On Monday, November 5, Iga Swiatek suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Elena Rybakina at the ongoing WTA Finals. The Pole’s loss caught many off guard, especially after her strong start to the tournament.
Swiatek, who has enjoyed a stellar 2025 season highlighted by her Wimbledon triumph, began her WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh with a dominant win over Madison Keys, disposing of the American 6-1, 6-2. However, the six-time Grand Slam champion ran into trouble in her match against Rybakina, eventually losing 6-3, 1-6, 0-6 to the Kazakh player.
Following the match, former British No. 1 Laura Robson commented on Swiatek’s performance and highlighted a critical mistake that contributed to her downfall. Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis, Robson noted, “She did not anticipate the changes Rybakina made after the first set. From there, that’s where the panic mode was hit by Swiatek. She just felt like she couldn’t do anything out there. You could see she was talking to Wim Fissett (her coach) and using lots of hand signals. That was not a good sign.”
Robson further explained that Swiatek appeared to lack a ‘Plan B’ during the match. “Serving to Swiatek’s backhand made a difference. Then the willingness to compete when the rallies were over three shots was an issue. It’s tough when you are being outplayed. On a court like this, when it’s bouncing up so much, she probably didn’t know what the tactics would be. It didn’t really feel like there was a Plan B, but so much of that was to do with how well Rybakina was playing.”
For context, Laura Robson made her senior circuit debut in 2008, with one of the highlights of her career coming in 2012 when she won silver at the London Olympics alongside Andy Murray.
**Iga Swiatek Reflects on Her Loss to Elena Rybakina**
After her loss, Swiatek weighed in on her performance. While she acknowledged it was a disappointing result, she stressed the importance of review and reflection. “I’ll have to watch and analyze. I just think I wasn’t that solid in getting back those fast, long shots,” said the 24-year-old (as quoted by AOL.com). “She was more aggressive and also more solid in finishing the rally. But I will have to watch to understand fully.”
**What’s Next for Iga Swiatek?**
Swiatek will return to action in Riyadh on Wednesday, November 7, for her final group stage match at the WTA Finals. She is set to face Amanda Anisimova as she looks to bounce back from this setback.
Stay tuned for more updates on Swiatek’s campaign at the WTA Finals.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-that-good-sign-ex-wta-pro-highlights-iga-swiatek-s-concerning-interaction-coach-wta-finals-loss-elena-rybakina
