Iga Świątek Outlines ‘Expectations’ Ahead of Her Stuttgart Campaign
Świątek’s trajectory dipped well below her usual high standards, as she failed to progress beyond the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Indian Wells Masters, before suffering a surprising second-round exit at the Miami Open.
After this string of setbacks, a significant development emerged from her camp: the Pole opted to part ways with coach Wim Fissette. The partnership had previously yielded her maiden Wimbledon title, along with triumphs in Cincinnati and Seoul.
In a swift turnaround, the former world No. 1 brought in Francisco Roig, who has previously worked with Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu. She also traveled to Mallorca and fine-tuned her preparations for the clay-court swing at the Rafa Nadal Academy, alongside Nadal and Roig.
With their stint now underway, fans will be keenly watching the Pole’s trajectory on the WTA Tour, with the upcoming Stuttgart event likely to offer a clearer indication. Ahead of her run, Świątek was asked if she had reevaluated her expectations during her partnership with Roig.
The Pole explained that, despite building a strong position on tour, her recent dip in form had been particularly disheartening. However, she admitted uncertainty over the reasons behind her underwhelming run.
“Obviously, if you already won so many titles, there are always going to be expectations from yourself and from the outside. I think my expectations were too high for the level I was presenting. I wasn’t really playing well. So it was kind of heartbreaking. It is like a cold shower, you know? But I wouldn’t say this is why, I don’t know, I lost or something,” she said in her press conference.
Świątek now has a golden opportunity to engineer a strong comeback, with the clay-court swing aligning perfectly with her strengths. A four-time French Open champion, the Pole will be eager to build momentum in the lead-up this season.
