Iga Świątek frustration explodes in Miami practice after Indian Wells loss as rankings drop adds more pressure

Iga Świątek has arrived at the Miami Open, but instead of a fresh start, her frustration is still visible. Just days after her loss at Indian Wells, the Polish star was seen struggling during practice in Florida. She trained with coach Wim Fissette, but her body language told a different story. She looked tense, unhappy, and even got into a heated moment with her team.

This comes at a time when questions around her form are already growing. Fans and analysts are noticing that she is not playing with the same confidence. Even though she tried to stay positive while speaking to Miami Open officials, her actions on court are showing that she is still dealing with the impact of recent results. She said, “I felt great during practice, but obviously, it’s usually you do like the close patterns there. So it’s going to also take some adjustment during matches, I would say.”

Iga Świątek’s Miami Open preparation under pressure after Elina Svitolina loss and ranking drop

The frustration did not start in Miami. It was already visible during her quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina at Indian Wells. During that match, Iga Świątek smashed her towel on the court and showed anger toward her team. That reaction stood out because she is usually known for staying calm.

Looking at the numbers, the loss becomes easier to understand. Both players had similar first serves, but Świątek won only 62% of those points. Svitolina did much better, winning 73%. On second serve points, both were equal, winning 15 out of 34. The real difference came in control. Elina Svitolina had just five double faults and five aces. Świątek, on the other hand, had eight double faults and only three aces.

Now in Miami, Świątek is the second seed and has a first-round bye. She will start directly in the second round against Magda Linette. Their only previous match came at the 2023 China Open, where Świątek won easily 6-1, 6-1.

Still, this tournament will not be easy. If she moves forward, she could face players like Alexandra Eala, Laura Siegemund, or Petra Marčinko. Each match will test her focus and consistency.

Her recent results have added more pressure. She has played three tournaments this season and lost in the quarterfinals each time. She lost to Elena Rybakina in Melbourne, Maria Sakkari in Doha, and Svitolina in Indian Wells. Since the 2025 US Open, she has won only one match against a top-10 player. That win came against Madison Keys at the WTA Finals.

Her ranking has also slipped from world No. 2 to No. 3, behind Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. Former coach Dmitry Tursunov also raised concerns.

He said, “It’s unlikely she’ll be able to get out of this slump. We’re not even talking about returning to the top of the WTA Rankings. We’re talking about staying in the top five.” Iga Świątek now has a chance to respond in Miami, but she will need to find her rhythm quickly.





Celebrating India's sporting legends at the Times of India Sports Awards - Book Passes Now!