Iga Świątek’s title defense at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships did not go according to plan. On Saturday, July 4, the World No. 3 was knocked out of the tournament in the third round by Alexanda Eala of the Philippines.
The loss will see Świątek slip outside the WTA top 5, extending a difficult spell marked by a string of disappointing results.
Iga Świątek Addresses On-Court Struggles After Wimbledon Exit
Świątek’s difficult run of form has shown little sign of easing. The six-time Grand Slam champion has not won a title since lifting the Korea Open trophy last September. In fact, she has not reached a single tour-level final since then, with her best result being a semifinal appearance at the 2026 Italian Open.
Amid her struggles, the Pole parted ways with coach Wim Fissette and brought in Rafael Nadal’s longtime mentor, Francisco Roig. While Świątek has spoken positively about their partnership and the progress they have made in practice, those encouraging signs have yet to translate into consistent results on court. Reflecting on her slump during her post-match press conference, Świątek said, “Well, yeah. You need to trust the process, for sure.”
After a forgettable clay swing, she was unable to turn the page during the grass season either. She suffered an opening-round defeat in Bad Homburg, where she had finished runner-up last year before heading into Wimbledon. At SW19, she survived a scare against Taylor Townsend, winning 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, and then eased past Karolína Plíšková 6-1, 6-3 before falling to 29th seed Eala 7-6(9), 6-2.
She, however, stressed that her focus is no longer on results. “Honestly, I don’t care anymore about the results. I’ve been so focused on them that it’s hard to continue like that. I’m really trying to let it go.”
“Come on, like, I don’t have good results. So I’m not going to expect from myself good results because they’re just not happening. I’m not on that level yet. I need to work from the beginning and try to just get my tennis better,” she added.
Świątek’s underwhelming 2026 campaign has taken a toll on her position in the WTA Live Race to the Finals, where she now sits outside the top 10. Her standing could deteriorate further depending on the remainder of the Wimbledon fortnight.
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Following her unsuccessful Wimbledon title defense, Iga Świątek now faces the daunting challenge of defending her Cincinnati Open crown in August. The 25-year-old would be hoping to rediscover her best form ahead of the North American hard-court swing.
