Iga Swiatek’s 2025 season comes to an end this week, with the world number two failing to advance beyond the group stages of the WTA Year-End Finals in Riyadh. Swiatek doesn’t know why. Despite feeling prepared and performing well, Swiatek admitted she left the court with a confused feeling.
Speaking publicly after the game, the 24-year-old described the strange feeling of losing a big game and not knowing what went wrong.
“Honestly, I did everything I could do today, so, no regrets. I feel like I have a positive mentality… I fought and I really didn’t give up. It wasn’t enough and it makes me sad,” Swiatek said after her second consecutive loss to Amanda Anisimova 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2.
Swiatek said she had a hard time understanding the loss, not because she felt she played poorly; No.
“I feel good mentally, physically and tennis-wise… so I really don’t understand why I can’t get out of the group,” the six-time Grand Slam champion said. She opened her WTA finals with a dominant win over Madison Keys, but lost her second match to Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
On Wednesday, Swiatek felt like she was playing much better against the American she had ruthlessly eliminated in this year’s Wimbledon final.
“When you do everything and it’s still not enough, I guess that means you just have to get better at your tennis,” the Pole said.
The next sentence sparked debate in the tennis world:
“I don’t know, maybe I won too much last year and it’s karma,” Swiatek said.
Maybe she’s right? Maybe Iga is like the fans on tennis Twitter who believe in jinxes so religiously that they will berate anyone who speaks positively about a player early in a match and ultimately loses the match?
In fact, it’s doubtful.
Social media may have overreacted to Swiatek’s comments about karma, but we won’t do that here. She was probably referring to luck, which is a core part of many tennis matches. Tennis is a millimeter-scale sport, and whether the ball is marked or netted usually affects the outcome of the game. Sometimes you get a break, sometimes you don’t.
To Swiatek, the comment seemed less about superstition and more about acknowledging the emotional weight of expectations. It’s hard to live up to their expectations when you’re the most dominant player on tour with six major titles and 125 consecutive weeks at No. 1.
As Swiatek has grown as a person and a player, she’s gotten better at handling those pressures.
The most important thing? Swiatek seemed to take the defeat in stride. It’s time to decompress and enjoy the life of a Wimbledon champion for a few weeks before getting ready for another tough season. After all, he still has home-cooked food. The aroma of her father’s famous dumplings will soon be wafting through Polish holiday kitchens.
“In my experience, if I put in that much energy and perseverance and care that much, it usually pays off. So we’ll see if I continue to work and if that pays off,” Swiatek said.
The best guess is that Swiatek will reap big returns in 2026 and beyond. Although she has recovered somewhat over the past two seasons, her storm in the tennis world is not over yet.
When looking back on her 2025 season, one thing will stand out: The Wimbledon title highlighted Swiatek’s ability to adapt and her palpable chemistry with coach Wim Fissette. It was a game-changing moment for Swiatek, clear proof that she could learn to win on any surface, under any pressure.
It won’t pay dividends every week, but you can rest assured that an SW19 title will fuel Swiatek’s sailings for many years to come. The 24-year-old Iga already has six Grand Slam titles to her name, and although her season ended in what was described as a karmic disappointment, her future looks bright.
