Tennis legend Mats Wilander has voiced his belief that Iga Swiatek is grappling with a “big problem” in her game—one that many of her challengers have quickly spotted and are now exploiting. Despite her impressive resume as the world No. 2, Swiatek has yet to clinch a final in any of the 10 WTA Tour tournaments she’s entered since her triumphant fourth French Open title and fifth Grand Slam victory in June last year.
This 23-year-old phenom, who boasts a 21-6 win–loss tally across six events this year—including a noteworthy run at the United Cup—has consistently advanced to the semi-finals at major stops like the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Indian Wells Open. However, her journey hit a bump when she exited at the quarter-finals in both Dubai and Miami. In what many consider her most unexpected loss, Swiatek was defeated 2-6, 5-7 by Filipino wildcard Alex Eala, who was ranked 140th at the time.
Looking ahead, the former world No. 1 is preparing to switch gears and return to her dominant clay-court form—a surface where she first made waves in 2020 by capturing her maiden French Open title. Not only did she secure a third consecutive Roland Garros crown in 2024, but she also triumphed in back-to-back WTA 1000 events on clay in Madrid and Rome.
In a candid interview with TNT Sports, Wilander dissected Swiatek’s game, focusing on the persistent issues with her forehand. He stated,
“(On Swiatek’s forehand) That’s the big problem I think she has. This is really a plan that most players [have] realised, this is what I have to do against Iga Swiatek on a faster court, on grass, or a hard court, or indoors, or even a slow hard court in many ways. I don’t think it means that they think it will be effective on clay. Though the more losses she suffers with players targeting her forehand, the more you will have players trying that on a clay court. I do think that Iga will be able to deal with that on clay, because the bounces are going to be slower, and she will be able to use topspin on the forehand. I am really curious to see when the clay-court season starts to see if her forehand improves overnight. As soon as she plays a match will her forehand be back where it was before on a clay court or has she lost a bit of confidence and she’s afraid of defending on that side? I am not really sure until she gets on a clay court. But my prediction is that Iga is going to make minimum the semis of the French Open and that she’s going to win a minimum of two tournaments on clay. And my guess is that she will win the French Open too.”
Wilander’s analysis hints at a tactical shift by Swiatek’s opponents, who seem intent on targeting that particular wing of her game. Yet, he remains optimistic that the unique conditions offered by clay—its slower bounces and the increased potential for effective topspin—will help her neutralize this vulnerability. His commentary also builds anticipation around her upcoming clay season debut at the Stuttgart Grand Prix, a WTA 500 event kicking off on April 14. This fixture promises to be a critical testing ground, as fans and pundits alike await to see whether Swiatek can quickly reassert her dominance and regain her full confidence on the surface that has been a cornerstone of her success.