Iga Swiatek 'Looks More Stressed Out' According To Former World No. 1
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Iga Swiatek has yet to win a WTA title this season, and three-time Grand Slam singles champion Lindsay Davenport believes her body language on the court is different this season compared to other years.
2025 is Swiatek's first full year working with Wim Fissette since he became her coach in October. Their only tournament together in 2024 was the WTA Finals, where the Pole failed to progress from the round robin stage.
Swiatek started the new season strongly by helping Team Poland reach another United Cup final and looking like the most impressive player at the 2025 Australian Open during the opening five rounds in Melbourne.
However, the five-time Grand Slam champion could not convert a match point in the semifinal against Madison Keys before losing to the eventual winner of the tournament in a deciding set tiebreak.
Although Swiatek's level has not been terrible by any means, she did not play her best tennis during the recent Middle Eastern swing, losing in the semifinals of the 2025 Qatar Open and the quarterfinals of the 2025 Dubai Championships.
Swiatek was not as calm in the Middle East as she usually is. A notable example occurred in the semifinal defeat to Jelena Ostapenko at the Qatar Open when she slammed her racket onto the ground in a rage.
Davenport has noticed the change in Swiatek's body language. Tennis.com quoted the American as saying that she does not look at ease on the court and wonders if having a new coach is one reason for that.
"For whatever reason, she looks more stressed out on the court. Whether that’s because the results haven’t been there or the change of coach, I don’t know, so I’m speculating. She just doesn’t look as calm or at ease on the court."
However, Swiatek's indifferent recent form by her very high standards has not reduced Davenport's faith in her ahead of the 2025 Indian Wells Open. The world No. 2 is the defending champion and Davenport thinks she is the favorite to triumph in California again.
"Sometimes it only takes one tournament, one match, one set, something that clicks in for a player and things start to turn around. She’s fortunate she’s coming into one of her favorite tournaments ... for me, she's the favorite going into Indian Wells."
Swiatek also won the Indian Wells Open in 2022 and will probably be happy to return to a happy hunting ground. However, she was the three-time defending champion at the Qatar Open and still succumbed to defeat.
Davenport's theory about having a new coach causing Swiatek stress on the court is more plausible based on footage after her loss to Mirra Andreeva in Dubai. She appeared to ignore Fissette after he tried to give her a high-five.
That is not concrete evidence of a rift between Swiatek and Fissette, but observing how their relationship develops in the future will be interesting. The four-time French Open champion had praised him and his ideas for her game before the Middle Eastern swing.
