Serena Williams' ex-coach advises Iga Swiatek after Miami Open heartbreak

Serena Williams' former coach, Rick Macci, backed and shared some advice for Iga Swiatek after her unexpected exit from the ongoing WTA 1000 event in Miami on Wednesday. The renowned mentor expressed unwavering faith in the Pole's potential to rise back up. He also marked the upcoming clay court season as the period where fans would witness her peak performance.

Iga Swiatek suffered an unexpected defeat against Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in the quarterfinal round of the Miami Open. Emerging from the globally renowned Rafael Nadal Academy, the young talent triumphed over the five-time Grand Slam champion with a final scoreline of 6-2, 7-5. With this, the world No. 140 gained the biggest victory of her career so far.

While many were raising questions over Iga Swiatek's consistency, Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci came up with a firm defence. However, his backing came with strict advice for the former No. 1, suggesting a crucial change that she should make. He wrote in X post,

"Iga is proven. Has been there done that. Not going anywhere. But that being said with the firepower of the racquet/ string and mindset of players to grip it and rip it Iga does not have as much time and has to play off back foot more. When Iga is on the front toe she runs the show."

The renowned mentor also predicted a better form ahead of the upcoming clay court season. In another post on X, Macci mentioned how her serve has to go through some clear modifications. He wrote,

"Iga will be ok as No Place Like Home On Clay. But her serve has stayed the same for years and if modified biomechanically could get more Free lunches and more juice on the second. Players even like Eala that play clean/ flat can munch on the second serve and break more often."

Iga Swiatek has been struggling to make it past the semifinals right from the start of the ongoing season. As the World No. 2 made her exit from Miami, her rivals, including Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka, reached the semifinals.

Alexandra Eala astonished by the unexpected victory over Iga Swiatek

Alexandra Eala at the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 9 - Source: Getty

The crowd present at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami witnessed an unexpected incident during the women's singles quarterfinal showdown between Iga Swiatek and Alexandra Eala. The 19-year-old Eala defeated the four-time French Open winner in two sets to stun the tennis world. However, even after emerging victorious, she found it hard to process the astonishing conquest. After her win, she said via SkySports,

"My mind is really blank, I don't think I've processed what I've just done. In the end I'm still the same player I was two weeks ago."

Despite the commendable win, Eala now has a challenge lined up in the semifinal round. She will face the experienced American WTA star Jessica Pegula on Friday, March 28. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will take on sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the first semifinal fixture.