Reigning French Open champ Iga Swiatek needed an immediate response after being mauled by Coco Gauff in the Madrid semifinals.
2025 WTA Tour
WTA 1000
Italian Open
Foro Italico, Rome, Italy (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Round of 32 Matches- 10th May
Iga Swiatek (2) 0.17 vs Danielle Collins (29) 3.9
And she delivered, blitzing Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 to open her Rome account in style (she needed just 52 minutes to get the job done). Swiatek was imperious in the stodgy Rome clay, winning 84% of her first-serve points and not facing a single break-point in the entire match. It’s almost absurd to think that the Pole- who some feared would run away with the sport at one point- hasn’t reached a final since her title-winning run in Paris last season. She hasn’t been dreadful this season, reaching at least the quarterfinal stage in every event she has played. She has just lacked that famed killer instinct, failing to win any of her four semifinal matches. I personally think there are multiple reasons for her ‘regression’. Firstly, it takes a herculean effort to attain the type of dominance that she once possessed (and it’s even harder to maintain). Secondly, many of her rivals- Sabalenka, Gauff and Pegula- have simply improved in recent times. Swiatek loves this Rome quicksand, winning this title in three of the last four seasons. This could be her chance to remind the world that she is still the queen of clay.
Next up for Swiatek is American firebrand Danielle Collins. The combustible American publicly criticized Iga Swiatek after last year’s Paris Olympics, castigating the Pole for not taking her injury seriously. The former Grand Slam runner-up hasn’t been able to replicate her 2024 form this season. Collins was in terrific form at this time last year, having won back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston. She also performed wonders in this tournament, reaching a maiden WTA 1000 clay-court semifinal. In fact, Collins’ 2024 success forced her walk back retirement plans. The hard-hitting American has struggled this season, reaching just one quarterfinal (on the Charleston clay). Having said all that, Collins is the type of big-game player who can find something in these marquee matches. She also looked impressive in her Rome opener, breezing past Elena-Gabriela Ruse in straight sets. Can she exploit Swiatek’s recent crisis in confidence to give herself a boost ahead of the French Open?
The Verdict: Swiatek to win in straight sets at 0.48- Swiatek has dominated their head-to-head rivalry 7-1, winning their last five successive matches (including three last year). People are going to get enticed by Collins here (especially looking at Swiatek’s ‘middling’ form). But I just can’t see the American competing with Swiatek on this red clay. Maybe it’s worth it to opt for under 18.5 games at 1.19 (this could be a procession).
