Iga Swiatek Sinks in WTA Rankings Before Roland Garros

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated May 19, 2025 9:13 AM ET

The WTA Rankings have been updated following the Italian Open, and there were major shakeups at the top of the list. No player was more negatively affected than Iga Swiatek.

In the updated rankings released on May 19, Swiatek dropped three spots to World No. 5. The Polish superstar has hemorrhaged valuable rankings points as she has failed to defend her titles throughout clay court season.

Italian Open winner Jasmine Paolini (No. 4) and finalist Coco Gauff (No.2) joined Jessica Pegula (No. 3) in jumping over Swiatek in the WTA Rankings. It is Swiatek's lost ranking since 2022.

Even worse, there will not be a chance for Swiatek to improve her standing before Roland Garros. Swiatek, the winner of the last three French Opens, must defend her title as the fifth seed.

The main draw has not yet been announced, but Swiatek is guaranteed to face a much more challenging path to the final.

After losing to Danielle Collins in the third round of the Italian Open, Swiatek shut down any speculation about Roland Garros.

She has since spent her long break practicing in Paris a full two weeks early. The official Roland Garros social media team has shared sneak peeks at Swiatek's training at Philippe Chatrier.

Swiatek has not won a title, much less reached a finals match, since she won Roland Garros 2024 last June. Since then, the five-time Grand Slam champion has trudged through the roughest stretch of her career.

Over the past year, Swiatek has dealt with the doping scandal, subsequent ban, and a coaching change that has yet to pay off.

Four of Swiatek's five Grand Slam titles have come on the clay courts at Roland Garros, so she should always be considered a contender to win the tournament. However, her dark horse status for 2025 was unfathomable this time last year.

Roland Garros runs from May 25 - June 8. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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