By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, May 1, 2025
Photo credit: Hannah Peters/Getty
In a tense moment during the second set, a frustrated Iga Swiatek lashed out, sending a stray ball into the red clay, a testament to her pent-up irritation throughout the day.
Coco Gauff delivered a stunning performance, obliterating reigning champion Swiatek with a decisive 6-1, 6-1 victory to secure her spot in her first Mutua Madrid Open final.
Seeking her first final since clinching the Roland Garros title last June, Swiatek openly reflected on her downfall, stating, “everything kind of collapsed” in this heavy loss.
“Even in the matches I won, I didn’t play well. I feel like I was forcing things too much mentally,” Swiatek shared with the media afterwards. “Today it felt like everything just fell apart for me, both in terms of my game and my positioning on the court.”
“If I had moved better, I might have found a way to recover, which is usually what happens for me. But today, I simply didn’t move well enough.”
Prior to this match, the second-ranked Swiatek has had Gauff’s number, triumphing in 11 of their previous 14 encounters, and had even swept all 10 sets they’d contested on clay. Before today’s match, Gauff had only managed to win more than five games in a clay set against Swiatek once – a narrow 7-6(3), 6-3 loss at the 2021 Rome semifinals.
The 21-year-old Gauff was nearly unbeatable on her serve: she fired off seven aces, clinched 19 of 21 first-serve points, and faced zero break points.
The most remarkable aspect of this upset was Gauff’s confidence, matching Swiatek shot for shot in forehand exchanges, ultimately forcing the reigning Roland Garros champion into a series of mistakes.
It seemed as though Swiatek doubted her ability to hold her ground in extended rallies. Whenever she attempted to shift the momentum down the line, chaos ensued. Swiatek ended up making 21 unforced errors with her forehand, while Gauff only had four.
When looking beyond the score, it’s evident that Swiatek is grappling with significant pressures on multiple levels. She hasn’t appeared in a final for 11 months and carries the daunting task of defending 4,000 ranking points following her wins in Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros. Strong challengers like Gauff, Jelena Ostapenko, Mirra Andreeva, and Madison Keys have been feasting on her second serve, and she has yet to find her rhythm with coach Wim Fissette.
During the post-match press conference, Swiatek candidly expressed her unease and confusion, revealing that she lacked a Plan B.
“I definitely feel like my movement hasn’t been up to par, and my tennis fluctuated throughout the tournament,” Swiatek admitted. “I wasn’t really sure what tools I had at my disposal today, and I didn’t even have a plan B because nothing was clicking.”
Carrying the weight of expectation and 4,000 crucial ranking points, Swiatek knows she must release the pressure and regain her footing in this vital title defense.
“I feel heavy, almost as if I’m trying to force everything instead of letting it happen more naturally,” Swiatek explained. “Usually, I can rely on my footwork without overthinking it. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been that way recently.
“I’ve noticed myself having to push harder to move lower and be more precise with my footing because it just isn’t happening instinctively right now. I hope one day it will come together again, but I’m not setting any expectations; I’ll just keep working on it.”
