By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Monday, March 3, 2025
Photograph credit score: On
Tennis Paradise is the panacea to treatment listless losses stressing Iga Swiatek, says Corridor of Famer Lindsay Davenport.
Assembly the media in a Zoom name final week to advertise Tennis Channel’s first-ball-to-last ball BNP Paribas Open protection beginning Wednesday at 1 p.m. Jap time, TC analyst Davenport detailed why Swiatek struggled on the Center East swing—and why she believes the defending champion will flip it up in Indian Wells.
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Former world No. 1 in singles and doubles, Davenport stated clear indicators of stress have been evident in Swiatek’s face and physique language throughout her 6-3, 6-3 loss to Mirra Andreeva in Dubai that adopted a 6-3, 6-1 shellacking by the hands of Jelena Ostapenko within the Doha semifinals.
“When Iga performs, there are specific gamers the place you are feeling like they cannot assist however put on their feelings, and also you get a extremely good sense of Iga in case you are trying into her eyes,” Davenport advised the media. “For no matter cause and we don’t know form of what has been occurring, however she simply seems to be extra stressed on the court docket.
“Whether or not that is as a result of possibly the outcomes have not been there or the change of coach, I do not know. So I am speculating. She simply does not look as calm or comfortable on the court docket when issues form of get a bit of bit shut as she has up to now when she performs her finest tennis.”
Although Swiatek has received Indian Wells in two of the final three years, she’s dealing with extra questions in her Palm Springs return.
After efficiently defending her Doha championship, Swiatek carried a 14-2 document into the 2024 Indian Wells—and unleashed dominance on Tennis Paradise final spring. Swiatek swept via the sector with out surrendering a set dispatching Danielle Collins, Linda Noskova, Yulia Putintseva, Caroline Wozniacki, Marta Kostyuk and Maria Sakkari within the 2024 remaining.
Swiatek has received 16 of her final 17 BNP Paribas Open matches.
It’s a unique Swiatek, who will launch her title protection this week. Working with new coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek has tried to impose her velocity and spin management on heavy hitters. However her final three losses—a heart-breaking 7-6-in-the-third-set Australian Open semifinal defeat to Madison Keys and straight-set sweeps to Ostapenko and Andreeva—have come in opposition to gamers who can command the middle of the court docket and repeatedly beat the speedy Pole with drives down the road.
Davenport says Indian Wells is a “excellent” court docket for Swiatek for a couple of totally different causes.
Circumstances are slower and the court docket is grittier which affords Swiatek the time she likes to arrange for her forehand and the actual fact it’s in her altitude means the ball flies a bit. Swiatek’s heavy topspin performs properly within the desert the place she will dive-bomb forehands into the corners with management whereas flatter hitters sail photographs lengthy within the thinner air.
Then there’s Swiatek’s confidence in Tennis Paradise the place she’s been so profitable during the last three years and Davenport says it’s a treatment to rev up her profitable methods.
“She is simply trying a bit of bit form of pressed on the market. Typically it solely takes one match, one match, one set, one thing that clicks in for a participant and issues begin to flip round,” Davenport stated of Swiatek. “She’s lucky she’s coming into considered one of her favourite tournaments, the match she’s been so wildly profitable at. A whole lot of instances these form of good feelings can form of flip the change additionally.
“The court docket is ideal for her. It offers her time. Just like Alcaraz, she nonetheless hits large enough. She will hit via the circumstances. However mentally that’s the greatest problem for her. Is she contemporary? Is she assured? Does she consider moving into that she will play her finest tennis and win one?
“Just like Sabalenka the place she’s enjoying to win Grand Slams, she was very upset to not win the Australian Open or to lose that match to Madison. She had it there for a time frame; let it slip away. Once more, one other participant that did not play nice within the Center East swing.”
To gauge Swiatek’s confidence degree in her early matches, watch her physique language between factors, says Davenport, who believes it reveals how the previous No. 1 is actually feeling.
“So she’ll are available in need and needing to do properly I believe simply to try to get again to No. 1 additionally, maintain that in attain,” Davenport stated. “We’ll must see what her mindset is at.
“I at all times say take a look at her and the way she’s comporting herself out on the court docket, how is she on the apply court docket, is she relaxed, as a result of she is one you may form of see fairly early on how she’s feeling.”
