Iga Swiatek has had a tough few months, both on and off the court. A one-month doping ban took a toll on her mentally, making her not want to “step on the court”. Things didn’t get easier when she faced backlash at Indian Wells for showing frustration at a ball boy. Then, at the Miami Open, an aggressive fan verbally abused her at the practice courts, forcing tournament officials to increase security for her matches. The Polish player’s campaign in Miami eventually ended in disaster. The world No. 2 faced Filipino teenager Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals, a match many expected her to win comfortably. However, it turned into one of the biggest upsets in recent memory. Swiatek fell 6-2, 7-5, marking a shocking early exit. Now, Serena Williams’ former coach has some advice for her.

Swiatek’s struggles were evident throughout the match against Eala. Her usually reliable baseline game was off, leading to a flood of forehand errors – 32 in total, while Eala kept hers down to just 12. The 5-time GS champion also struggled against Eala’s left-handed serve, which barely cracked 90mph, but was unpredictable and tricky to handle. Swiatek dropped serve eight times, unable to find any rhythm.

After her defeat against Eala, Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, took to X to share his thoughts. The legendary coach wrote, “Iga will be ok as No Place Like Home On Clay. But her serve has stayed the same for years, and if modified biomechanicaly could get more Free lunches and more juice on the second. Players even like Eala, that play clean/flat can munch on the second serve and break more often.”

This defeat is just another in a series of setbacks for Swiatek this season. She reached her first-ever Australian Open semifinal in January but lost to eventual champion Madison Keys. In Qatar, she bowed out in the quarterfinals against Jelena Ostapenko—an opponent she had never beaten anyway. Then came two more semifinal exits at Indian Wells and Dubai, both against Mirra Andreeva, who went on to win the title in each event.

Swiatek’s opponents haven’t made life easy for her. Andreeva and Keys are both top-10 players, and Ostapenko has always had her number. But Eala’s win stands out. The 19-year-old had already pulled off two massive wins in Miami before taking on Swiatek, and against Swiatek, she played the match of her life yet again. Ranked world No. 140 before Miami, Eala’s win guarantees her a spot in the top 100, shooting her up to at least No. 75.

The 23-year-old acknowledged Eala’s fearless performance. “She went all in,” she said. “She made these returns in and pretty long, and so it wasn’t easy to hit it back. She was pretty loosened up and just went for it.”

But if there’s one thing Swiatek can count on, it’s clay.

Iga Swiatek looks forward to the clay season

Iga Swiatek has been nearly unbeatable on clay, with four of her five Grand Slam titles coming at Roland Garros. She has won three consecutive French Open trophies and posted a staggering 21-1 record on clay last season. The only player to beat her? Elena Rybakina in Stuttgart.

After that rare stumble, the Pole roared back. She claimed back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Madrid and Rome, both times defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Then came her fourth French Open title, capping off a 19-match winning streak on the surface.

With the clay swing ahead, the World No. 2 has a lot at stake. She has a massive 4,185 ranking points to defend, meaning she must replicate her 2024 dominance to stay in contention for world No. 1.

For now, she’s keeping her focus forward. “I don’t want to dwell on it too much. It’s good to learn from losses, but yes, there are other things ahead, and I’m happy that we’re going to play on clay now. I don’t know how this year will be, but I’ll definitely work hard to be ready for the early tournaments,” Swiatek said.

After a rough start to the season, Iga Swiatek is hoping for a reset on her favorite surface. Can she bounce back and dominate the clay season once again?