Struggle continued for Iga Swiatek as the defending champion faced the loss against the American Danielle Collins in two straight sets. With this loss on Saturday, the five-time Grand Slam champion, Swiatek, is out of the Italian Open.
How did the game between Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek go? Here’s a recap of the match.
Match Overview: Danielle Collins vs Iga Swiatek
During the round of 32 game in the Italian Open 2025, Danielle Collins vs Iga Swiatek had some shocking moments as the defending champion suffered an embarrassing loss by 6-1, 7-5. Following the win over Swiatek, it was her second win out of nine matches, and first on the clay surface.
First Set: 6-1 to Danielle Collins
The first set was dominated entirely by American Danielle Collins, and the fans saw a pretty much one-sided match. It was a bit of a shocking day for Swiatek since the world’s number two is widely known as a clay specialist.
Swiatek made double faults while facing the break points during her first two service games. Similarly, she also lost her third service game to love, helping Collins to lead the set by 5-0.
At the final moment, Swiatek was able to hold the set at 5-1, but unfortunately, Collins broke to conclude the set by 6-1 within just 24 minutes in the Italian Open 2025.
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Second Set: 7-5 to Danielle Collins
It was the moment when Swiatek had to make a comeback on her preferred surface. She started strong in the second set of the game and quickly started taking the lead. However, it was just a good day for Collins, as she immediately broke back, stopping Swiatek from taking away the set.
From this moment, the game was competitive, as both players were engaged in long rallies, but Collins’s mental toughness and determination helped to apply pressure on Swiatek, especially on the second serve.
Finally, during the second match point, Swiatek made a forced error and Collins sealed the match 6-1, 7-5.
Following the impressive victory, Collins addressed reporters, “Obviously, with my game style, I play a pretty aggressive game style. Sometimes that can go one way or another. It can look great and flashy, and other times, you can miss some shots.”
She further added on the mindset and confidence she brings to big games like this, “But I think having the confidence and trusting myself in those big moments to go after it, to trust my athleticism, and to really, yeah, just like not be afraid to go after my shots in those big moments, I think, was key.”
What’s Next for Both Players?
While it was a humiliating loss for the five-time Grand Slam champion, the champion mindset of Swiatek was seen during the press conference after the match.
The defending champion in Rome has been the World No.1 or No. 2 for more than three years now, but this season has been worse for her since it was the ninth defeat on Saturday.
On the other hand, Collins will be facing Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the fourth round of the tournament. The win against Swiatek also marks her first Top 10 win in more than a year, along with her third career win against a Top 2 player.
Swiatek’s 26 consecutive Round of 16s in WTA 1000s came to an end as she bid farewell to the Italian Open 2025, but she is expected to play the French Open starting on May 25.
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