Iga Świątek discussed the pre-match routine she plans to follow before facing Danielle Collins at the 2025 Italian Open. The former World No. 1 is defending her title in Rome this year, having defeated Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final.
Świątek and Collins have met eight times on the WTA Tour, with the five-time Grand Slam champion emerging victorious in seven of those encounters.
Iga Świątek Faces Danielle Collins in the 2025 Italian Open 3R
Świątek, seeded second at the 2025 Italian Open, kicked off her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She faced wild card Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her opening match and secured a dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory to advance to the third round.
Collins, on the other hand, is seeded 29th at the WTA 1000 event in Rome. Like Świątek, she began her journey in the second round. She registered a 6-3, 6-3 victory over qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse to secure her place in the third round, where she takes on Świątek.
After defeating Cocciaretto, Świątek spoke with the Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj. She mentioned that since arriving in Rome, she’s only indulged in a small portion of tiramisu, her favorite dessert, while indulging in pasta to manage her carbohydrate intake.
“Half (tiramisu)! I’m a little bit… but after the tournament, I’ll eat more. Maybe today after the win, I need to give it a go. I mean, I’m eating pasta anyway, so I can’t do too much with the carbs,” Iga Świątek said.
Looking ahead to her upcoming match against Collins, the 23-year-old mentioned that she is focused on herself and her game. She expressed her and her team’s plan to approach the match “tactically,” considering the American always poses a “challenge.”
“Well, honestly, I’ll just focus on myself. Obviously we need to prepare tactically beforehand. I will say, against Danielle, it’s always a challenge.”
A Look at Danielle Collins’ Feud With Iga Świątek
Świątek and Collins have been involved in a feud that began at the 2024 Paris Olympics and appeared to carry over to the 2025 United Cup.
During the Olympics, Świątek and Collins competed against each other in the quarterfinals. The American retired from the match during the third set, with the score at 6-1, 2-6, 4-1 (ret.), due to an abdominal muscle injury.
What drew attention, though, was Collins exchanging words with Świątek at the net after the match. When questioned about it, Collins mentioned that she felt Świątek was being “insincere” about her injury, which she found disrespectful.
“I told Iga Świątek she didn’t have to be insincere about, you know, my injury. There’s a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma who come out and are one way on camera and another way in the locker room,” Danielle Collins said. “I don’t really feel like anybody needs to be insincere. They can be the way that they are. I can accept that, and I don’t need the fakeness.”
Months after the Paris Olympics, during the final of the 2025 United Cup between Poland and the USA, Danielle Collins was seen offering Iga Świątek a cold handshake.