Iga Swiatek faces uphill battle to reclaim French Open crown

Swiatek’s French Open hopes clouded by off-court turmoil and poor form.

Iga Swiatek of Poland trains ahead of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 20, 2025, in Paris, France. Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

By Adila Ghina and Randy Ahmad

Iga Swiatek begins her campaign for a fifth French Open title under the shadow of the most challenging stretch in her professional career. Once seen as the undisputed queen of clay, Swiatek now finds herself battling internal doubt, inconsistent form, and a series of personal and professional setbacks that threaten to derail her dominance at Roland Garros.

The Polish star, who first announced herself on the global stage with a stunning victory at the 2020 French Open as a teenager, has since become a fixture in the upper echelon of women's tennis. However, her fall from the WTA top two this month—ending an uninterrupted 173-week run—has highlighted a significant decline in results and confidence. Swiatek has dropped to world number five, a ranking that could complicate her route to another title in Paris.

The current French Open presents not only a physical challenge for Swiatek, but a deeply emotional and psychological one as well. Since lifting the trophy last June—her third consecutive triumph at Roland Garros—Swiatek has failed to win another title, a stunning drought for a player who had previously seemed nearly untouchable on clay. That winning run in Paris had made her the first woman since Justine Henin to win three in a row at Roland Garros, but the aura surrounding her dominance is rapidly fading.

A year of personal and professional turbulence

Swiatek’s difficulties began to mount toward the end of last season, when she withdrew from the WTA's Asian swing citing “personal matters.” Only later did it emerge that she had served a one-month suspension for testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned heart medication. Swiatek has consistently denied any intention to cheat, explaining that the substance entered her system through contaminated over-the-counter medication used for sleep issues.

Calling it “the worst experience of my life,” Swiatek has spoken openly about the anxiety and mental stress that followed. Though anti-doping authorities accepted her explanation and allowed her to return to competition at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, her game has never quite recovered.

This season, Swiatek has appeared emotionally fragile at times and increasingly vulnerable on the court. At Indian Wells, she was criticized for petulantly hitting a ball toward a ball boy. In Miami, she was assigned additional security after a troubling incident with a spectator. And in Madrid, she broke down in tears during her semifinal loss to Coco Gauff, burying her face in a towel during the changeover. Her appearance in that match came just days after returning home to Poland for her grandfather’s funeral.

Even on her favored clay, Swiatek’s form has been underwhelming. In Rome, she suffered a third-round loss to Danielle Collins, a defeat that ended her title defense in abrupt fashion. That followed her Madrid Open collapse to Gauff, who overwhelmed her 6-1, 6-1 in one of Swiatek’s most lopsided losses in recent memory. These back-to-back early exits mark a stark contrast to the commanding performances she’s known for, particularly on clay.

Grand Slam confusion and a coaching puzzle

Swiatek has advanced to at least the quarterfinals in seven of eight events this year, a fact that on paper appears consistent with a top-tier player. Yet she hasn’t reached a single final, with her most painful loss coming in the Australian Open semifinals, where she failed to convert a match point against eventual champion Madison Keys.

That near miss in Melbourne seemed to deepen the psychological fog surrounding her performances. Swiatek recently admitted to being confused on court, saying, “I’m making decisions that are not really good at the moment because I just remember how it felt in previous tournaments or previous years. I kind of assume it’s going to go in and then I make mistakes. It’s not the same—I’m confused.”

Her coaching relationship with Wim Fissette, who previously guided Kim Clijsters, Angelique Kerber, and Naomi Osaka to major titles, has so far failed to produce the turnaround she may have hoped for. Fissette joined Swiatek’s team last October after she parted ways with longtime coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. Despite Fissette’s championship pedigree, Swiatek insists her coach is not at fault and has stood by both him and her longtime sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz.

But as former Roland Garros champion Justine Henin recently told Eurosport, Swiatek may be stuck in a vicious cycle. “She’s in a vicious circle. It’s not surprising to see her struggling,” Henin said. “Maybe it’s time for things to come to a head, for things to come out, for her to analyse and understand what’s happening to the great perfectionist she is. You’d think it would be here at Roland Garros where she’ll finally sink before perhaps getting back on track.”

The clay queen under pressure

Swiatek’s record at Roland Garros is extraordinary. She has won 35 of 37 matches at the French Open, including 21 in a row. Her success has come not just from her aggressive baseline game and strategic precision, but also from an unmistakable sense of belief on the Parisian clay.

And despite her current slump, there are voices in the tennis world cautioning against counting her out. Coco Gauff, who was handily defeated by Swiatek in the 2022 French Open final and eliminated by her in the past two editions, said recently: “I always think if someone wins a tournament that many times, regardless of what shape they’re in, they can definitely figure out a way to win again.”

Indeed, Swiatek has demonstrated resilience before. The mental toll of competition, public scrutiny, and personal loss has clearly weighed on her in recent months. But as tennis history shows, great champions often rise from their lowest points with newfound strength.

Swiatek herself has said she is trying to regroup. After her Rome defeat, she admitted: “It hasn’t been easy. For sure I’m doing something wrong. So I need to just regroup and kind of change some stuff.”

As she returns to the place where she has experienced the highest highs of her career, Swiatek faces a French Open unlike any before. No longer the untouchable favorite, she will instead try to rediscover her form, her rhythm, and perhaps most importantly, her belief.

With the spotlight still firmly fixed on her, Swiatek’s journey in Paris this year may not just define her season—it may well reshape her legacy.

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