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Iga Swiatek's campaign at the Miami Open 2025 concluded with a 6-2, 7-5 loss to teenager Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals. Her hopes of winning a title in the early hardcourt swing also came to an end with the exit. She has failed to win at least one title in the first three months of the year for the first time since 2021.
Swiatek has still performed quite consistently. She's the only player to reach at least the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the subsequent four WTA 1000 tournaments. However, she's yet to win a title or even reach a final. She hasn't advanced to the championship round of a tournament since winning the French Open a year ago.
Swiatek will now aim to turn things around as she enters her favorite part of the year, the clay swing. She has an impressive 63-5 record on the surface since the start of 2022, with eight titles to her name.
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However, Swiatek will commence her journey on clay this year with less confidence compared to previous years. Given her recent results, here are some bold predictions on how her clay swing could unfold this year:
#3. Iga Swiatek fails to defend her titles during the clay swing
Swiatek swept the three main titles on clay a year ago. She saved three championship points during her thrilling win over Aryna Sabalenka to win the Madrid Open for the first time. She regained her title at the Italian Open a fortnight later with a win over the Belarusian in the final.
Swiatek was the two-time defending champion at the French Open. Her reign in Paris almost came to an early end. However, she saved a match point in the second round against Naomi Osaka and never looked back after that to capture her third straight crown at Roland Garros.
Defending all three titles will be a tall order. It all depends on how she starts her clay swing. Swiatek will begin her clay season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, a tournament she has won twice in the past. She lost to Elena Rybakina in the semifinals last year, bringing an end to her title defense.
If Swiatek either wins the title in Stuttgart or reaches the final there, then there's a good chance that she could at least win at least one of her next three tournaments. However, the pressure will mount if she arrives in Madrid without a title or a final under her belt, and it will only increase and hinder her with every subsequent tournament.
#2. Iga Swiatek to drop out of the top 3 of the WTA rankings after the French Open
Swiatek is defending 4,195 points during the clay season. As mentioned above, she's the defending champion at the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open. She also made the last four at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and that's the only tournament where she can also gain some points this year.
Swiatek will begin the clay swing with 7,470 points. Even if she defends half of her points on clay, then she will have around 5,470 points. That will put her out of the top three, but it should be enough to keep her in the top five, unless players ranked behind her leapfrog her with better results or if the Pole underperforms.
The 23-year-old ascended to the top of the rankings for the first time in April 2022. She has spent every week since then either atop the summit or ranked No. 2. She has been a beacon of consistency for over three years, but that streak could come to an end with a subpar clay swing.
#1. Iga Swiatek to part ways with her coach Wim Fissette
Swiatek hired Fissette as her coach in October 2024. The end of last season was quite turbulent for her as she was suspended for a month after testing positive for a banned substance. Following the US Open, she didn't participate in the Asian swing and returned to action at the WTA Finals, where she was the defending champion.
Swiatek failed to advance beyond the group stage of the WTA Finals. While her first tournament with Fissette by her side didn't go too well, the new season started on a promising note.
The Pole carried her team to the final of the United Cup for the second year in a row. She remained unbeaten in her singles and doubles matches until the final, ultimately losing to Coco Gauff in the summit clash. She then reached the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time since 2022.
Furthermore, Swiatek was one point away from reaching the final. However, Madison Keys saved a match point in the semifinals to keep the former World No. 1 at bay. She has made the semifinals in Doha and Indian Wells and the quarterfinals in Dubai and Miami since then.
For any other player, these results would be quite solid but not for Swiatek. If she doesn't win a title during the clay swing, then it's quite likely that she gives Fissette the boot. The latter has never won the French Open as a coach.
Swiatek has usually had a stable coaching situation and has never snapped ties with a coach within a year. However, she was also winning titles with her previous coaches. If that doesn't happen with Fissette by her side in the coming weeks, then it's tough to see this collaboration lasting beyond the clay season.
