What happened to Iga Swiatek earlier this year which ‘really shook’ her and is being blamed for her recent defeats

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Iga Swiatek remains well behind Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA rankings after a contrasting time for the duo.

Sabalenka shocked herself in the Miami Open final, where the WTA Tour number one beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2.

Swiatek meanwhile lost her quarter-final with 19-year-old Alexandra Eala, having been the Miami Open second seed.

That shock defeat for the five-time Grand Slam champion came after her Indian Wells semi-final loss to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.

And given the results at recent events, CoCo Vandeweghe thinks players will now know how beatable Swiatek is.

Andrea Petkovic says Iga Swiatek confidence ‘shook’ by Madison Keys

Another former WTA player in Andrea Petkovic has now shared her verdict on the world number two, dating back to her Australian Open semi-final loss to Madison Keys.

“I think the match against Keys really shook her confidence,” Petkovic said on The Rennae Stubbs Podcast.

“I was trying to think back. And the whole Australian Open, I kept saying this is the time for Iga, I think she will win and get to the final because I saw all the improvements and how well she was playing.

READ MORE: Iga Swiatek points out one difference between the players on the ATP Tour compared to the WTA

“Obviously Madi Keys was in an absolute trance and she was just the best player there. She was shooting everyone out of the stadium.

“I do think that match cost her some confidence. The reason I say that is I have been trying to think back to the last time that Iga Swiatek lost when she had a match point or was up.”

Fellow former professional Stubbs then interjected: “Never. She had never lost a match up match point,” with Petkovic continuing: “That’s what I mean.

“And I remember, I never used to choke and I choked one time really hard against Svetlana Kuznetsova at the US Open.

“She was the title defender and I had won a round and played her second round. I was up 6-4, 5-4, 40-0 on my own serve and I choked.

“She was smart and saw I was choking and just put every ball in and I got so tight I couldn’t make a ball and I ended up losing 6-4 in the third.

“For the next seven months I choked every single match and I was already 20. It was not like I had just come on tour. I had already been on tour for four years.

“Of course, you sometimes lose when you are up 5-2 and the other player just played better. But I wasn’t known for choking. I had to hire a sports phycologist. I worked through it and then I never choked in that way again.

“So I am just wondering if that took a huge thing out of her armour of confidence that she has built up over so many years.

“But I don’t think it’s as bad as people make it out to be, as if you look at the players she has lost to, they are all players you can lose to.”

Why there is light at the end of the tunnel for Iga Swiatek

Given her previous success and the very high standards she has set herself, Swiatek will be disappointed by her lack of success in recent times.

At the same time, however, it is worth remembering that she is only 23, with a stunning career under her belt so far.

READ MORE: Iga Swiatek says what ‘no one expects’ Aryna Sabalenka to do on the WTA Tour

That includes reaching number one in the WTA rankings and winning five Grand Slam titles, with 22 WTA titles won overall.

Moreover, as mentioned, the level of opposition has often been first-class, with Keys and Andreeva winning the Australian Open and Indian Wells respectively after beating Swiatek.

And there is more light around the corner given that the clay season has now arrived, with four of her five Grand Slam titles arriving on that surface.

Remarkably, the Pole has won four of the last five finals at Roland Garros, which includes three successive titles.