In a year of surprise defeats, Iga Swiatek was handed her worst yet.
The Pole looked erratic and out of ideas in a stunning 6-1, 6-1 loss to Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open on Thursday, her title defence coming to a screeching halt inside the Caja Magica.
It is the second-worst loss Swiatek has ever faced in WTA Tour-level clay-court match, with her 6-1, 6-0 loss to Simona Halep at the 2019 French Open – when she was just 18 – her only heavier defeat on the dirt.
The manner of the defeat, a third straight to Gauff after previously leading their head-to-head 11-1, brings about plenty of problems for the five-time Grand Slam champion.
And, perhaps most significant of all, it could prove to have an unfortunate impact on her WTA ranking.
How many ranking points will Swiatek lose?
Swiatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka in an extraordinary final to lift her first Madrid Open title twelve months ago, meaning she was under notable pressure as the reigning champion in 2025.
The Pole earned 1,000 ranking points for her triumph in 2024, and came into this year’s event with a total of 7,383 points.
Her semi-final run in 2025 has earned her 390 points, though that means 610 points will drop from her ranking when the WTA Rankings update next Monday (May 5th).
Swiatek will hold 6,773 ranking points when the rankings update – and may no longer even be the world No 2.
Madrid Open News
Coco Gauff hits stunning milestones as she thrashes Iga Swiatek in Madrid Open shocker
How could Swiatek lose her world No 2 ranking?
When it comes to Swiatek potentially losing her world No 2 ranking, the mathematics are quite simple.
While the Pole will fall to 6,773 points in the WTA Rankings, Gauff has provisionally moved up to 6,603 points after her emphatic semi-final triumph.
That is a current increase of 530 points on the US star’s pre-tournament total of 6,073 points, after eclipsing her fourth-round exit from 2024.
The world No 4 heading into the tournament, Gauff is already guaranteed to move back above current world No 3 Jessica Pegula next Monday, reclaiming her US No 1 ranking.
However, the 21-year-old would also leapfrog above Swiatek and move back to her career-high of world No 2 if she wins Saturday’s final at the WTA 1000 final.
Victory over one of world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka or world No 17 Elina Svitolina would see Gauff hold 6,953 ranking points next week, putting her 180 points ahead of the Pole.
Swiatek has not been ranked outside the top two since March 21, 2022, spending 125 weeks of that period as the world No 1.
Even if Gauff is unable to win the final and replace Swiatek as the world No 2, the Pole’s ranking is still under threat over the next month and a half.
The world No 2 is defending 1,000 points as the Italian Open champion, and 2,000 points as the reigning French Open champion.
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