Iga Swiatek’s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster of promise and setbacks. She reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, Qatar Open, Indian Wells, and Madrid but has yet to win a title since her 2024 Roland Garros victory. A one-month doping ban, revealed only at season’s end, forced her to miss the Asian swing. She called it “the worst time in my life,” a chaotic period of lost control. Along with a coaching change, this disrupted her rhythm. She dropped from No. 2 to No. 5 after losing defending points, overtaken by Coco Gauff. Yet, Rick Macci believes she can reclaim her throne and win a fourth straight Roland Garros—once she overcomes one obstacle.

Heading into Paris as the fifth seed after Paolini’s surprise Italian Open win, Swiatek’s season has been rough. The clay-court stretch made her struggles clearer. That 6-1, 6-1 loss to Coco in Madrid shocked fans. Losses to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart and Danielle Collins in Rome added to a frustrating losing streak. Even more worrying has been her on-court vibe, especially during the Gauff match, raising eyebrows among fans and critics alike.

Rick Macci, who coached Serena Williams as a child, took to X on Tuesday, writing, “Iga will be seeded five at the FRENCH OPEN. Seeding does not matter. Seeding is a moment in time what others think of you from what you have done in the PAST. If you live in the past you get passed. What Iga thinks of Iga is the real Seed that should be planted.” He believes Swiatek’s biggest critic is herself. Perhaps he has a point!

Iga has been a model of perfection, especially on clay, earning the “Queen of Clay” title. She won her first of four French Open crowns in 2020 without dropping a set. Her 37-match winning streak in 2022 solidified her World No. 1 ranking, held for 125 weeks. Beyond Grand Slams, she boasts ten WTA 1000 titles and the 2023 WTA Finals championship.

But with Coco Gauff rising, could Swiatek’s confidence be wavering? Macci thinks not. He wrote on X, “Coco has not even scratched the surface on any surface. Her ceiling is higher than any player because of EXTREME ATHLETIC ABILITY and who will not go away. To get to number one will happen but to stay there and be a double digit Slam winner the ONLY FIX for her team and Coach is with a Science Based Approach.”

Their head-to-head stands 11-4 in Swiatek’s favor, proving she’s still ahead. Macci is vocal about Swiatek’s struggles but says her performance isn’t about outside voices. “Iga controls Iga,” he had said. He believes once she conquers her perfectionism, she can challenge the best.

But her French Open campaign? That will have to wait. “Iga and her French open does not matter because right now her toughest opponent is in the Mirror. Once she puts back on that positive bulletproof clay court VEST the Polish Punisher is the BEST.” So is Iga holding herself back? It might be so!

Swiatek on how her “perfectionism” is her friend and enemy on the court

Iga Swiatek opened up on May 6 during the Italian Open about the struggles she’s facing this season, pointing to her perfectionism as a key challenge. Despite being world No. 2, she’s still chasing her first title of 2025 and admitted, “This year I feel like I am struggling a bit more with my perfectionism.” She described a “love-hate” relationship with it. Even explaining how she often recalls only the good moments from past seasons when she was winning titles.

However, this leads her to make poor decisions on court now because she expects the same results. “The thing is, I only remember the good stuff because I was winning titles and everything. I’m making decisions that are not really good at the moment because I just remember how it felt in previous tournaments. I assume it’s going to go in, and then I make mistakes. It’s not the same, I’m confused,” she added.

The Queen of Clay has been nearly untouchable on red dirt, with only Steffi Graf boasting a higher win rate against WTA Top 10 players over the past 35 years. Swiatek said she’s “doing good results” and feels close to pushing herself further. However, she’s working hard to keep her thoughts from spiraling.

With the French Open just around the corner, the big question is whether Iga Swiatek can shake off her doubts and perfectionism to claim a fourth consecutive Roland Garros crown. We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below!