Iga Swiatek, once the reigning queen of tennis with five Grand Slam titles and a No. 1 ranking, now faces a challenging chapter in her career. Following her victory at the 2024 French Open, she encountered setbacks, including a positive test for the banned substance TMZ in August, which sidelined her during the Asian Swing and cost her the top ranking to Aryna Sabalenka. Additionally, Swiatek parted ways with her longtime coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and began working with Wim Fissette in December. However, the 2025 season has presented a new set of challenges, testing her resolve and pushing her patience to its limits.

To sum it up, Swiatek has yet to win a title since May 2024. While she’s made strides to reach the semifinals at the Australian Open and Qatar Open this year, her losses to lower-ranked opponents like Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko have raised concerns. However, the Pole looked dominant in her opening two matches at the Dubai Tennis Championships, dropping just seven games on her way to the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, her latest match ended disappointingly as the 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva took her down in two sets.

Andreeva made history as the youngest player ever to reach the semifinals of the tournament. After being down 3-1 in the second set, she turned the tide and rattled off five games in a row to defeat a five-time Grand Slam champion, in just one hour and 36 minutes! This was undoubtedly a tough pill for Swiatek to swallow, as she appeared visibly frustrated after the match.

Outside the arena, a fan on X shared a video of Swiatek leaving while her coach Fissette offered her a supportive handshake, which she ignored as she rushed past him. This moment caught the attention of many fans on social media. Considering Fissette’s support after her abrupt split with former coach Wiktorowski, it seemed a bit disrespectful. Fans are still trying to understand why Wiktorowski left so suddenly mid-season last year.

Additionally, Swiatek’s current reputation in the community hasn’t been the kindest, perhaps due to her own actions. During the Australian Open against Keys, she engaged in distracting antics by practicing shots while Keys was preparing to serve. This behavior didn’t sit well with fans.

Fans unhappy with Iga Swiatek’s rejection of Fissette’s handshake

After Swiatek’s recent defeat to Mirra Andreeva in the Dubai Tennis Championships, fans have been vocal about her reaction. One observer noted, “Nie miała ochoty na przybijanie piątek po porażce,” which translates to “She wasn’t in the mood for high-fives after defeat.” It’s no surprise that Iga doesn’t take losing lightly—nobody does, especially when you’ve held the No. 1 position and clinched major titles over the past three years.

As another fan put it, “[Translated from Polish] Scandal. One smashes and throws missiles, another reacts differently. Iga doesn’t like losing, so she’s furious and that’s it.” The world No. 14 fell 1-3 down in the second set but reeled off five straight games to seal her first win against Swiatek, breaking Iga’s streak of reaching the semifinals and possibly winning her first event of the season.

One user tweeted, “@iga_swiatek that is not nice. You are taking things too personal. If you keep doing this it’s gonna keep spiraling into more loses. Show some respect.” This seems to be a recurring theme from fans toward the Pole. During the Australian Open match against Madison Keys, Swiatek confused onlookers with her practice swings mid-match, leading fans to call her antics “dirty tactics.” Another comment stated, “[Translated from Polish] At the age of 24, such spoiled behavior could backfire on her.”

Adding a bit of humor to the situation, someone remarked, “It’s important that he has a psychologist in his team 🤡.” In the past year, she has been quite vocal about having a psychologist on her team, Daria Abramowicz, whom she credits for helping her manage both on-court stress and personal challenges. This underscores the seriousness of mental resilience in sports today.

Lastly, one fan bluntly expressed their feelings writing, “sore loser like Nadal,” comparing her to her idol Rafael Nadal, who is known for his intense passion on the court and often displays frustration when things don’t go his way. Similarly, Swiatek has shown signs of anger and disappointment after losses, particularly in high-stakes matches. The fan draws a parallel between the two since Iga looks up to Nadal and has said, “Overall, I’m his fan more because of how he behaves. This is something that I try to look up to more,” as per the WTA website.

As she continues to adapt to new coaching dynamics and navigate the pressures of competition, fans and analysts alike are left wondering: can Iga Swiatek rise again?