Former World No.9 says Iga Swiatek has developed a “very strange” problem against top WTA players
Iga Swiatek has yet to reach a tournament final since defeating Jasmine Paolini in the 2024 French Open final.
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Iga Swiatek (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)
Iga Swiatek has yet to win a title since lifting the French Open title at the Roland Garros back in June 2024. The Polish star has struggled to achieve the heights she set in the first half of last year. That has become a worrying issue for former WTA players like Andrea Petkovic, who believes that there’s something very strange about Swiatek’s bad form.
Swiatek’s last final was at the aforementioned French Open. The World No.2 was at one point close to breaking the drought after reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open, but she failed to get past the eventual champion Madison Keys. She continued with her disappointing form at the Qatar Open and was knocked out by Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-final.
At the Indian Wells Open, she was the favorite to win the title and was on a blistering run of form in the desert. Again, she failed to get past the semi-finals, losing to Mirra Andreeva in three sets. The 23-year-old was hoping to bounce back in Miami and was yet to drop a set before facing Alexandra Eala in the quarter-finals.
She was stunned by the 19-year-old Philippine in straight sets. These losses have made Andrea Petkovic worried that Swiatek is having a problem playing against WTA’s Top players, something she was known to do easily previously.
It makes me curious, when she was the best when she was the number one, she improved more and more from [the] quarterfinals, semi-finals, finals, as the champions do. She doesn’t have that anymore, now she’s getting worse in the quarterfinals and in the semi-finals. Suddenly, the pressure comes through; it’s like until then, she has no doubt at all that she could ever lose. All of a sudden, in the semi-finals, that panic comes through, suddenly this pressure comes through. It is such a very strange, ambivalent feeling, especially with her, that she is still bursting with self-confidence but no longer against the best in the world.
Andrea Petkovic said via Becker-Petkovic podcast
Swiatek recently withdrew from representing her country at the Billie Jean King Cup as she aims to prioritize the clay season. The World No.2 has to do something to find solutions to her growing slump.
Andrea Petkovic says Iga Swiatek will get back to winning titles on clay
Iga Swiatek will return to her favorite clay court after a disappointing hard court outing. The Polish star won three titles on the surface last year and also claimed the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. She will hope to be at her best to defend the titles. Andrea Petkovic believes that the tennis star will bounce back on clay and end her title drought.
She will probably do it on clay, she will most likely get it back, that she wins again in the final stages of the big tournaments, because that is simply her best surface.
Andrea Petkovic said
Last year, Swiatek won the Madrid Open and Italian Open before sealing her accomplishments on clay by winning the French Open. She’s best on the surface and her technique works better on clay.
Iga Swiatek’s record last season in clay
Iga Swiatek is expected to open her clay season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The 23-year-old reached the semi-finals of the tournament before losing to Elena Rybakina. However, she bounced back at the Madrid Open to beat Aryna Sabalenka in a nervy three-set final to win the title.
She continued with her form in Rome and this time around, she didn’t drop a set throughout the tournament. At the French Open, she produced the same performance and ended Jasmine Paolini’s fairytale run in the final.
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