"This is the worse nightmare a top tennis player can have" - A sombre Iga Swiatek puzzled and dejected after agonising Miami Open setback

Iga Swiatek's disastrous form continues with a really negative turn in store at the Miami Open. She was on the end of a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 defeat to fellow Pole Magda Linette. Her frustration and grief after the match were evident in some damning quotes she commented to the media.

The six-time Grand Slam champion is yet to even reach a semi-final this year, mirroring last year slightly when it took until June to reach a first WTA final of the year. Her form has continued to trickle down from the high standards regularly witnessed on court in those dominant years at the top, with a second round exit in the Miami Open just compounding her misery.

It started well for Swiatek, who blitzed her way to the first set, seemingly wanting this match to be quickly wrapped up. In WTA 1000 tournaments, she had previously won 109 consecutive matches where she clinched the first set. It is now two defeats from this scenario following on from Maria Sakkari's comeback win. Linette found a break of serve right at the end, culminating a set dominated by the server to go level. After surviving a break point, Linette took her chance and stormed out ahead. She had the opportunity not just to make it four games in a row, but to pick up the win on the Swiatek serve. The 24-year-old stayed firm but was unable to do anything in the next game as the 2022 champion bowed out.

After the match, her disappointment was visible for all to see. “It just was a bad match from me in second and third sets," she told the media. "For sure, it’s tough to handle that when I know I played well in first. I just, I don't know unconsciously or consciously, it’s hard for me to change things & then my tennis kinda collapses."

Swiatek suffered a first defeat against her fellow countrywoman, and more significantly a first opening match exit in a WTA 1000 tournament since the 2022 Cincinnati Open.

It is a nasty feeling, but she has no choice other than to plough on. “I haven’t felt like this in probably over 5 years," she continued. "Dropping this much in matches. I'll just have to try to get my confidence back.”

Expectation and pressure difinitely come in as a factor. Swiatek has built a reputation over the years not to be going deep in these tournaments, but winning them on a regular basis in dominant fashion. She has been unable to complete that in recent time, her level on court dropping.

The weight of the expectation are starting to get to her with them not even close to be getting completed. "I feel like I carry a lot of expectations when I’m on the court and I need to get rid of them because my game has not been good enough to have any expectations. I’m a bit confused, but I’ll just work hard to get it back. I know I have it in me, I just lost it for a second.”

The Pole continued to double down on what a perilous situation she was in. “This is the worse nightmare a top tennis player can have," she admitted. "Dropping in matches in level like this. I need to live through this and figure it out.”

Over-thinking has been a problem for Swiatek in the past, but her ability to shelve it when stepping onto the court and competing at the highest level is a hugely impressive skill utilised to great effect when competing at the top of the sport.

However, it seems to have returned with a vengeance, and she is unable to keep it at bay. “I’ve always been an over-thinker, but lately it’s just been so intense," she explained. "It’s hard for me to get rid of many thoughts I have and this used to be my strength. I honestly played my best when I didn’t think much. Now I make so many bad decisions that it’s hard not to think. The stress comes in, the body gets so tense, and things get much harder.”

Swiatek's Sunshine swing is over before it really got started. She has some time to rest and reset before traversing to Europe for the Clay swing. It is a favoured surface of hers, showing with four Roland Garros titles. From 2019-2024, she made at least one final on clay, winning titles in all but 2019. She is looking to not have a repeat of last year and get to a final in one of the big clay events, with the big task being clinching her French Open title back. To do this, she will need to figure out what is going on when competing, finding the secretive answers ahead of a crucial part of the year.