All is not well for Iga Swiatek. Despite an impressive 2024 season, the Polish WTA star might not be at her best. While the reason is common among players, Swiatek’s case portrays a pattern impacting her form. As the WTA number one player’s psychologist delves deeper into the matter, her revelations showcase why mental health is crucial to maintaining one’s finest form in tennis.

Swiatek had a moderate run at the 2024 US Open, losing in the quarterfinals to Jessica Pegula, 6-2, 6-4. She won the Madrid Open, Italian Open, Roland Garros, Indian Wells, and Qatar Open this year. Despite her impressive form this season, tennis analysts found no variety in the Polish player’s playstyle. In fact, Swiatek’s former coach Artur Szostaczko revealed, “We don’t know if she doesn’t want to or if others can’t bring it out. I really don’t know, I don’t want to speculate and look for guilty people.“ Amid criticisms of her monotonous playstyle, the WTA number one withdrew from the Korea Open due to fatigue.

Daria Abramowicz, Swiatek’s psychologist, revealed in an interview that the WTA star is “overloaded” and is likely on the verge of developing a “burnout syndrome.” Abramowicz couldn’t say whether this burnout syndrome would push Swiatek toward depression but she understood that “such a black scenario hangs in the air.” Speaking of how the generation is exposed to “chronic stress,” Iga’s psychologist warned of a clouded future for the WTA star.

Another psychologist, Dariusz Nowicki, speculated on the challenges Swiatek may face in the future. Despite her incredible clay-court skills, the Polish player couldn’t perform well in the Olympics but secured a bronze. Something similar happened in 2020. Despite Swiatek’s first Roland Garros title that year, she performed poorly in the Tokyo Olympics, where she was eliminated in straight sets. Four years after that situation, Swiatek might be returning to a similar ordeal.

While Swiatek’s psychologist has raised concerns about her mental health, the Polish WTA star has already spoken about the hectic scheduling of the tournaments leading to player stress. While Iga’s statement was criticized by Yevgeny Kafelnikov, her confession helped supporters understand the reason behind her setback.

Iga Swiatek calls her tennis life “pretty exhausting” after back-to-back tournaments

Swiatek delved deeper into the hectic tennis scheduling during her Cincinnati Open run. The Polish player, with five titles this season, criticized the professional calendar, stating how it impacts the players’ experiences. “Obviously it is not our decision, but for sure I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It makes tennis less fun for us. Obviously I love playing in all these places, but it’s pretty exhausting. I don’t think it should be like that because we deserve to rest a little bit more. Maybe people are going to hate me for that,” she said.

Iga Swiatek’s words echo the hectic professional life as a source of her burnout syndrome. While her reason is valid, she has to comply with WTA tour guidelines to maintain her prestigious ranking. Swiatek’s challenges highlight the importance of mental health. As her psychologist has raised concerns, Swiatek might also find a suitable solution before her upcoming tournament. Do you think the WTA star can overcome this setback in the future?