Iga Swiatek Faces Tough Decisions After Madrid Open Defeat

Madrid, Spain — Iga Swiatek, the Polish tennis star, has encountered another setback in her quest for a 2025 title after a shocking loss in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open. On May 2, Swiatek suffered a crushing defeat to American Coco Gauff, losing 1-6, 1-6, marking her worst clay-court performance in six years.

Despite her impressive record of 26 match wins this season, Swiatek has struggled to break through, failing to reach a final so far this year. She had made it to three semi-finals before Madrid but came up short on each occasion. Her loss in Madrid has raised concerns about her performance ahead of the upcoming Roland Garros tournament.

As she prepares for her title defense in Rome, speculation arises regarding her participation in the grass-court season. According to reports from Polish media, Swiatek may consider skipping grass tournaments if her performance in Rome and Paris does not meet expectations. If she doesn’t secure a victory, the five-time major champion might take a break instead, using the time to recharge before returning to hard courts.

“Everything will depend on the results in Rome and Paris,” a report stated. Swiatek’s team is expected to take their time before making any definitive decisions regarding her schedule.

Her coach noted that the aim for the team is to perform better on faster surfaces, stating, “I think on the fast surfaces, sometimes she is trying to play the game of the fast players instead of keeping to her own game.”

Swiatek’s past performances on grass have been challenging. At Wimbledon, her best showing was reaching the quarter-finals in 2023 before losses in earlier rounds in subsequent years. Most recently, she exited in the third round after a disappointing match against Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.

As she takes time to regroup ahead of the Italian Open, fans remain hopeful for Swiatek to rebound. The tennis community is watching closely to see if the current world No. 2 can regain her form and finally claim a title in 2025.

The Italian Open begins on May 8, where Swiatek is set to defend her title from last year, during which she defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.