MIAMI – In a stunning upset at the Miami Open, Iga Świątek’s streak of 73 consecutive opening-round victories came to an finish Thursday night with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 loss to compatriot Magda Linette. The defeat, which lasted just over two hours, marks a significant low point for the six-time Grand Slam champion and leaves her questioning her current form.
“I sense like I carry a lot of expectations and I can’t really, like, fulfil them right now,” Świątek told reporters after the match. “I need to get rid of them, as my game hasn’t been good enough to have any expectations. I think I’m a bit confused, but there’s no way but forward, and I’m going to endeavor to just work hard to get back from that. And I know I have it in me; I just lost it for a second: the game and the mentality that I should have on the court.”
Linette, ranked No. 50 in the world, came from a set down to secure the victory, mirroring her performance in her first-round match against Varvara Gracheva. Świątek had dominated the first set, winning 88 percent of her first-serve points, but Linette rallied, securing a crucial break in the second set and capitalizing on four aces.
The loss is particularly jarring given Świątek’s recent dominance in opening rounds, a run that stretched back to the 2021 WTA Finals. It also continues a concerning trend for the Polish player, who has struggled to consistently recapture the form that propelled her to the top of the rankings. She has now suffered quarter-final exits at WTA 1000 events in Doha and Indian Wells prior to this defeat.
Świątek acknowledged a tactical shift was needed after the first set. “To stay aggressive and try to somehow lead the game because Iga is so dangerous when she is leading the game,” Linette said, outlining her strategy. “In the first set, she was doing it. She was more aggressive, and I had no time to really get myself together. I was just trying to take more initiative and be a bit more aggressive.”
The defeat comes after Świątek expressed frustration with her performance following her quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. That loss followed a strong win against Karolína Muchová, highlighting the inconsistency that has plagued her recent play. Świątek has also reportedly engaged in tense discussions with her team, including psychologist Daria Abramowicz, as she seeks to address her struggles.
Świątek, who hired coach Wim Fissette at the end of 2024, has been working to find a balance between baseline patience and aggressive play. While she secured a Wimbledon title last summer, overall results have been mixed. She has spoken about the need to manage her schedule to avoid burnout, withdrawing from the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, a decision mirrored by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Despite her struggles on hard courts, Świątek has traditionally excelled on clay, with four of her six Grand Slam titles coming at the French Open. However, she failed to win a title on the surface last year and was defeated in the semifinals of the French Open, ending a four-year winning streak at the tournament. Her next scheduled event is the Stuttgart Open in Germany in mid-April, offering a potential opportunity to regain momentum on her preferred surface.
“I stopped doing anything well tactically,” Świątek said, reflecting on her form after the strong first set. “It just was a bad match for me in the second and third sets.”
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