Iga Swiatek claims she’s ‘confused’ about her own performances after the latest setback at the Miami Open. The Polish sensation was a surprise loser in the opening round of this week’s WTA 1000 event in Florida, having struggled throughout 2026 so far.

Her latest defeat came against a player she knows well, with countrywoman Magda Linette having run out a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 winner in Miami. It’s forced Swiatek back to the drawing board, as she looks to arrest her issues on the court ahead of one of the most important periods in the tennis calendar.

Speaking after her premature Miami Open exit, the 24-year-old remarked: “I feel like I carry a lot of expectations when I’m on the court, and I need to get rid of them because my game has not been good enough to have any expectations.

“I’m a bit confused, but I’ll just work hard to get it back. I know I have it in me, I just lost it for a second. This is the worst nightmare a top tennis player can have. Dropping in matches in level like this. I need to live through this and figure it out.

“I’ve always been an over-thinker, but lately it’s just been so intense. It’s hard for me to get rid of many thoughts I have, and this used to be my strength. I honestly played my best when I didn’t think much. Now I make so many bad decisions that it’s hard not to think. The stress comes in, the body gets so tense, and things get much harder.”

Attention will now turn to the clay-court swing, with Swiatek’s next scheduled event coming at the WTA 500 Stuttgart Open in early April. WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome will likely follow, before the second Grand Slam of 2026 in Paris.

The world No.2 added: ”I think I am a bit confused. There’s no way but forward. I’m going to try to work hard to get back to that. I have it in me, I just lost it for a second, the game.

”Tennis feels complicated in my head. I know it’s supposed to be simple. In terms of my mentality and how I feel on the court, it’s going to take a while.”