As the 2025 French Open dawns on the red clay of Roland Garros, Iga Swiatek, the four-time champion and former world No. 1, finds herself at a crossroads. Once the undisputed queen of clay, the 23-year-old Pole has endured a turbulent 2025 season, slipping to No. 5 in the rankings with no titles since her third French Open triumph in 2024. Ahead of her first-round match against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on May 25, 2025, Swiatek opened up about the mental and tactical shifts she’s embracing to reclaim her dominance in Paris. “I’m going to play my game,” she declared, signaling a return to the aggressive, intuitive style that made her a clay-court legend, while addressing the mental fatigue that has plagued her season.
Swiatek’s 2025 has been a stark contrast to her previous dominance. After a 2024 season that saw her win Roland Garros and reach the Australian Open final, she struggled with consistency, failing to advance beyond the quarterfinals in any tournament this year. Her most recent setback came in Rome, where a one-sided loss to Aryna Sabalenka exposed vulnerabilities in her game. “I wasn’t feeling fresh,” she admitted, reflecting on a season marked by mental and physical exhaustion. The pressure of defending her French Open title, coupled with off-court challenges—including her split from coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and a reported rift with her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz—has tested her resilience. “The last couple of months, it’s been tough to find that spark,” she said, acknowledging the toll of constant scrutiny and expectations.
To address these challenges, Swiatek has made a pivotal mental shift, focusing on rediscovering her love for the game. “I’m going to be kinder to myself,” she vowed, a departure from the perfectionism that once fueled her 37-match win streak in 2022. Working with new coach Wim Fissette, who previously guided Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber to Grand Slam glory, Swiatek is prioritizing mental clarity. Fissette has encouraged her to “let go of the pressure” and focus on the present, a strategy she credits for helping her navigate tough moments. “He’s helped me see the court differently, to trust my instincts again,” she said. This approach marks a return to the fearless mindset of her youth, when she stunned the tennis world by winning Roland Garros in 2020 at age 19.
Tactically, Swiatek is doubling down on her aggressive baseline game, aiming to dominate rallies with her topspin-heavy forehand and relentless movement. “I’m going to go for my shots, not overthink,” she explained, a response to recent matches where hesitation cost her against players like Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. Her Rome loss revealed a tendency to play defensively, a departure from the proactive style that overwhelmed opponents during her 2021-2023 reign. Fissette has tweaked her serve, adding variety to counter the aggressive returns of players like Mirra Andreeva, who upset her in last year’s French Open quarterfinals. “I need to be the one dictating, not reacting,” Swiatek said, emphasizing her intent to control points from the outset.
The French Open draw presents both opportunity and danger. Seeded fifth, Swiatek could face Sabalenka in a blockbuster semifinal, a rematch of their 2023 Roland Garros clash where she prevailed in a thrilling three-setter. “Every match here is a battle,” she noted, aware of the threats posed by players like Coco Gauff, who defeated her in Miami, and Rybakina, fresh off a Strasbourg title. Yet, Swiatek draws strength from her unparalleled Roland Garros record—35 wins in 39 matches—and the Parisian crowd’s support. “The fans here give me energy,” she said, recalling the electric atmosphere during her 2024 final against Karolina Muchova. “I want to feel that again, to play with freedom.”
Off the court, Swiatek has leaned on her family and partner, Hubert Hurkacz, to navigate personal challenges. Rumors of a rift with her mother, Dorota, surfaced after she skipped Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, but Swiatek dismissed these as “overblown,” insisting, “My family is my rock.” Her decision to part ways with Abramowicz, who guided her through three Grand Slam titles, was driven by a need for a fresh perspective. “Sometimes you need a change to grow,” she said, a nod to her evolving approach to mental health.
As Swiatek steps onto Court Philippe-Chatrier, she carries the weight of expectation but also a renewed sense of purpose. “I’m not chasing rankings; I’m chasing moments,” she said, a mantra that reflects her shift from perfectionism to passion. With a favorable early draw and a reinvigorated game plan, she’s poised to remind the tennis world why she’s been called the “Clay Queen.” Whether she can overcome her recent struggles and fend off a hungry field led by Sabalenka and Gauff remains to be seen, but Swiatek’s resolve is clear. “This is my court, my tournament,” she said with quiet confidence. As Paris beckons, the Pole is ready to rewrite her story, one forehand at a time.
