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Iga Swiatek Reacts to Italian Open Loss – Shuts Down Roland Garros Talk

Iga Swiatek offered her immediate reaction to losing in the Italian Open and briefly discussed Roland Garros.
Pat Benson|
Iga Swiatek explained what went wrong during her match against Danielle Collins at the Italian Open and discussed Roland Garros.
Iga Swiatek explained what went wrong during her match against Danielle Collins at the Italian Open and discussed Roland Garros. | IMAGO / NurPhoto

Iga Swiatek's clay court season went from bad to worse on Saturday afternoon in Rome. Swiatek lost in straight sets to her rival Danielle Collins in the third round of the Italian Open (Internazionali BNL d'Italia).


Even worse, she will lose her No. 3 spot in the next WTA Rankings. Understandably, Swiatek kept her answers brief during her post-match press conference.

However, the five-time Grand Slam champion provided some insight into what went wrong today and her thoughts about going into the French Open.

When asked what she was processing on the court today, Swiatek said, "For sure, it hasn't been easy. For sure, I'm doing something wrong. So, I need to regroup and kind of change stuff. I had some advice from the team. I'll just try to do this."

A reporter asked Swiatek who she leaned on for support, and the 23-year-old referenced her sports psychologist, "Yeah, well, Daria (Abramowicz), like everybody from the team. Yeah, we talked and came to some conclusions. So yeah, I'm just going to change my mindset a little bit."

When asked about reverting to old habits during matches, Swiatek did not think that was the issue. Rather, she felt it was her lack of focus.

"Well, I think I just wasn't there present to, like, fight and to compete. I focused on mistakes. It's my mistake, and I'm not doing things right. So yeah, the focus is on the wrong things from my side, and I'll try to change that," said Swiatek.

Swiatek was dismissive of loaded questions about Roland Garros. When asked about her expectations of the clay court Grand Slam, Swiatek brushed it off.

"Obviously (indiscernible) because I'm not able to play my game. I'll just try to change my mindset a little bit, try to regroup and focus day by day working."

One reporter told Swiatek that some players had great success at Grand Slams, even when not playing their best. She responded, "I don't care what other people had. There's no point to compare."

The last question was if she got a certain feeling when going to Roland Garros, and Swiatek bluntly replied, "It doesn't matter what things I get. Every year is different, so... Doesn't matter."

Swiatek is 27-9 with zero titles. Her title drought has now gone a full year, as she has not won a tournament since last year's French Open.

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Published | Modified
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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