(VIDEO) Heartbroken Iga Swiatek consoled by teammates after Billie Jean King doubles decider heartbreak

Poland’s Iga Swiatek burst into tears after losing in the Billie Jean King Cup. The 23-year-old suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the doubles to the team of Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani.

Swiatek had won her singles clash against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. But after the doubles decider defeat, Swiatek burst into tears. The video was shared on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter — where her teammates consoled her. They lost to Errani and Paolini 7-5, 7-5.

Those results were enough for Italy, who cemented their spot in the competition's final, where they will face the contest winner between Great Britain and Slovakia. The defeat also ended Swiatek’s season on a rather sour note. The former world number one will be relatively unhappy with how her season went, especially towards the latter stages. Before coming for the Billie Jean King Cup, Swiatek participated in the WTA Finals where, while defending her title, she failed to cement a place in the semifinal.

Swiatek finished the year as the world number two, having won just one Grand Slam title. Her only major triumph in 2024 was the French Open, where she defeated Paolini in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-1. Swiatek’s other big achievement came in the Paris Olympics where she won the bronze medal. She defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the third-place playoff in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-1. Swiatek was in a pole position to finish the year as the world number one but in a surprising turn of events, decided to not participate in any events after the US Open. That absence and some impressive performances from then world number two Aryna Sabalenka were enough for the Warsaw-born to lose her spot at the top of the WTA Rankings.