Iga Swiatek Blames Lack of Rest for Double-Breadstick Defeat to Coco Gauff in Madrid
World No.2 Iga Swiatek is in Rome, bidding to win her third title in the tournament as well as end her trophy drought.
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Iga Swiatek (Image via X/Game, Set & Talk)
Iga Swiatek has time and again stated that to produce a high level of tennis consistently, she needs some time between tournaments to rest and practice. She once again blamed the lack of rest for her disappointing 6-1, 6-1 defeat to Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the Madrid Open.
The fact that she was handed a double-breadstick on clay was shocking. For half of a decade, no one on the WTA Tour other than Swiatek produced incredible results on the red dirt. The winner of four French Open titles, Swiatek was expected to end her title drought this season on the clay swing.
But so far, it’s not been the case. She lost her previous two clay-court tournaments without reaching the final. In Stuttgart, Jelena Ostapenko registered her sixth consecutive victory over the Pole ace in their six encounters.
Gauff then in Madrid (in their 15th encounter overall) beat her for the third consecutive time. The 23-year-old is now in Rome and will start her bid for her first title of the season on Friday (May 9). Ahead of her opening round-match, Swiatek reflected on her disappointing defeat to Gauff.
I had played three-set matches before, but I didn’t have the right rest after Stuttgart. During the Madrid tournament, I felt like I only had one day of rest, without having to travel or have other obligations. After Madrid, I was able to reset better. The match against Coco was not good. I had trouble focusing.
Iga Swiatek said at the pre-tournament press conference
In the second clay-court WTA 1000 too, no one has won more titles than Swiatek in recent years. She will be entering the tournament as a defending champion.
Swiatek first lifted the title in 2021, then defended it the following season. In 2023, she handed the walkover to eventual winner Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals; while last year, she breezed past Aryna Sabalenka.
Andy Roddick is concerned about Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek has reached the quarterfinals of every tournament she has played this season. Swiatek has not yet tasted success since lifting her third consecutive French Open last year. She has also not yet reached a final since that French Open.
The doping scandal last year is mainly lamented as one of the reasons behind her slump in form. Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine after she consumed a contaminated melatonin medication; and for this reason, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) handed her a one-month ban.
She missed three tournaments because of the ban, as a consequence of which, she was dethroned by Aryna Sabalenka who, during that time, was producing strong performances in hard-court tournaments.
Swiatek too admitted following the ball-kid controversy at Indian Wells that she had not moved on from the doping scandal. Amid her trophy drought, former ATP player Andy Roddick said losing matches against players Swiatek has dominated in the past is concerning.
If you put Iga against Sabalenka right now, I think…I try not to be a victim of the moment, and I am not the one who is going to get hyperbolic about Iga on clay too quickly, but a one-on-one loss against somebody that you have dominated that rivalry up until the last three or four matches is cause for concern.
Andy Roddick said on his Served with Andy Roddick Podcast
Swiatek holds a 8-4 lead against Sabalenka. The five-time Grand Slam champion also leads 5-1 on clay. The lone win Sabalenka registered against Swiatek on clay was in the final of the 2023 Madrid Open, the tournament the Belarusian won for the third time by beating Coco Gauff in the final this year.
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