# Iga Swiatek Seeks Redemption at 2025 French Open with New Mental and Tactical Approach
As the 2025 French Open dawns on the red clay of Roland Garros, Iga Swiatek, the four-time champion and former world No. 1, finds herself at a crossroads. Once the undisputed queen of clay, the 23-year-old Pole has endured a turbulent 2025 season, slipping to No. 5 in the rankings with no titles since her third French Open triumph in 2024. Ahead of her first-round match against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on May 25, 2025, Swiatek opened up about the mental and tactical shifts she’s embracing to reclaim her dominance in Paris. “I’m going to play my game,” she declared, signaling a return to the aggressive, intuitive style that made her a clay-court legend, while addressing the mental fatigue that has plagued her season.
Swiatek’s 2025 has been a stark contrast to her previous dominance. After a 2024 season that saw her win Roland Garros and reach the Australian Open final, she struggled with consistency, failing to advance beyond the quarterfinals in any tournament this year. Her most recent setback came in Rome, where a one-sided loss to Aryna Sabalenka exposed vulnerabilities in her game. “I wasn’t feeling fresh,” she admitted, reflecting on a season marked by mental and physical exhaustion. The pressure of defending her French Open title, coupled with off-court challenges—including her split from coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and a reported rift with her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz—has tested her resilience. “The last couple of months, it’s been tough to find that spark,” she said, acknowledging the toll of constant scrutiny and expectations.
To address these challenges, Swiatek has made a pivotal mental shift, focusing on rediscovering her love for the game. “I’m going to be kinder to myself,” she vowed, a departure from the perfectionism that once fueled her 37-match win streak in 2022. Working with new coach Wim Fissette, who previously guided Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber to Grand Slam glory, Swiatek is prioritizing mental clarity. Fissette has encouraged her to “let go of the pressure” and focus on the present, a strategy she credits for helping her navigate tough moments. “He’s helped me see the court differently, to trust my instincts again,” she said. This approach marks a return to the fearless mindset of her youth, when she stunned the tennis world by winning Roland Garros in 2020 at age 19.
Tactically, Swiatek is doubling down on her aggressive baseline game, aiming to dominate rallies with her topspin-heavy forehand and relentless movement. “I’m going to go for my shots, not overthink,” she explained, a response to recent matches where hesitation cost her against players like Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. Her Rome loss revealed a tendency to play defensively, a departure from the proactive style that overwhelmed opponents during her 2021-2023 reign. Fissette has tweaked her serve, adding variety to counter the aggressive returns of players like Mirra Andreeva, who upset her in last year’s French Open quarterfinals. “I need to be the one dictating, not reacting,” Swiatek said, emphasizing her intent to control points from the outset.
The French Open draw presents both opportunity and danger. Seeded fifth, Swiatek could face Sabalenka in a blockbuster semifinal, a rematch of their 2023 Roland Garros clash where she prevailed in a thrilling three-setter. “Every match here is a battle,” she noted, aware of the threats posed by players like Coco Gauff, who defeated her in Miami, and Rybakina, fresh off a Strasbourg title. Yet, Swiatek draws strength from her unparalleled Roland Garros record—35 wins in 39 matches—and the Parisian crowd’s support. “The fans here give me energy,” she said, recalling the electric atmosphere during her 2024 final against Karolina Muchova. “I want to feel that again, to play with freedom.”
Off the court, Swiatek has leaned on her family and partner, Hubert Hurkacz, to navigate personal challenges. Rumors of a rift with her mother, Dorota, surfaced after she skipped Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, but Swiatek dismissed these as “overblown,” insisting, “My family is my rock.” Her decision to part ways with Abramowicz, who guided her through three Grand Slam titles, was driven by a need for a fresh perspective. “Sometimes you need a change to grow,” she said, a nod to her evolving approach to mental health.
As Swiatek steps onto Court Philippe-Chatrier, she carries the weight of expectation but also a renewed sense of purpose. “I’m not chasing rankings; I’m chasing moments,” she said, a mantra that reflects her shift from perfectionism to passion. With a favorable early draw and a reinvigorated game plan, she’s poised to remind the tennis world why she’s been called the “Clay Queen.” Whether she can overcome her recent struggles and fend off a hungry field led by Sabalenka and Gauff remains to be seen, but Swiatek’s resolve is clear. “This is my court, my tournament,” she said with quiet confidence. As Paris beckons, the Pole is ready to rewrite her story, one forehand at a time.
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