Having won Indian Wells twice, in 2022 and 2024, Iga Swiatek entered as one of the favorites to win the event. But as fate would have it, the six-time Grand Slam champion suffered an unexpected quarterfinal exit against Elina Svitolina. Though Swiatek tried to push through in the second set, the ninth seed proved stronger overall. Naturally, the Polish star’s three-set struggle did not go unnoticed.

Interestingly, before this matchup, Swiatek had not lost a set throughout the event and looked strong to make a run to the final. Even though the match looked close on the scorecard, it did not turn into the high-quality contest that everyone expected. And this is exactly what tennis commentator Tomasz Wolfke is highlighting.

“The only real explanation is the head and that it’s emotional. You can’t forget how to play tennis in a single day. Statistically, she should feel confident mentally after two good matches like that. She seems to be well prepared physically,” Wolfke said, as translated from Dutch.

“Everything was worse for Iga. It was a very ugly match overall, ripped apart from both sides. Svitolina also played well below her potential. There was a shocking moment at the beginning of the second set, where the first ten rallies were one rally. At times, it was unwatchable. And that’s what hurts the most, not the minimal loss after a close match against a very good Svitolina.” 

One of the most worrying aspects of the 24-year-old’s game was her serve. She committed eight double faults in the match, five of which came in the first set. Making matters worse, 42 unforced errors added to her struggles.

After losing the first set 6-2, the Pole mounted a comeback in the second set, winning it 6-4. Then came the third set, where the first eight games saw no break points, leaving the score tied at 4-4. The turning point came in the ninth game, when Elina Svitolina earned two break points and converted one to go up 5-4. She then served out the match with a love hold, setting up a semifinal clash against third seed Elena Rybakina.

After the break earned by the 31-year-old, Swiatek had a serious breakdown. She threw her towel to the ground in anger and then engaged in a brief but blunt exchange with the staff.

“Iga’s reaction after losing a game at 4-5 in the third set was intense. I was afraid she’d break down on the court, which happened a few years ago. It was just one break, after all, and she’d already made up for it many times in this match, and it was completely manageable,” said the commentator.

“All players who lose seek help from the coaching staff, and that’s the norm. However, when Iga loses, not much happens on the bench, and everyone sits with a grim look on their faces. Sometimes Maciej Ryszczuk (Physiotherapist) or Daria Abramowicz (Sports Psychologist) shouts something, sometimes Wim Fissette gives instructions. However, there’s not a single person who could shout, ‘Come on! I think I only heard one, ‘Go!'” the tennis commentator concluded.

However, this breakdown was not the first time this year. At the United Cup final, Swiatek faced a tough loss against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. After the loss, she threw her racket and broke down in tears. 

Another incident happened at the Qatar Open.

The quarterfinal clash between Iga Swiatek and Maria Sakkari started with Swiatek dominating. Soon enough, though, Sakkari flipped the script to stun the world number two, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, reaching her third Doha semifinal. But the spotlight quickly shifted to events unfolding off the baseline.

When cameras repeatedly cut to Swiatek’s box, particularly to her long-time sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, animated gestures, shouting, and visible frustration from the stands triggered a wave of reactions online. Fans described the scenes as counter-productive rather than supportive. Observers felt the Pole looked increasingly unsettled, with her rhythm breaking down just as Sakkari raised her level.

Such incidents make Wolfke’s concern genuine. Be that as it may, Swiatek’s run has now come to a stop in Indian Wells. So, what did her opponent have to say about that?

Elina Svitolina on her win against Iga Swiatek at the Indian Wells Masters

After the clash that lasted for 2 hours and 9 minutes, at the post-match conference, Svitolina shared her mindset regarding the match. 

“There is no champion who is waiting for mistakes. And you really have to try to set yourself up in a good position to attack. I was feeling good, and I was trying to really, you know, open up the court and try to take advantage, because Iga is such an aggressive player, and she moves really well. So if you don’t take the opportunity at the right time, she’s going to take it,” Svitolina said after bagging her second win against the Pole. 

With that, the Ukrainian advanced to the semifinals, and the clash against world No. 3 was not short of drama. Rybakina outclassed her with pinpoint serving. She won 85% of her first-serve points, which completely pushed the ninth seed onto the back foot. Svitolina battled hard in the first set, but two double faults at 5-5 cost her, losing it 7-5.

The Kazakh player was leading 4-0 in the second, but Svitolina showed her trademark resilience, saving two match points and bringing the score to 5-4. However, it was not enough to stop the two-time Grand Slam champion from marching into the final of the BNP Paribas Open. 

The final will be a rematch of the Australian Open final at the Californian Gardens, as Elena Rybakina will take on World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the showdown on Sunday, March 15.