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Iga Swiatek has recovered after a tumultuous Madrid Open in which the World No. 2 suffered an emotional breakdown. Swiatek cut a forlorn figure in her semifinal match against Coco Gauff in Madrid, when at 0-3 down in the second set, Swiatek collapsed in tears at the change of ends. She went on to lose the match, her first loss to Gauff on clay, 1-6, 1-6.
Until this year, Swiatek had been imperious on the dirt. A four-time French Open champion and 23-time WTA titleist, her mental strength on court was seen by many as her greatest asset. After a tough 12 months, including a one-month ban after a positive drug test for a contaminated supplement, the Pole is struggling for form and confidence.
It seems that after the Madrid experience, Iga Swiatek has recovered her composure. She posted images on her Instagram account from Rome, in which she's sightseeing with a good friend and fellow WTA professional, Maja Chwalinska. Swiatek appeared relaxed and happy. She captioned the image of the pair together:
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"@majachwalinska in town"
Swiatek and Chwalinska are both Polish. They are also the same age, 23, and came through the ranks together, combining to win the Junior Fed Cup in 2016 as well as the Junior European championships.
Iga Swiatek's season on-court has been a struggle by her exalted standards
Iga Swiatek hasn't managed a Tour victory since her 2024 win at Roland Garros. After losing in the round robin stages of the WTA Tour Finals at the end of last year, she's found titles hard to come by, even if she has still managed to go deep in several tournaments.
She was competitive in Melbourne, where eventual winner Madison Keys edged her out in the semifinal. She also reached the last four in Qatar, Indian Wells, and last week in Madrid. In her post-match interview after losing to Gauff, as reported by Fox Sports, she acknowledged her mental struggles:
“I couldn’t really get my level up. Coco played good, but, yeah, I think it’s on me that I didn’t really move well. With that kind of game, it was pretty bad. I think I pushed kind of with my head for more than I even should, tennis-wise. Today, for sure everything kind of collapsed.”
Iga Swiatek will now play in the Italian Open, seeking to regain her clay-court dominance before May's French Open. She remains World No. 2, but Gauff and others are creeping closer to her in the rankings.
