Iga Swiatek has appeared visibly frustrated in her practice sessions ahead of the Miami Open this year.
Swiatek is a six-time Grand Slam champion at 24 years old, but she is yet to reach a final of any singles tournament so far in 2026.
The latest loss she suffered came at Indian Wells, where Swiatek was beaten by Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
Swiatek’s serve was notably an issue during this defeat, and she has admitted that her preparation for the Miami Open has also been far from ideal.
Iga Swiatek admits the weather has made her practices ‘tricky’ in Miami
Swiatek has been working with coach Wim Fissette since October 2024, and they have won three titles together including Wimbledon last year.
However, more recently there have been signs of friction between Swiatek and her team, including in her practice sessions ahead of the Miami Open.
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When speaking to media ahead of the Miami Open, Swiatek suggested that her biggest challenge in terms of her practices has been scheduling around the weather.
“I came straight here. It has been tricky with the practices because of the weather but we changed our schedule a bit to manage that,” said Swiatek, as reported by Tennis One. “I got two practices for now, which is great, also there has not been much flexibility with the courts because these are the busiest days of the tournament.
“So I will try to adjust to the conditions because that’s the most important thing when you switch surfaces and be ready for the first match.
“I felt great during practice but obviously you do close patterns there, so it’s going to take some adjustments during matches.
“The Centre Court has not been available so we are going to see what the surface is going to look like on the Centre Court.”
Swiatek is not the only player who has been disrupted by the closure of the Stadium Court in Miami, with Joao Fonseca already being given a setback ahead of his potential match against Carlos Alcaraz.
The rain is set to continue throughout the Miami Open fortnight, as top players appear to have a challenging two weeks ahead.
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Iga Swiatek’s potential draw at the Miami Open
Swiatek is one of only four players to have completed the sunshine double, with the world number three achieving the historic feat after winning the Miami Open in 2022.
This was her sole title victory in Miami, with Swiatek suffering a shock defeat to Alexandra Eala in the Miami Open quarterfinals last year.
Swiatek will look to win her second title at the Miami Open and her first of the 2026 season, as she begins her campaign against her compatriot and former Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette.
The 24-year-old could face a rematch against Eala in the third round, with Karolina Muchova also in Swiatek’s quarter of the draw.
Potential quarterfinal opponents for Swiatek are teenage stars Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko, while Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova could be who she plays if she reaches the semifinal.
Swiatek will begin her 2026 Miami Open campaign on Thursday, March 19, where she will play fellow Pole Linette.
The only other time Swiatek played Linette was at the 2023 China Open, where she claimed an emphatic 6-1, 6-1 victory.
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