On the eve of the tournament that catapulted her to global tennis stardom, Iga Swiatek is going through one of the most challenging periods of her career. The four-time Roland Garros champion arrives at the Parisian Grand Slam with no titles in the past year and amid a concerning drop in the world rankings.
A brilliant career with 2024 as her peak
Swiatek burst onto the elite tennis scene in 2020, when, at just 19 years old, she won Roland Garros without dropping a single set, becoming the first Polish player to win a major. Since then, her career has skyrocketed: she’s captured five Grand Slam titles (Roland Garros 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, plus the US Open in 2022), won 22 singles titles, and held the No. 1 ranking for 125 weeks.
Her dominance on the clay of the French capital is overwhelming, with a record of 35 wins and just two losses. Her résumé also includes a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a title at the 2023 WTA Finals, and several WTA 1000 crowns.
2025: a season marked by inconsistency
This season has been extremely difficult for the Polish star, who is experiencing the longest title drought of her career. Despite showing strong form at the beginning of the year, she failed to reach a single final. The former World No. 1 shocked many with her underwhelming performances during the European clay swing—typically her strongest part of the season.
In both Madrid and Rome, her level noticeably dropped compared to previous outings, suffering early exits and even some lopsided defeats along the way.
The low point came in Rome, where Swiatek—defending champion at the event—was eliminated by American Danielle Collins, a lower-ranked opponent and one who’s not known for excelling on clay.
Slide in the WTA Rank
This inconsistency has taken a toll on her WTA ranking. Although she was still ranked No. 2 at the end of April, the extended title drought and her inability to defend the outstanding results of her 2024 clay season proved too much. She has now dropped to No. 4, behind Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula.
The situation could get even worse if Italy’s Jasmine Paolini goes on to win the title on home soil. Currently in the semifinals, the scenario is far from unlikely. Should that happen, Swiatek would fall to No. 5 in the rankings.
Outlook for Roland Garros
The big question is whether Swiatek can turn things around at the tournament she knows best. At 24, the Polish star will look to rediscover her exceptional comfort on the Parisian clay and close the gap with those ahead of her in the rankings. It won’t be easy—if she fails to defend her title at the year’s second Grand Slam, an even steeper drop in the rankings could be on the horizon.
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