30 Winners, 6 breaks, and a total of 144 minutes. That’s all it took for 29th seed Danielle Collins to conquer her longtime rival and five-time slam queen Iga Swiatek in Rome on Saturday. In straight sets, the American WTA star dismantled the former World No.1 with a score line of 6-1, 7-5. With that, Swiatek’s hopes of winning a fourth trophy at the Italian Open also ended. On the other hand, Collins was able to pull off just her second win against the Pole so far in their encounters. All her efforts came in the losing cause prior to this face-off, but it seems like the World No. 35 may have used them to her advantage this time!
For the uninitiated, Saturday’s unexpected defeat of Swiatek marked the first time she’s been unable to enter the R16 of a WTA 1000 event. After making it to R16 on 26 successive occasions, the Pole’s long streak finally ended against Collins. Back in 2021, she failed to enter the R16 of the Cincinnati Masters when Ons Jabeur ousted her in the R32.
Speaking of the rivalry between Collins and Swiatek, it’s been mostly one-sided. Before Saturday’s clash, the Pole had won 7 of her eight encounters. However, the stats changed this time when Collins decided to take the charge and come out strongly against the World No.2. But what made her emerge as the winner in this match, where she was expected to lose one more time in front of the Pole?
During an interaction with Tennis Channel, after ousting Swiatek from Rome, Collins spilled the beans on her key to success. “I feel like Iga and I have played so many times that when you have a losing record against someone and you lose a lot of matches that are so close, I feel like you learn something from it.”
She added, “So, I was able to kind of make the adjustments from past losses and execute really well, like I feel like my timing was really on. And I think with the level that Iga and these top players play, when I face these opponents, it really brings out some of my best tennis at times. Even if, unfortunately, some of those matches haven’t gone my way, I mean that’s the interesting thing about tennis. I feel like some of my best matches have been the ones that I have lost which is pretty cool.”
After snatching the first set 6-1, there came a moment in the second set where Danielle Collins was on match point. But Swiatek managed to come back momentarily and leveled the score 5-5. That was a challenge for the American, but she managed to hold her nerves.
Reflecting on the same, she continued, “I think the nerves try to help fuel you and get that adrenaline going, and I think in those high-pressure situations, you want to ultimately try to thrive in those moments. And I feel like today my execution was just really on. My shots were really dialed in and I was very really clear in what I needed to do, to be relentless and keep going after shots and keep her guessing, and I did exactly that.”
While Collins must be feeling relaxed and ready for her next battle in Rome, Swiatek’s not having a great time on the court lately. After Coco Gauff thrashed her in Madrid, with double breadstick, this loss will further hamper her confidence. And it becomes evident from her post-match reaction.
Iga Swiatek opens up on crushing defeat against Danielle Collins in Rome
Last year, Iga Swiatek entered the Roland Garros on the back of successive title wins in Madrid and Rome. However, it won’t be the case this time. Earlier this month, she lost the SF round against Gauff in straight sets. And now, at the Italian Open, she’s been ousted in R32.
Reflecting on her performance against Collins on Saturday, in a press conference, she said, “For sure it hasn’t been easy. For sure I’m doing something wrong. So I need to just regroup and kind change some stuff. I had some advice from the team. I’ll just try to do this.” reported Tennis365 on May 11.
Adding further, she confessed that she “just wasn’t there (on the court), present to, like, fight and to compete. I focused on mistakes. It’s my mistake, and I’m not doing things right. So yeah, the focus is on the wrong things from my side and I’ll try to change that.” But what’s next for her now? Especially going into the Roland Garros later this month. She’s won the title four times already. In fact, she’s been the undisputed French Open champion in the last three seasons (2022, 2023, and 2024).
When asked about her expectations heading to Paris, Swiatek revealed, “Obviously it would be stupid to expect a lot because I’m not able to play my game right now. I’ll just try to, you know, as I said, change my mindset a little bit, try to regroup and just focus day by day working.”
So, isn’t she getting a feeling of performing better at the Roland Garros despite the poor form? She simply said, “It doesn’t matter what things I get. Every year is different, so… Doesn’t matter.” What are your thoughts on the Pole’s prospects at the 2025 French Open? Will she defy her on-court struggles and lift a fifth trophy on the Parisian clay court? Let us know in the comments below.
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