Iga Świątek’s bid for a third title at the BNP Paribas Open came to a disappointing end on Thursday, March 12, after a tough defeat to Elina Svitolina. Despite entering the match with a losing head-to-head record against the Pole, Svitolina claimed a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory in their quarterfinal clash at Indian Wells.
Following the loss, Świątek shared a candid insight into her mindset regarding her performance, openly expressing frustration with tactical decisions that didn’t pan out.
What Did Iga Świątek Say After Her Brutal Loss to Elina Svitolina?
Speaking to Canal+ after her defeat, Iga Świątek admitted that she struggled from the very start of the match and couldn’t find a way to regroup. The Pole lamented that her attempts to make intuitive decisions were unsuccessful, and her original game plan proved too error-prone.
“To be honest, it’s hard for me to describe it in a way that makes sense because I played very poorly from the start and just couldn’t dig myself out of it. Every time I tried to make a more intuitive decision and just play my game, the balls were flying completely out of control. I started winning in the second set, though I’m not even sure why, I just started ‘pushing’ the ball and wasn’t playing the way I wanted to. Later, when I tried to follow my original game plan and play my style again, the errors returned. Maybe it would have been better to stick to just pushing the ball over the net, but it’s hard to play that way,” Iga Świątek said in Polish.
Despite her disappointment with her performance, Świątek graciously congratulated Elina Svitolina on her victory. The Pole also revealed that her attempt to turn the match around by “winning ugly” failed and said that it was difficult for her to explain the dip in form.
“I played poorly today…but congratulations to Elina on the win. I tried adjusting the string tension, but the balls were still flying without any control. It’s hard to tell if it was the strings, my physical form, or just being too tight, but I feel like I didn’t have a ‘fast hand’ today, no matter how hard I tried. I tried to win ugly with what I had, but often that’s just not enough. It’s hard to explain this dip in form, just a bad day,” she added.
Nevertheless, the 24-year-old expressed her determination to prepare strongly for the Miami Open, the main draw action of which begins on March 17.
“Now I need to prepare for the next tournament and fight there. A quarterfinal is a solid result, but as you said, it’s not what we’re aiming for,” she concluded.
Świątek’s frustration was also on display during the contest as she slammed her towel on the court and yelled at her team in an emotional outburst shortly before Svitolina served for the match.
MORE: Iga Świątek Concern Grows After Worrying On-Court Outburst During Indian Wells Defeat
Iga Świątek Loses Her World No. 2 Spot to Elena Rybakina
While Iga Świątek has made a difficult start to her 2026 season, Elena Rybakina has been in great form. After clinching her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, the Kazakh has progressed to the final at Indian Wells, beating Marta Kostyuk, Jessica Pegula, and Elina Svitolina along the way. Rybakina’s stellar run at the WTA 1000 event has propelled her to a new career-high ranking of World No. 2.
The Kazakh has leapfrogged Świątek in the live WTA rankings, climbing to 7,783 points while the six-time Grand Slam champion slips to 7,413 points after her loss. Rybakina could further boost her tally if she triumphs over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday, March 15.
