Why Swiatek's reign as 'Queen of Clay' is under threat
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentary on BBC 5 Sports Extra, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app
Iga Swiatek's recent dominance at the French Open - and the tournaments leading up to it - has led to a regal nickname: the Queen of Clay.The 23-year-old Pole has won four of the past five Roland Garros women's singles titles and arrives in Paris as the three-time defending champion.But this year there are considerable doubts about if she can continue her reign.For the first time since 2020 - when she claimed her maiden title as an unheralded teenager - Swiatek arrives without winning a WTA tournament in the first five months of the season.As a result, the former long-time world number one has dropped to fifth in the rankings.It begs the obvious question: can she still be considered the favourite to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen?
'My life turned upside down' - the mental toll
Most players on the WTA Tour would be envious of Swiatek's record this season.She has won 27 of her 36 matches so far, reaching four semi-finals and contesting another three quarter-finals in eight tournaments.But Swiatek has rarely reached her dominant best over the past few months.She has often looked tense, tightly wound with emotion, and it has poured out after tough defeats.Swiatek was inconsolable after losing in the Olympics semi-finals at Roland Garros last summer, saying she cried for "six hours" afterwards.Two weeks later came a bombshell - Swiatek had failed a doping test.It was announced in November she had tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample and was subsequently given a one-month ban after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted the result was caused by contamination."Truth to be told, over the last months, there has always been something," Swiatek told BBC Sport in Madrid earlier in May.
"My life went upside down in November. It wasn't easy and wasn't easy to accept afterwards."It took me a long time to do that, but now I feel like I have space just to work and hopefully I'm going to use that."I'm looking for a peaceful time and just waiting for it to happen."Swiatek was alluding to a series of issues that have cropped up this year.In March, Swiatek was criticised for reacting angrily towards a ball boy at Indian Wells, then given extra security after being verbally abused by an "aggressive and taunting" fan in Miami.She made a short trip back to Warsaw last month for the funeral of her grandfather before her Madrid Open title defence began.During a heavy semi-final defeat by Coco Gauff, Swiatek broke down at a changeover and sobbed beneath her towel.And in Rome, she was visibly upset during a brief chat with the media after a chastening third-round loss to Danielle Collins."For sure it hasn't been easy. For sure I'm doing something wrong," she said afterwards."I need to regroup and change some stuff."
'I'm focusing on mistakes' - the technical uncertainty
With these issues lingering in the background, Swiatek has been nowhere near her best level throughout the clay-court swing.Her destructive forehand - arguably her most effective tool - has lost its reliability, while her service game has been picked apart by big-hitting opponents.The mistakes, according to Swiatek, are because of slight technical tweaks she is making.But there is also an element of uncertainty in her usually sharp footwork, hinting at her crisis of confidence.The manner of the early exit in Rome - a 6-1 7-5 loss to Collins - was particularly concerning, with Swiatek converting just two of 10 break opportunities."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," Swiatek said."I kind of assume it's going to go in and then I make mistakes."It's not the same - I'm confused."
Swiatek appointed Wim Fissette - a leading coach who has helped several players win Grand Slams - after parting ways with Tomasz Wiktorowski last year.In a recent interview with a Polish journalist, Swiatek said it was "very harsh and unfair" to blame Fissette for her recent results."During a tournament, under the influence of various factors, including stress, I sometimes make a mistake and go back to my old technique," she told the Sportowefakty website., external"But it's not the coach's fault - that's how training and sport work."The whole process is much more complicated than it might seem to someone watching from the couch in front of the TV."
Can she bounce back at the French Open?
For Swiatek, the clay-court events leading up to the French Open usually build her rhythm and confidence, ensuring she can peak at the business end of the tournament.Clearly that has not happened this year, but Roland Garros is the one place where you would back Swiatek to rediscover her mojo.The statistics underline her recent dominance:21 victories in a row35 wins in her 37 career matches0 defeats since 2021"Sometimes you can start the Grand Slam in really bad shape and not playing perfectly, but then find your game during," Swiatek told BBC Sport."This is a two-week tournament so I think it's impossible to peak for the whole event - you just need to kind of survive."
