Iga Swiatek lost to Maria Sakkari last night, surrendering a one-set lead as she exited the Qatar Open in the quarterfinals.
Whilst the match was marred by controversy in the third set, it should not take away from what a phenomenal win this was for the Greek star.
Alas, for the former world number one, it’s back to the drawing board, having been stunned by Sakkari for the fourth time in her career.
Speaking after the match, Iga Swiatek was honest in her assessment of her performance.
In fact, it took her no time at all to identify the change she must make to ensure losses like these do not become the norm.
Iga Swiatek explains what she needs to change after losing to Maria Sakkari
Chatting with reporters, Swiatek was short and sweet when speaking about the changes she must make in her game.
The 24-year-old noted: “I’m not starting well [in] the second set. There’s something, yeah, that I should change there. I don’t really know why it’s been like that.
Where do you think she will be ranked?
“Honestly, sports kind of bring you different challenges, so, yeah, I will need to work on that and that’s it.”
Swiatek also reacted to the double-bounce controversy, where she had a point deservedly taken from her after a video review.
Iga Swiatek’s worrying start to 2026
Although she has reached two quarterfinals in as many tournaments, Swiatek will not be pleased with her start to 2026.
After all, she is without a title, having been blown off the court by Elena Rybakina in Melbourne, and now outfought in Qatar by Maria Sakkari.
What’s even more frustrating is the opportunities missed.
At the Australian Open, she was vying to complete the career Grand Slam, yet was comfortably beaten by the eventual champion.
Then, just yesterday, she was facing an out-of-form player at an event she had already won twice before, yet blew her one-set lead.
Swiatek clearly knows that something needs to change, and it’s promising that she identified it straight after her latest defeat.
Who is your favorite player on the WTA Tour right now?
It will be interesting to see how she now fares in Dubai before heading over to America for the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and Miami.
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