“I expected better,” Iga Swiatek reflects on her changes after shocking early exits in Doha and Dubai

World No.2 Iga Swiatek is back to winning ways at Indian Wells after a tough Middle Eastern swing. Following her straight-sets victory over Karolina Muchova, she spoke about what had frustrated her recently. In her press conference, she mentioned issues with the balls, even comparing them to potatoes.

Before Indian Wells, Swiatek struggled in Dubai and Doha. She was visibly frustrated after losing to Mirra Andreeva at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Her results in the Middle East were below her usual high standards.

Swiatek has been dominant in Doha, winning the Qatar Open three times in a row. However, that streak ended this year when Jelena Ostapenko defeated her. In Dubai, she suffered an early quarter-final exit, which was her worst result there since 2022.

Now, Swiatek is focused on Indian Wells. She aims to put her recent losses behind her and make history at the tournament. With her strong form, she looks ready to fight for another title.

Iga Swiatek matches Serena Williams’ record at Indian Wells

Iga Swiatek continued her dominant run at Indian Wells, cruising into the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Karolina Muchova. The 2022 and 2024 champion looked strong once again, easily overpowering her opponent. After a brief rain delay, she quickly found her rhythm and took control of the match.

With this victory, Swiatek set a new record in WTA-1000 events. She now has the highest percentage of quarter-finals reached in these tournaments, making it 21 out of 34 (61.8%). This puts her ahead of Serena Williams, who reached the quarter-finals in 61.2% of her WTA-1000 appearances.

Swiatek has also joined an elite group in tennis history. Since 1989, only Monica Seles and Steffi Graf have won 30 combined matches in Indian Wells and Miami in fewer tournaments. She now shares a record with Chris Evert and Venus Williams, each winning 34 matches in these events.

Her consistency at Indian Wells is remarkable. Only Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis have reached more consecutive quarter-finals at this tournament. Swiatek is also in contention to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka. While she won’t take the top spot this week, her current form makes her a strong contender in the coming months.

Iga Swiatek sets clash with Qinwen Zheng at Indian Wells

The BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals for the bottom half of the draw will take place on Wednesday. Two-time champion Iga Swiatek is still chasing a historic third title at Indian Wells. To move forward, she must face World No. 9 Qinwen Zheng, who defeated her at the Olympics last year.

Swiatek has been unstoppable, dropping only six games on her way to the quarterfinals. This matches Monica Seles’ record from 2002. She has dominated opponents like Caroline Garcia, Dayana Yastremska, and Karolina Muchova. Despite talks of faster courts this year, Swiatek’s quick wins have proven otherwise.

Zheng has also been in strong form. Before Indian Wells, she had not won back-to-back matches this season. However, she has now reached her first quarterfinal of the year without dropping a set. Her victories include wins over Victoria Azarenka, Lulu Sun, and Marta Kostyuk.

Zheng’s success has come alongside the return of her coach, Pere Riba. He was absent due to hip surgery but rejoined her for the Sunshine Double. Riba coached the Chinese player to her biggest career win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she beat Swiatek in the semifinals. The Pole still leads their head-to-head, but their matches have often been competitive.

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