Roland Garros 2025: Iga Swiatek Experiences more Mid-Course Struggles in a Year-Long Trend
New and Improved Take:
Iga Swiatek, the reigning Roland-Garros champ since 2022, met her match in the semis this year against powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka (7-6[7-1], 4-6, 6-0) on Thurs, June 5, 2025. Before you cry foul, remember Swiatek's gotta face the music: this loss whacks her down to no. 7 in the world, her lowest rank since Feb 2022.
Speaking to the press after her bout, she summed it up: "It ain't a great tourney, but I ain't got the trophy I wanted!" Swiatek struggled to keep up with Sabalenka's brutal aggression, failing to establish her game. "She set the pace like a bat outta hell. At the start of the match, she was full throttle, swinging for fences. Kept it tough to go the distance with long rallies," she added.
An Unlucky Roland-Garros
It stung more when she got served up a bagel in the final set, a fate she'd doled out plenty to opponents lately. This is the second time this year she's taken a 6-0 beating, though the first, against Madison Keys in Madrid, didn't stop her from snagging the trophy (0-6, 6-3, 6-2). You'd have to go back to June 2021 and a dust-up with Daria Kasatkina to find the last time she got fried (6-0). "She served like a beast, felt like I was serving just as good, but she was reading my serves better, got a bunch of points on returns. Felt like I lost a bit of fire, she played great in the third set, couldn't respond," she told the media.
Entering Porte d'Auteuil shaky, after two semifinal defeats in Madrid and a third-round loss in Rome, Swiatek cautiously gained momentum but missed a few close shots. Challenging Elena Rybakina in the quarters, she came dangerously close to losing the first set and dug herself an early hole (1-6, 2-0) before winning (1-6, 6-3, 7-5). Pressuring Elina Svitolina in the next round, she barely managed to eke out a win in the second set (6-1, 7-5). However, she couldn't stand tall in the semis.
"I've changed my mindset coming into this tourney. Early exit in Rome helped me take a breather. You gotta start fresh, put in the work, and focus on moving forward, learning new tricks for the grass."
Kicking off her 2025 season at the United Cup with Poland in January, she stormed into the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Madrid. Despite playing three clay tournaments before Roland-Garros, it wasn't a massive success. Post-Roland-Garros, she's made it clear she's gonna take a vacation before focusing on the grass-court season, traditionally her weakest surface (never made it past the quarters at Wimbledon): "I'ma take a few days off. We'll chat it up with my team and I hope to have a decent grass-court season."
Historical Performance on Grass Courts
Going Green in 2025
Iga Świątek hasn't been a grass-court powerhouse like she is on clay or hard courts. Her uneven results on grass stem from her playstyle, which involves heavy topspin—a style that shines more on clay and hard courts.
But fear not, folks! In the 2025 season, Swiatek's shown a bit of grace on the grass court. She reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, a positive step in her grass-court journey. Though she ended her 14-match streak there, she proved she could handle the lawn with time[1]. For now, her aim is to shore up her grass-court record after this tough time at Roland-Garros[2][4].
Iga Swiatek, in her pursuit to improve her grass-court performance, might consider training with more French opponents to better adapt to the style typically common on these courts. After a challenging Roland-Garros, she could incorporate some French sports like tennis into her training schedule, as she prepares for the grass-court season.
