"Never count out the Punisher because at the end of the day she will find her way" - Legendary coach Rick Macci counts on Iga Swiatek completing turnaround in form

Growing concerns over the lack of form for six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek have become more apparent in the tennis world, specifically after a damaging early exit in the Miami Open. Confusion and questions are being asked surrounding the Pole's results on court, with her yet to even reach a semi-final in 2026 outside of the United Cup. Former tennis coach Rick Macci tried to hush the situation, stating Swiatek is in a mental battle with herself and she will come out on top later down the line.

This has not been a recent trend for Swiatek. There were question marks over her head in 2025 at some points. Once being so dominant in the women's game, she saw the gap from her to world number one Aryna Sabalenka extend as she failed to make it deep into tournaments. A lot of points were conceded. In 2024, she won the titles at Indian Wells, Madrid Open, Rome Open and Roland Garros. Aside from the tournament in Italy (third round defeat), all of these campaigns culminated at the semi-final stage in 2025, seeing her drop to a low of eighth in the world, unimaginable for someone with that much talent.

However, her form did pick up in a ridiculous purple patch where she debunked her prior grass struggles to win Wimbledon in scintillating fashion. She then went on to win the Cincinnati Open, showcasing that there is still a player in there waiting to be unleashed.

Unfortunately, that form was unable to continue throughout the rest of the year. She failed to make it out of the WTA Finals round robin for a second year on the spin while looking behind her instead of upwards in the rankings. Even her United Cup triumph with Poland came with some negatives, including her failure to defeat top 10 players Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic. She was targeting to complete the career Grand Slam in the Australian Open but failed to make it past the last-eight. She was dumped out at that stage in the Qatar Open and Indian Wells before being pegged back by fellow Pole Magda Linette in the opening stage of the Miami Open.

This latest result has sparked more enquiries over Swiatek's lack of form. She has been relatively honest after the match, describing the situation as a 'nightmare' as she looks for a way out of it. Macci, who has coached the likes of the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova, seemed to believe that she would be able to eventually dig herself out of this hole she has dug for herself.

"Iga will be fine," the American wrote on X. "She is proven and a champion. Nothing has changed but it seems from 30 thousand feet some things have changed around her and as a result. Mentally she is competing against herself. Never count out the Punisher because at the end of the day she will find her way."

The Sunshine swing has left a sour taste in Swiatek's mouth, but up next is the clay swing. It is a surface she has dominated over the past few years, making it her domain. Last year was her first year on the WTA Tour, where she did not reach a final on clay, showcasing how good she has been on it. She will next appear at the Stuttgart Open taking place from April 13-19. It is set to field a stacked lineup of talent with 14 of the top 20 players in the world competing in Germany. Swiatek won the event in 2022 and 2023, and will be desperate to clinch more silverware to get herself out of this rut.