Iga Swiatek, the four-time French Open champion, faced a rare stumble at the 2025 Italian Open, where a third-round defeat to Danielle Collins (6-1, 7-5) marked her earliest exit from a WTA 1000 event in nearly four years. The loss, a shock for the 23-year-old Pole who has dominated clay courts with a 35-2 record at Roland Garros, stripped her of the world No. 2 ranking and cast doubts on her form heading into the French Open, starting May 25. Yet, Swiatek has wasted no time regrouping, arriving at Roland Garros ten days early to train on the hallowed red clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier, signaling her intent to defend her title and chase a historic fourth consecutive crown. Her preparation, blending physical recovery and mental recalibration, showcases the resilience that has made her the queen of Parisian clay.
The Rome upset exposed vulnerabilities in Swiatek’s game. Against Collins, she struggled with her serve, landing just 39% of first serves in the opening set, and admitted to focusing on mistakes rather than competing. “I wasn’t present to fight and compete,” she said candidly, acknowledging that her mindset was misaligned. “It’s my mistake, and I’m not doing things right.” The defeat, her ninth loss of 2025—matching her total for all of 2024—followed a bruising 6-1, 6-1 semifinal loss to Coco Gauff in Madrid, marking a clay season without a title for the first time since 2020. Despite her storied success in Rome, where she won three of the last four titles and boasts an 18-match streak of straight-set victories, Swiatek recognized the need for change. “I’ll try to change my mindset a little bit, try to regroup and just focus day by day working,” she told reporters, outlining her strategy to rebuild confidence.
Rather than seeking additional match play at tournaments like the WTA 500 Strasbourg Open or WTA 250 in Rabat, Swiatek opted for intensive training in Paris. Her public relations agent confirmed, “The plans have not changed, and the next tournament is Paris. Now it’s time to recover and train again.” This decision diverges from peers like Jessica Pegula, who requested a Strasbourg wildcard, or past examples like Barbora Krejcikova, who won the 2021 French Open after adding Strasbourg to her schedule post-Rome. Swiatek’s choice reflects her trust in Roland Garros as her sanctuary, where she has lost only twice—once to Simona Halep in 2019 and Maria Sakkari in 2021. A video shared on the tournament’s official social media captured her practicing with focus, her forehand ripping through the clay, a reminder of her 2024 campaign where she dropped just 17 games after a grueling second-round battle against Naomi Osaka.
Swiatek’s preparation extends beyond the court. She is working closely with her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, to address the mental toll of her recent setbacks. “It hasn’t been easy,” she admitted in Rome, hinting at the pressure of defending her titles. Her 2024 French Open triumph, where she became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to sweep Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros, showcased her ability to handle expectations. Yet, this year’s clay swing, with losses to Jelena Ostapenko, Gauff, and Collins, has tested her resilience. Her collaboration with new coach Wim Fissette, hired in November 2024 after parting ways with Tomasz Wiktorowski, aims to evolve her game, though results have been inconsistent. Despite these challenges, Swiatek’s 98-0 record after winning the first set at WTA 1000 events and 82-1 on clay underscore her dominance when dialed in.
The French Open presents both opportunity and pressure. Swiatek, now ranked No. 4, could face top seed Aryna Sabalenka as early as the semifinals, a daunting prospect given Sabalenka’s 2025 dominance. Gauff, who praised Swiatek’s Roland Garros prowess, saying, “I would expect her to play her best tennis,” remains a formidable rival. Yet, Swiatek’s history in Paris—34-2 overall, with nine 6-0 sets—suggests she thrives under the weight of expectation. Her 2024 run, culminating in a 6-2, 6-1 final over Jasmine Paolini, earned her custom sneakers inscribed with “The One Where She Wins Her Fifth Grand Slam,” a nod to her love for “Friends.” As she trains in Paris, Swiatek is not chasing past glories but building anew, determined to prove that Rome was a hiccup, not a harbinger.
With the tennis world watching, Swiatek’s early arrival at Roland Garros is a statement of intent. Can she silence doubters and etch her name alongside Monica Seles and Justine Henin as a three-peat champion? Her focus, grit, and clay-court mastery suggest she’s ready to rise to the challenge.
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