Iga Świątek recently suffered a disappointing exit at the Italian Open, drawing fans’ attention online. Commenting on the performance, fans spoke about pressure getting the better of the player.
Swiatek opened her Italian Open run on Friday, May 8, against Caty McNally, where she nabbed the first and third sets to register a 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-3 victory. Following this, she went against top-notch athletes, including Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula, and successfully prevailed over them to advance to the semi-final round.
Here, she locked horns with Elina Svitolina, where, after a head-to-head matchup, the Ukrainian athlete bagged a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory, advancing to the final. The Pole’s performance did not sit right with her audience, as they took a dig at her game, stating that she succumbed to the pressure. One of the fans on X wrote:
“Because of where she was coming from into this tournament, it’s obviously a positive week for Iga, but today was a disappointing loss. Once again, against the first opponent playing at a high level, she crumbled under pressure, and lost almost all the important points.”
Another follower calling her ‘stupid’ commented:
“When did iga become so stupid”
Trolling Swiatek’s form, one of the users wrote:
“it is really surreal to see everyone talk about iga these days, as if she’s this ghost that comes back to her old haunts every now and then. yeah she became a shell of herself but seeing things like “she’s almost back to her old self”…how do i tell you that part of her is gone
Sharing their analysis of the tournament, one of the fans chimed in:
“So like what do we make of Iga? The Pegula and Naomi look fantastic on paper but in context, not quite as impressive. She plays someone who extends and makes her be more patient, she doesn’t have that same quality. Still a top fav for RG but the draw matters for her imo.”
Along similar lines, another follower wrote:
“Playing the worst match you’ll ever see in the semifinals welcome back early 2025 iga.”
Calling her semifinal game a ‘post-peak’ performance, one of the users tweeted:
“Perfect example of a post-peak Iga match. Still good enough to win it, but without the confidence of invincibility, and with what was once her biggest weapon (sideline-breaking forehands) not quite what it used to be anymore, she finds a way to lose.”
Just before her semifinal clash, Iga Swiatek met Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinal round and produced a dominant performance.
What did Iga Swiatek say about her game against Jessica Pegula at the Italian Open quarterfinals?
Iga Świątek met Jessica Pegula on May 13, where she defeated the American in a straight-set (6-1, 6-2) victory, showcasing her dominant skills on the court. Following this victory, the Pole sat for a press conference, where she weighed in on her game against Pegula. When asked about her thoughts on her performance, she said:
“Yeah, for sure, I’m really happy with the match. From the beginning I felt like I can dictate. Tactically, everything made sense as well. I was feeling the ball really well. I just used my chance and was pretty confident,’ said Iga Swiatek.
Opening up about how she has approached her forehand in general over the past few weeks, she said:
“I’ve been playing a bit differently, I would say. More similar to how I played couple years ago, more like a clay court player. I guess all the things that we practised really clicked during last few matches. Yeah, I was feeling that I can really add a lot of spin and a lot of power to the forehand. The trajectory was really nice. I just used it.”
This was Iga Swiatek’s first semi-final of the 2026 season, as from the Australian Open to the Stuttgart Open, she fell short of progressing further than the quarterfinal round.
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