Iga Swiatek’s 2025 season came to an end this week, as the world No.2 fell short of advancing from the group stage at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. And Swiatek isn’t exactly sure why. Despite feeling that she had prepared and performed well, Swiatek admitted she left the court with a puzzled feeling.
Speaking openly after the match, the 24-year-old described the strange sensation of losing an important match and not really knowing what went wrong.
“Honestly, I did everything I could today, so, like, no regrets. I felt like I had a positive mindset… I fought, and I really didn’t give up. It wasn’t enough, which makes me sad,” Swiatek said after falling to Amanda Anisimova for the second consecutive time, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2.
Swiatek said she struggled to make sense of the loss not because she felt she played poorly, but because she didn’t.
“I felt good mentally, physically and tennis-wise… So I don’t really get why I couldn’t go out of the group,” said the six-time major champion, who opened her WTA Finals with a dominant win over Madison Keys before falling to Elena Rybakina by the wild scorline of 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 in her second match.
On Wednesdsay against the American that she ruthlessly dispatched in this year’s Wimbledon final, Swiatek felt she played much better.
“When you do everything and it’s still not enough, I guess it means that you just need to get your tennis better,” the Pole said.
Then came the line that sparked debate across the tennis world:
“I don’t know, maybe I won too much last year and this is karma,” Swiatek offered.
Maybe she’s right? Maybe Iga is like fans on Tennis Twitter, who believe in jinxes so devotedly that they call out anyone who speaks positively about a player early in a match that she eventually loses? Doubtful, actually.
Social media may have overreacted to Swaitek’s comment about karma, but we’re not going to do that here. She’s probably referring to luck, which is a central part of a lot of sporting events. Tennis is a game of millimeters, and often whether a ball ticks a line or a net cord can make the difference in a match. Sometimes you get the breaks, sometimes you don’t.
For Swiatek, the comment seemed less about superstition and more about acknowledging the emotional weight of expectations. It’s hard to live up to them when you’ve featured as the tour’s most dominant player and racked up six major titles and 125 weeks at No.1.
Most important? Swiatek seemed to take the defeat in stride. It’s time to decompress and enjoy life as a Wimbledon champion for a few weeks, before getting ready to gear up for another demanding season.
“From my experiences, if I put so much intensity and grit and I care that much, usually it kind of paid off. So we’ll see if I keep working, if it’s gonna pay off or not,” she said.
Best guess is that there will be plenty of payoffs to come for Swiatek in 2026 and beyond. She’s not done taking the tennis world by storm, even if she has been reeled back in by the field a bit over the last two seasons.
When looking back on her 2025 season there is one thing that will stick out above the rest: the Wimbledon title highlighted all of Swiatek’s adaptability and the obvious chemistry that she has been enjoying with coach Wim Fissette. It was a game-changing moment for Swiatek, one that gives clear proof that she can learn to win on any surface, and under any pressure.
It won’t pay dividends every single week, but you can rest assured that that title at SW19 will keep wind in Swiatek’s sails for many years to come. At six major titles and counting at the age of 24, the future looks bright for Iga, even if her season ended in disappointment.
