Iga Swiatek suffered a defeat to compatriot Magda Linette in the Round of 64 at the Miami Open, ending a 73-match opening-round winning streak. The six-time Grand Slam champion won the first set 6-1 but lost the next two 5-7, 3-6 amid unforced errors.
Iga Swiatek appeared in control early, securing the first set 6-1 against Magda Linette in just 33 minutes. She won 88% of her first-serve points and broke twice. However, Linette, ranked No. 50, broke in the 12th game of the second set for a 7-5 win. In the third, Linette built a 5-2 lead, and despite Swiatek saving two match points, closed out 6-3 on her fourth opportunity for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory from her perspective, or Swiatek's 6-1, 5-7, 3-6 loss. This marked Linette's eighth career Top 10 win. Swiatek reflected: “It just was a bad match from me in 2nd and 3rd sets. For sure, it’s tough to handle that when I know I played well in 1st. I just, idk unconsciously or consciously, it’s hard for me to change things & then my tennis kinda collapses. I haven’t felt like this in idk probably over 5 years. Dropping this much in matches. I’ll just have to try to get my confidence back.” She described it as “the worse nightmare a top tennis player can have,” citing overthinking and tension: “It’s hard for me to get rid of many thoughts I have, and this used to be my strength.” The loss ended Swiatek's streak of 73 consecutive first-round wins since 2021. It followed a quarterfinal exit to Elina Svitolina at Indian Wells. During the match, coach Wim Fissette told Swiatek to “change something,” prompting Tennis Channel commentator Chanda Rubin to ask: “Isn’t the coach supposed to help you figure out what to change?” Questions have arisen about psychologist Daria Abramowicz amid Swiatek's visible frustration in recent matches. Linette noted her patience: “I was just waiting for a window where maybe I can get a bit more aggressive.”
