis player can have. Dropping in matches in level like this. I need to live through this and figure it out.
“I’ve always been an over-thinker, but lately it’s just been so intense. It’s hard for me to get rid of many thoughts I have, and this used to be my strength.
“I honestly played my best when I didn’t think much. Now I make so many bad decisions that it’s hard not to think. The stress comes in, the body gets so tense, and things get much harder.”
Swiatek’s brutally honest comments did not come as a surprise as we can all see the agonies she is going through on court and the next two months will now be crucial to her short and long-term future, as she returns to clay courts that have given her so much success.
Still only 24, Swiatek has more than enough time on her side to fix the flaws in her tennis make-up, but the biggest space on a tennis court when a player is struggling is always between their ears and removing the demons that are haunting this great champion will not be easy.
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