Iga Swiatek is in Madrid hoping to kickstart her 2026 WTA campaign.
The six-time Grand Slam champion enjoyed an excellent 2025 season, winning her first Wimbledon title under the guidance of coach Wim Fissette.
However, her form dipped at the start of this year, prompting the 24-year-old to make a coaching change.
The Pole is now working with Francisco Roig, and has already trained with the Spanish coach at the Rafa Nadal Academy and in Stuttgart.
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Speaking of Stuttgart, Swiatek won her first match against Laura Siegemund, but was defeated by Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals.
Ahead of her first match in Madrid, Swiatek has reflected on her time in Mallorca.
Iga Swiatek says her decision making ‘needs to change’
For years, Swiatek was the most dominant player on the WTA Tour, particularly on the clay.
The Pole won four French Open titles in five years and went on a 37-match win streak at the start of 2022.
However, in recent times, Swiatek’s grip on the WTA Tour has loosened.
“Honestly, I feel it’s the way of practising,” Swiatek told the Madrid Open when attempting to explain why her dominance has wavered.
“And I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of, like, closed patterns. And the rallies sometimes on my practices were kind of short.
“Where sometimes I needed really to feel solid. And you need to have this feeling in your hand that you’re not going to miss a ball, you know?”
The Polish star, who faces Daria Kasatkina or a qualifier in the Madrid Open second round, also discussed the influence of a Spanish coach, while identifying a need to improve her decision-making on the court.
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“And I feel, honestly, this Spanish type of coaching really helps that,” the Polish star continued.
“Because Spanish players are usually, like, really solid, really fighting for every point. And, like, being ready for long rallies as well. So that’s why I feel like we have the same goals with Francis.
““I feel like after these practices in Mallorca, I’ve been able to not make any rash decisions. For example, when I play, like, sixth or seventh shot in a rally. Which I kind of did for the last year.
“So also the decision-making needs to change if you want to be more of a grinder. And sometimes not take too much risk if you don’t need to.”
Iga Swiatek’s record at Roland Garros
- 2019: Fourth round
- 2020: Champion
- 2021: Quarter-finals
- 2022: Champion
- 2023: Champion
- 2024: Champion
- 2025: Semi-finals
Iga Swiatek’s Madrid Open triumph
In 2023, Iga Świątek was defeated in the Madrid Open final by Aryna Sabalenka, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
The Polish star avenged that loss a year later.
Swiatek began the 2024 event in emphatic fashion, losing just eight games through her first three rounds.
She then defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets to reach the semi-finals, where she knocked out Madison Keys.
In the final, Swiatek saved three championship points before beating Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6.
After the contest, Swiatek discussed how she felt when Sabalenka was one point from victory.
“Before the tiebreaker, I was like ‘okay, she has a match point.’ I mean, sometimes it happens that I lose my serve, you know, when it’s 5-4 or something like that. So I was, like, okay, whatever. It’s not the first time in my life. I’m just going to go for it.
“I think I decided to play, like, a fast serve, a big one.
“So I wanted, yeah, to be courageous in that moment. When it came to the tiebreaker, I was, like, okay, I already kind of, you know, I was kind of alive again, because I thought it’s going to be over during the set.
“But in the tiebreaker, I just wasn’t really thinking much about the past and just focused on each point individual.
“But for sure when I had a match point and she served an ace, I was like, ‘oh, my God. Why can’t I do that in such moment?’ [laughter]”
