"I think the matches when she’s losing, she’s losing against herself" - Iga Swiatek's worst on court enemy is herself as Cibulkova assesses current predicament

It has not been an easy time for Iga Swiatek as of late. Without appearing in a WTA final for almost a year while a slip in the rankings following a disastrous Wimbledon title defence, she is in desperate need of finding her mojo on court once more. According to former WTA Finals champion Dominika Cibulkova, Swiatek's woes on court are coming through herself rather than on the other side of the court while backing her to reach those prior heights.

So far, 2026 has been another tough year for the Pole. Aside from the United Cup triumph right at the beginning of the season, which in turn had its concerns, a number of disappointing exits and false horizons have plagued her progress as she continues to search for an answer.

A six-time Grand Slam champion, Swiatek knows how to perform on the court in the biggest matches. In total she has collected 25 WTA titles and sat as world number one for an astonishing 125 weeks. At the age of 25, she would have astonishingly been touted to have pushed those numbers up further by now, but that has not been the case.

Her last title came in the Korea Open at the start of the Asian swing last year and her position in the rankings is not a great one, with the potential to slip further down thanks to a handful of points on the line.

The most recent setback came in that daunting Wimbledon title defence. Coming through her opening two matches, one of which she finished in tears, Alexandra Eala produced a very commendable performance as the Swiatek game collapsed in the second set, and so did her chances of more Grand Slam triumph.

Her recent slump has seen many fans surprised and bemused, trying to search for answers why. Cibulkova, who admitted that she was a big fan of the former world number one, was hopeful to see her at her absolute best in the near future.

When asked why she was not living up to her recent heights, the Slovak had a theory on it. “I am cheering for Iga Swiatek. I think the matches when she’s losing, she’s losing against herself,” she told Tennis365.

“So, I think when she’s there mentally, and when she’s ready, and when she’s tough and strong, there are not many players that can beat her. It’s all about confidence. Of course, you have to train hard and practise a lot, but yes, the confidence… if you are not in the right mood, you can lose the confidence by one match.” If this is the case, Swiatek's may be flat on the floor.

Following her short spell on grass, she took time away from the court, choosing a remote scenery away from social media and the noise to relax an refresh before recently getting back in the swing of things ahead of the North American hardcourt swing.

All eyes will be on the top players on the WTA Tour, most notably Aryna Sabalenka who has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons as of late. Early exits in bizarre circumstances at times in the last four WTA 1000 and Grand Slam events have left fans with question marks. Following her Sunshine double, the Belarusian has not been able to reach that same level.

Cibulkova, who played and lost against the world number one twice in her career, admitted that she was a force to be reckoned with. “Yes, Sabalenka is strong,” she said. “When I look from my perspective… I played against her when I was finishing my career, and she’s a powerhouse. She’s a great player, but my favourite is Swiatek.”

Both Sabalenka and Swiatek will go toe-to-toe on hardcourt once more. The Canadian Open is the first on both players minds, but the Cincinnati Open is a hugely crucial one for Swiatek. Being the reigning champion following her win over Jasmine Paolini last year, she is set to defend a whopping 1000 points that are very much in danger. Being ranked eighth in the world, she is in danger of possibly dropping out of the top 10 if things do not go her way.