Iga Świątek’s 2026 season has gone from bad to worse after her failure to defend her Wimbledon title. Ranked No. 3 before the tournament, the Pole has now slipped to No. 8 in the world rankings.
By her own admission, Świątek has been trying to detach herself from her results and accept that she is not currently playing at her best. Her poor run of form has, however, caught Coco Gauff and Andre Agassi’s former coach Brad Gilbert by surprise.
Brad Gilbert Makes a Suggestion Amid Iga Świątek’s Troubles
The top WTA players who dominated the sport over the past three to four years have recently found themselves struggling for form. Aryna Sabalenka has incurred some unlikely defeats; Gauff has produced mixed results; Elena Rybakina has suffered early losses, but it is Świątek’s slump that has bothered Gilbert the most.
“Iga surprised me the most — how much she’s fallen off. She switched coaches; she hasn’t been in the final in the last ten months,” Gilbert said on the Big T Podcast.
Świątek enjoyed remarkable consistency from the start of 2022 through mid-2024. Since then, her form has fluctuated, and success has not come as easily as it once did. She has won just three titles, which is in stark contrast to the 19 she won between 2022 and mid-2024.
Among those three titles is her 2025 Wimbledon triumph, which Gilbert believes was aided in part by a favorable draw. “And other than Wimbledon last year, when she did have a great draw, she hasn’t been as much of a factor in these Majors. So she’s got to figure that out.”
The experienced coach suggested that the six-time Major champion adopt the approach taken by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. “Iga hasn’t followed Sinner, Alcaraz and added to her game. That’s the biggest challenge to staying up there; it’s continuing to get better,” he said.
While her mindset has had a considerable impact on her results, Świątek has also struggled with the technical aspects of her game, particularly her serve and shot selection. Gilbert’s comments suggest that even the top players have flaws in their games; what matters is how they address and correct them.
Sinner and Alcaraz famously worked on their serves to keep up with each other and their rivals. The Italian has also worked to incorporate greater variety into his game after recognizing it as one of his weaknesses.
“She’s still got youth on her side. But I still take the playbook out of Alcaraz and Sinner. You’ve got to add to your game. You’ve got to be willing and flexible. If I need to make a change, it’s right now. It’s not in the off-season,” Gilbert said about Świątek.
MORE: ‘I Don’t Care Anymore’ – Iga Świątek Opens Up About Slump and Poor Results After Wimbledon Upset
Iga Świątek hasn’t won a title or reached a final since lifting the Korea Open trophy in September 2025. Before that, she also triumphed at the Cincinnati Open, a title she will soon be looking to defend. The 25-year-old, who has dropped to No. 12 in the Live Race to the 2026 WTA Finals, would hope for a major turnaround if she aims to qualify for the season-ending championships.
