Iga Swiatek, the Polish tennis star and former world No. 1, has suffered a significant setback after an early exit at the Italian Open. Her third-round defeat against Danielle Collins not only ended her title defense in Rome but also resulted in a tumble in the WTA rankings. This loss raises concerns about her form as she prepares to defend her title at the upcoming French Open.
Shock Defeat in Rome
Swiatek, the defending champion and a three-time winner of the Italian Open, entered the tournament as the world No. 2. However, she was stunned by a determined Danielle Collins, who secured a straight-sets victory of 6-1, 7-5. This defeat marked Swiatek’s earliest exit in Rome since 2020 and her first time dropping out of the world’s top three in over three years.
Collins dominated the match, firing 32 winners and converting six of eight break points. Swiatek, on the other hand, struggled with her serve and made 22 unforced errors. She only managed to convert two out of ten break points, a stark contrast to her usual solid game.
“I played against Iga so many times… when you play that many close matches and get this close and also play some of your best tennis and lose, I think you learn a lot,” Collins said. “I feel like I applied that today, to the match”.
Ranking Plummets
As a result of her early exit, Swiatek will drop to at least world No. 4 in the WTA rankings. She will lose a significant 935 ranking points from Rome, replacing the 1,000 points she earned from winning the title last year with just 65 points for her third-round finish this year. This drop means she will be overtaken by American players Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the rankings.
It will be the first time Swiatek has been ranked outside of the world’s top three since March 2022. Her streak of 165 consecutive weeks inside the Top 2 will come to an end when the new rankings are published.
The updated WTA top 10 rankings after the Italian Open 2025 are projected to be:
- Aryna Sabalenka – 10533 points
- Coco Gauff – 6268 points
- Jessica Pegula – 6243 points
- Iga Swiatek – 5838 points
Struggling for Form
Swiatek’s defeat in Rome is part of a worrying trend in 2025. She has struggled to find her best form and has not won a title since the French Open in 2024. This is a significant departure from her dominant performances in previous years, where she swept titles in Madrid and Rome leading up to the French Open.
In addition to her loss in Rome, Swiatek also suffered a heavy defeat to Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open, losing 6-1, 6-1. She has lost nine matches this year, as many as in all of 2024, and has not reached a clay-court final ahead of the French Open.
Swiatek herself has acknowledged her struggles, admitting that she is “doing something wrong” and needs to “regroup and kind of change some stuff”. She has been working with her team, including her psychologist Daria Abramowicz, to try and adjust her mindset.
Roland Garros in Jeopardy?
Swiatek’s poor form and ranking drop raise concerns about her chances at the upcoming French Open, where she is the defending champion. She has won the French Open four times, including the last three in a row, and is known for her prowess on clay courts. However, her recent struggles have cast doubts on her ability to replicate her past success.
With her ranking slipping, Swiatek now faces the possibility of being drawn in the same half as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open. A disappointing performance at the Grand Slam could see her tumble out of the top 8, marking a significant setback in her career trajectory.
Despite the challenges, Swiatek remains determined to defend her title at Roland Garros. Her resilience and mental strength will be tested as she seeks to overcome her recent setbacks and reclaim her status among the tennis elite.
“This year I feel like I’m struggling a bit more with my perfectionism,” Swiatek said. “I want to for sure focus on, like, being disciplined on the court and making right choices, not the choices that sometimes pop out in my head, but being really solid…This is my main focus now”.
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