Iga Swiatek, once the undisputed queen of clay, is grappling with an unexpected crisis as her 2025 season takes a dramatic downturn. The 23-year-old Polish tennis star, a four-time French Open champion, suffered a crushing third-round loss to Danielle Collins at the Italian Open in Rome, falling 6-1, 7-5 in a match that exposed her vulnerabilities on her favored surface. This defeat, coming on the heels of a lopsided semifinal loss to Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open, has triggered a seismic shift in the WTA rankings, with Swiatek set to plummet from No. 2 to No. 4 when the rankings update on May 12, 2025. “It’s a massive shock,” said former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, capturing the disbelief surrounding Swiatek’s early exit from a tournament she won in 2024. As the defending Roland Garros champion prepares for Paris, her aura of invincibility is fading, raising questions about her ability to reclaim her throne.
Swiatek’s 2024 clay season was a masterclass in dominance, with titles in Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros cementing her as the sport’s premier clay-court player. This year, however, her form has unraveled alarmingly. The Rome loss to Collins, a fiery American ranked No. 15, saw Swiatek struggle with her return of serve and rack up unforced errors, particularly on her forehand. “She was struggling so much on the return of serve,” Bartoli observed, noting missed opportunities to break back in the second set. Swiatek’s own assessment of her technical adjustments offers insight into her struggles. “I feel like I worked on some technical stuff on my serve and my forehand,” she said, admitting, “I haven’t been always able to implement that on the match court, which is not perfect.” The pressure of defending 1,000 points from her 2024 Rome title, combined with 2,000 points at stake in Paris, has intensified the stakes.
The rankings implications are stark. Swiatek’s 935-point loss in Rome will drop her behind Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, with live rankings projecting her at No. 4 with 5,893 points, trailing Aryna Sabalenka’s commanding 10,588. If Italy’s Jasmine Paolini wins the Rome title, Swiatek could slip to No. 5, her lowest ranking since March 2022. This slide threatens her seeding at Roland Garros, where a potential semifinal clash with Sabalenka looms. “I played Iga so many times and the wins are in her favour,” Collins reflected, acknowledging the close battles that have taught her to exploit Swiatek’s weaknesses. The American’s 35 winners and 21/27 second-serve return points underscored her tactical edge in Rome.
Off-court challenges have compounded Swiatek’s woes. A one-month doping suspension in late 2024, following a positive test, drew international scrutiny, and the recent passing of her grandfather added emotional strain before Madrid. Her decision to part ways with longtime coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who guided her to four majors, and hire Wim Fissette in 2025 has yet to yield results. Critics question the partnership, with some pointing to Swiatek’s rushed play and forehand errors as signs of a disconnect. “If the forehand isn’t there and she’s not getting the right message from what’s still a relatively new partnership, then the frustration is obviously spilled onto the match court,” said former doubles star Colin Fleming. Swiatek’s mental state, once a fortress, appears fragile, with reports of her breaking down during the Madrid loss.
Despite these setbacks, Swiatek remains defiant. Addressing speculation about a potential break from tennis, she dismissed the idea, focusing instead on Roland Garros, where she’s won four of the last five titles. Her aggressive, topspin-heavy style, once likened to Rafael Nadal’s, thrives on clay’s slow bounce, but players like Jelena Ostapenko, who holds a 6-0 head-to-head edge, have exposed her vulnerabilities to flat, powerful hitting. As Swiatek heads to Paris, the tennis world watches with bated breath. Can the Polish star rediscover her magic, or will her rankings collapse signal a new era in women’s tennis? For now, the “Iga’s Bakery” era of bagels and breadsticks feels like a distant memory, replaced by a fight to restore her legacy.
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