Swiatek's speed and agility of movement give her time to unleash her Rafael Nadal-esque top-spin forehand - a key component in her success.American world number two Gauff, one of the main contenders for the trophy, insists it would be foolish to rule Swiatek out."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," Gauff said.But immediately after her Rome defeat, Swiatek seemed unsure.She curtly dismissed suggestions that returning to Roland Garros could rekindle positive feelings.Yet her early arrival in Paris - practising on Court Philippe Chatrier at the end of last week - showed she hopes familiarity will breed success.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
‘Nervous' Emma Raducanu enjoys win with Katie Boulter in rare doubles outing
Raducanu had before this played doubles just once, partnering Clara Tauson in round one of the 2022 Washington Open, and alongside Boulter was fully backed by the home crowd on the packed and more intimate Court One. The WTA 500 event marks the first time in 52 years Queen's has hosted women's tennis, and while the pairing of British number one Boulter and number two Raducanu were not quite ready to submit their entries to Wimbledon, there were hugs and fist-pumps aplenty as they got their grass court seasons underway. Friends who win together 🤗@WTA | #HSBCChampionships — LTA (@the_LTA) June 9, 2025 'I was actually very nervous before the match,' said 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, who will take on Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in her opening singles match on Tuesday afternoon. 'I don't know if you could tell, but, yeah, probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn't necessarily know what to do. 'I'm really happy once we got out there, Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I'm just so pleased to get a win.' This Queen's partnership, Raducanu revealed, came 'spontaneously', after a few close calls where she and Boulter nearly joined forces at Madrid, Paris and Miami. Asked it could extend as far as Wimbledon, Raducanu replied: 'We haven't spoken about it. It worked pretty well, so we're just going to keep on trying to do as best we can this week.' Boulter joked: 'Scrap what she said – we're going for the Wimbledon title! No, I'm just kidding.' The British pair claimed an early break in the first set and extended their lead to 4-2 before Wu and Jiang drew level at 4-4. Boulter and Raducanu broke back and eventually claimed the opening set, converting their second set point. Momentum in their favour, the Britons made quicker work of the pair from China and Chinese Taipei in the second set, sealed emphatically by Raducanu's volley. Fans on social media were quick to complain that the match was not available to watch in full on the BBC, who did occasionally cut to the British pair but focused on the action on the newly-christened Andy Murray Arena, where the three-time grand slam winner was honoured in a morning ceremony. The PA news agency understands contractural considerations between a number of stakeholders – including the WTA and LTA – contributed to the contest being held on the smaller court. PA has contacted the BBC for comment. Raducanu did not mind the venue, adding: 'I think sometimes on the smaller courts youb get a bigger feel for the match, the atmosphere and the environment, because it's a lot closer, more intimate, and you hear the support more. 'For me, I love playing on those smaller, outside courts where you really feel the support and the crowd gets into it. I was filling my bottle up, and I was literally having a chat in the stands because that's how close it is.' Elsewhere, British number three Sonay Kartal got her singles campaign off to a winning start with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory over Australia's world number 16 Daria Kasatkina.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Caitlin Clark dealt injury setback in race to return for Indiana Fever
After two weeks out of action, Caitlin Clark will miss her fifth straight game for the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night. It will be Clark's fifth missed game in a row with a quad injury, with the original goal now gone for one of the best players in the WNBA to return to the hardwood. The Fever play the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, with their following game not until Saturday against the New York Liberty. More to come.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘Boultercanu' serve doubles delight as women's tennis returns to Queen's
Moments before Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter walked on to court one to add a touch of pizzazz to a historic day at Queen's Club, a lady carrying an empty Pimm's jug went to go for a refill. 'I'm sorry but if you leave, we won't be able to let you straight back in,' she was told by a steward. 'You will have to queue.' The woman thought for a moment, looked at the packed stands, and returned to her seat. It turned out to be a wise decision. And not just because the queue to see the British pair – or 'Boultercanu' as the press had already anointed them – was snaking halfway around Queen's Club. For when the action began, Raducanu and Boulter proved to be an instant sensation as they walloped the doubles pair of China's Jiang Xinyu and Taiwan's Wu Fang-hsien 6-4, 6-2. But it was not only the quality of their play in their first match together that stood out. There were also plenty of laughs, high fives and jokes, which continued at the press conference afterwards. Asked whether they might be tempted to also give the doubles a whirl at Wimbledon, Raducanu played it straight. 'We're just going to keep trying to do as best as we can this week and take it from there.' But before she could go on, Boulter interjected: 'Scrap what she said,' she laughed. 'We're going for the Wimbledon title.' 'I was actually very nervous before the match,' added Raducanu. 'Probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn't really necessarily know what to do. But Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I'm just so pleased to get a win on the board.' The only pity was that many fans on the first day of women's tennis at Queen's Club since 1972 were unable to watch, as the match was played in front of 1,000 spectators on court one rather than on the Andy Murray Arena, which holds 7,700 seats. 'I think it is very swear-word annoying,' one spectator, Helen Millinersaid as she waited outside. 'I booked tickets for the Andy Murray Arena months ago, and was hoping to see Radders and Katie on there, especially given it is such a historic day. I tried to get on to court one to see them, but the queue was incredibly long,. I was told it would take an hour to get on.' A spokesperson later explained the decision was down to contractual issues obliging the WTA to put predominately singles matches on the main court. Court one was so intimate that when Raducanu filled her water bottle after the first set, she was able to have a quick chat with some of the spectators that were less than a metre away from her. Not that she minded. 'I love playing on those smaller, outside courts where you really feel the support and the crowd gets into it,' said Raducanu, who showed no signs of a back spasm that had interrupted her preparations. 'I was filling my bottle up, and I was literally having a chat in the stands, because that's how close it is.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Those hoping to see the match on TV were also left disappointed as the BBC showed Sonay Kartal's match against Daria Kasatkina instead. But Kartal, who has moved into the top 50 in the world, certainly lived up to her billing as she played one of the best matches in her career to beat the world No 16 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. 'I was excited to be the first Brit on the Andy Murray Arena,' Katal said. 'I think it's an incredible court and the packed crowd was right behind me exactly when I needed it. I loved every second. It was super special.' Having a WTA 500 women's tournament is not the only change at Queen's this year. For the first time, there are also no line judges. It means that when a player hits a ball out, the crowd hears pre-recorded voices collected by the Lawn Tennis Association from its members and partners. Not that it was entirely successful. Several times when the ball clattered into the net, a cry of 'Out!' was heard. For the first time, spectators have colour-coded stickers under their seats. A green sticker means they can leave while play is going on. But if they have an orange one, they can only move at the end of a game. Red means they can only do so at a change of ends or a set. The good news for those coming to Queen's on Tuesday is that Boulter and Raducanu will be back in action in the singles – with Boulter kicking things off against Ajla Tomljanovic before Raducanu faces Cristina Bucșa. And, yes, both matches will be on the Andy Murray Arena.
