Iga Swiatek is ready for a mammoth few months.
The world quantity two is defending 4,195 factors in the course of the clay-court season after her astonishing 2024, which noticed her win each match on the floor bar the Stuttgart Open. Even then, she reached the semi-finals.
Poland’s Swiatek received each WTA 1,000 titles in Madrid and Italy, earlier than choosing up one other 2,000 factors from defending her French Open title.
Merely put, she’s defending 54% of her 7,276 factors over the subsequent six weeks – and world quantity three Jessica Pegula, respiratory down her neck, is defending none.
Clay is Swiatek’s finest floor, the slower situations giving her extra time on her pacey forehand, backed up by her excellent motion across the court docket.
However it’s been a tough 12 months for Swiatek. She misplaced within the Australian Open semi-finals from match level up, was surprised on the Miami Open by Filipina teenager Alexandra Eala and has reduce a confused, irritable determine on court docket.
Swiatek has additionally needed to cope with an upsetting incident off the court docket, being verbally abused by an “aggressive and taunting fan” in Miami.
A return to her favoured clay would possibly present a reset for her – as Carlos Alcaraz has proven.
Like Swiatek, Alcaraz is the defending French Open champion. He too has had a blended begin to the 12 months. He too had a shock loss in Miami and, like Swiatek, tends to be overly self-critical.
The brand new Monte Carlo champion didn’t have all of it his personal manner on his run to the title. His quarter-final in opposition to Arthur Fils was a tough, tight encounter, and the Spaniard was second-best within the early levels of the ultimate in opposition to Lorenzo Musetti.
However Alcaraz discovered a manner by and, in the end, a option to win. That’s one thing Swiatek can emulate this week and past.
