Iga Świątek’s title defense at the 2025 Italian Open ended abruptly with a straight-sets loss to Danielle Collins, 6-1, 7-5, in the third round. This defeat not only halts her pursuit of a fourth Rome title but also results in her dropping out of the WTA Top 2 rankings for the first time since March 2022. She is projected to fall to at least No. 4 when the new rankings are released on May 19 .
Collins, ranked 35th, delivered an aggressive performance, hitting 32 winners and breaking Świątek’s serve six times. This victory marks Collins’ first over Świątek on clay, having previously lost seven of their eight encounters .
Świątek’s recent form raises concerns ahead of the French Open, where she is the defending champion. She has not won a title since Roland Garros in 2024 and has matched her total number of losses from the previous year, with nine defeats so far in 2025 . She acknowledged mental and tactical struggles, stating, “I focused on mistakes. It’s my mistake and I’m not doing things right” .
As Świątek prepares for Roland Garros, she faces the challenge of regaining her form and confidence to defend her title on the Parisian clay.
