Iga Swiatek suffered a shocking third-round loss at the Masters of Rome, falling in straight sets to Danielle Collins. The defeat marked another missed opportunity for the Polish star, who has yet to capture a title this season.
Adding to the disappointment, Swiatek will see a major shift in her WTA ranking, dropping from World No. 2 to No. 4 when the new rankings are released on Monday, April 12.
Swiatek, the defending champion in Rome, failed to defend her 2024 title, losing 935 ranking points in the process. The setback could significantly impact her seeding at Roland Garros, possibly setting up a semifinal clash with current World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
The 22-year-old had shown glimpses of improvement at the Madrid Open, reaching the semifinals before falling to Coco Gauff. However, she couldn’t carry that momentum into Rome. After a commanding opening-round victory, Swiatek was outmatched by Collins, ranked World No. 35, in a surprising result.
Danielle Collins of United States shakes hands with Iga Swiatek of Poland at the net after their Women’s Singles Third Round match of the Rome Open. (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Swiatek’s loss it’s a massive shock
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli expressed her surprise at Swiatek’s early exit, particularly given the context of her title defense on clay. “It’s a massive shock,” Bartoli told Sky Sports Tennis. “To see Iga Swiatek going out so early in a clay court tournament before a Grand Slam, which is Roland Garros, when she is defending champion, is the biggest shock”.
see also
Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek reportedly facing complicated personal issues amid recent struggles
Bartoli also highlighted Swiatek’s struggles during the match. “She was struggling so much on the return of serve,” Bartoli observed. “On a few occasions in the second set, she could have broken and gotten herself back in 2-2, 15-15; she missed two routine returns of serve. The same in the back end of the set”.
Collins reflects on beating Swiatek
Despite Swiatek entering the match as the clear favorite, Danielle Collins executed a near-flawless performance to secure the upset. Swiatek had dominated their head-to-head record 7-1 before this encounter, but Collins found a way to turn the tide.
“I played Iga so many times. The winning favor is in her favor,” Collins remarked after the match. “When you play that many close matches and play some of your best tennis but lose, you learn a lot. I feel like I applied that today“.
