‘We’re getting destroyed’ – Iga Swiatek issues warning to WTA over why Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and herself have struggled
WTA’s Top Three Struggling for Titles in 2025: Swiatek, Gauff, and Sabalenka Face Unusual Start
The 2025 season has not been kind to the WTA’s top three players—Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka—as none have won a title so far this year.
After unexpected early exits at the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Dubai Tennis Championships, all three stars have faced shaky form and surprise upsets against lower-ranked opponents.
Coco Gauff’s Troubles Continue
World No.3 Gauff has had the toughest stretch, losing her last three matches. Following her quarter-final loss to Paula Badosa in Melbourne, she suffered back-to-back opening-round defeats in Qatar and Dubai.
- Qatar Open: Lost 6-2, 7-5 to Marta Kostyuk, with serve and forehand errors proving costly.
- Dubai: Fell to McCartney Kessler, another straight-sets loss (6-4, 7-5).
Sabalenka’s Post-Australian Open Dip
World No.1 Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open, has since struggled to maintain momentum:
- Qatar Open: Lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova (6-3, 3-6, 6-7).
- Dubai: Upset by Clara Tauson (7-6, 6-4).
The reigning Grand Slam champion admitted the shift from Australia to the Middle East has impacted her physically and mentally, saying:
“Australia always takes a lot of energy out of me. I feel like I’m not that hungry on court and emotionally, I’m not at my best.”
Swiatek Blames the WTA’s Demanding Schedule
World No.2 Swiatek has performed better than Gauff and Sabalenka, reaching the semi-finals in Qatar and the quarter-finals in Dubai. However, her shock loss to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva (6-3, 6-3) in Dubai raised concerns.
The four-time French Open champion pointed to the WTA’s packed schedule as a major factor:
“We’re not going to be able to be consistent for many years playing week by week. We have to switch continents, surfaces, and balls, and that’s not easy.”
Other WTA Stars Also Struggling
The unpredictability isn’t limited to the top three—many top-10 players are battling form issues:
- World No.4 Jasmine Paolini has won just four singles matches in 2025.
- World No.5 Jessica Pegula has won just five and fell early in Dubai.
- World No.8 Qinwen Zheng has managed just one victory this season.
- World No.9 Emma Navarro made the Australian Open quarter-finals but has won only two matches since.
What’s Next?
With the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami Open) starting in March, followed by the clay season and French Open in May, the WTA’s top stars will be hoping to regain their form.
For Sabalenka, the hard courts have been her strongest surface, and she’ll need to bounce back quickly before the shift to clay. Meanwhile, Swiatek, the dominant force on clay, will have her sights set on Roland Garros to reaffirm her position at the top.
