Iga Swiatek's title-less run outside clay reaches new low after Indian Wells SF exit

Iga Swiatek’s Indian Wells crash-out has resulted in an unfortunate low for her. The Pole now holds no titles outside clay, having endured some forgettable results lately.

Swiatek, the second seed, was the defending champion at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The Pole was searching for her third trophy at the tournament, having emerged victorious in 2022 and 2024. Given her clinical display en route to the semifinal against Mirra Andreeva on Friday, March 14, she seemed dominant and poised to clinch the title.

At this stage, though, Swiatek came undone as the teenager proved too hot to handle. The five-time Grand Slam champion, visibly frustrated by her performance, was knocked out by Andreeva, with a 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3 scoreline.

This means Iga Swiatek presently poses no titles outside clay. She won five titles last year, two of them coming at WTA 1000-level hardcourt events—the Qatar Open and Indian Wells. The Pole failed to defend each of the two, with no new hardcourt titles in the past 12 months. At the Qatar Open, she was chasing a fourth title on the trot, having won the tournament in 2022, 2023, and 2024. She was, however, thrown out of contention by her kryptonite, Jelena Ostapenko (6-3, 6-1), who secured her fifth straight victory against the Pole.

Swiatek also failed to defend two significant hardcourt titles at the tail end of last year—the WTA 1000 in Beijing, which she was forced to forgo while serving her doping violation-related suspension, and the WTA Finals, where she didn’t make it past the group stage.

The 23-year-old has three active titles, each on clay—the 2024 Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open.

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How Iga Swiatek fared at other hardcourt tournaments over the past 12 months

Iga Swiatek at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - Image Source: Getty

With her final chance of a hardcourt title at Indian Wells gone, Iga Swiatek’s only shot at rediscovering her hold on the surface before the clay season starts comes at the upcoming Miami Open. She won the title in 2022, when she completed the Sunshine Double, winning trophies in Indian Wells and Miami.

However, during the 2024 edition, Swiatek suffered an unexpected early exit in the Round of 16 against Ekaterina Alexandrova. She couldn't find her footing on the surface after resuming her hardcourt campaign in Cincinnati in August 2024, losing to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.

At the US Open, Swiatek, the 2022 champion, crashed against Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals. She then competed at the WTA Finals, securing a couple of wins against Barbora Krejcikova and alternate Daria Kasatkina. She lost one match to eventual champion Coco Gauff and was ultimately eliminated from the tournament.

Iga Swiatek began her 2025 campaign at the United Cup with four wins but lost to Gauff again in the final hurdle. At the Australian Open, the World No. 2 appeared to be having her best run until champion Madison Keys halted her in the semifinals despite the Pole having a match point.