Swiatek fell unbelievably fast. Just last year, she was the number one female tennis player in the world. But that “winning machine” just received a convincing defeat after 2 sets with a score of 2-6 against Elena Rybakina in the semifinals of Indian Wells Masters 2023. Before that, she was also eliminated in the fourth round of the Australian Open. 2023 last January. These two losses of “Polish tennis queen” both came from a simple play and then surrendered after a double serve error in the first set and her forehand shots when attacked.
“If I had to find a space, a weakness to exploit, I would say that Iga Swiatek’s forehand technique is very difficult when the ball comes very quickly. This shot is a great weapon when she has the time, but on the forehand return (ability to return serve), she suffers,” said Fabrice Santoro, a former French tennis player. Swiatek’s technical error in this match.
“The only minor technical flaw was the fact that people were playing too fast after her forehand. And that’s the point where sometimes forcing her to lean back, and at the same time, with the way she holds the racket, Swiatek throws the ball back a bit and accidentally loses the rhythm,” former French female tennis player Marion Bartoli specifically commented. More about Swiatek’s fighting style.
And when nothing really changed about this weakness, it is completely understandable that Swiatek lost 0-2 quickly to the Kazakh player of Russian origin, Rybakina. Tall female tennis players with a strong physical background have returned. Aryna Sabalenka, who had a very bad streak last year when he made a double error, has now regained all his grace, flexibility and increasingly formidable in his destructive play.
And it was Rybakina, who wasn’t talked about much until last year’s Wimbledon championship, who became a real force at every tournament. These are the two biggest threats to Swiatek. If we don’t quickly find a solution to fix this (quite big) problem, surely the Polish female tennis player will continue to decline. “Honestly, I didn’t know I had a problem facing such opponents. Because I also won many matches against Aryna. I also played against Elena 2 years ago and everything went well, very well. So it’s hard for me to look at things and decide if they’re hard,” Swiatek said after being eliminated at the Indian Wells Masters 2023.
In addition, the Polish female tennis player also emphasized that she can still improve her play and has many things to focus on to do well. “But there is only one thing I have always felt that I can still play well, even against opponents with very fast serves. Of course, the last two games against Elena were not perfect for me. But I’ll try to play better next time,” said Swiatek, determined to regain his form.
Up to now, Swiatek has always focused on mental training. She even travels all the time with a psychologist, who always appears by Swiatek’s side at every press conference. But one thing is easy to see, the competitive spirit of this 21-year-old female tennis player is not as resilient as she wants to show. Behind the cap, one can still see the sparkling tears and the pained face after each defeat of Swiatek.
The consecutive defeats in the semifinals of the 2022 Dallas Masters, in the 1/8 round of the Australian Open, in the final of the Dubai tournament made the title in Doha not long ago the only highlight of Swiatek’s recent career. That achievement is far behind the streak of 37 consecutive victories that helped her dominate the world No. Will Swiatek still be able to return to top form?
Unusual rib injury
When asked why she only won 43% of first serve points, Iga Swiatek emphasized the rib injury she suddenly suffered in the Indian Wells Masters 2023 semi-final against Elena Rybakina. “I’m not used to playing when I’m injured. The only tournament I played when I wasn’t feeling well was Roland-Garros 2019. I was young then… I’ll take time to rest. A few more weeks to recover. I will be back soon,” the Polish number 1 female tennis player emphasized after being eliminated in the semifinals of Indian Wells Masters 2023.
Iga Swiatek relaxes with lego
To relax and not think too much about tennis, Iga Swiatek revealed she often immerses herself in lego games. And right after losing the match at Indian Wells Masters 2023, the 21-year-old girl ordered 2 sets of lego to regain her spirits. “I love traveling and playing lego. Building lego helps me relax and not be stressed during long flights. Sometimes they also break in flight and I’ll put them back together when I get home. It’s a process that I follow and also enjoy,” Swiatek said.
