CHAMP HAS FALLEN: ‘Pretty bad’ Swiatek bows to Keys, drops Madrid crown

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Reigning Madrid Open champion Iga Swiatek suffered a crushing 6-1, 6-1 semifinal defeat by Coco Gauff on Thursday with the Pole saying “everything kind of collapsed” in a worrying performance.

The Polish world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam winner could not force a single break point and dropped serve five times as she fell in 64 minutes.

Swiatek, usually excellent on clay, has struggled during her Madrid title defense.

She dropped sets against Alexandra Eala and Diana Shnaider, and then was dealt a bagel by Madison Keys in just 24 minutes on Wednesday.

However, the 23-year-old Pole bounced back strongly to defeat the American, but came undone against Keys’ compatriot Gauff, who beat Swiatek for the first time on the red dirt.

With this latest loss, Swiatek has only the upcoming Italian Open to help her get back to winning ways before she defends her French Open title later in May — her 2024 triumph at Roland Garros was the last trophy the former world No. 1 had lifted.

“I couldn’t really get my level up. Coco played well, but, yeah, I think it’s on me that I didn’t really move well,” Swiatek said.

“With that kind of game, it was pretty bad.”

“I think I pushed kind of with my head for more than I even should, tennis-wise,” she added. “Today, for sure, everything kind of collapsed.”

Gauff, 21, broke in the third, fifth and seventh games to blow Swiatek away in the first set, converting her second set point.

The world No. 1 secured two more breaks in the second set and wrapped up victory at the first time of asking.

“Obviously, she wasn’t playing her best tennis, but I think I made her uncomfortable,” Gauff said. “She is very talented and can make you run and move you around the court. And I just tried to not do that today.”

Gauff beat Swiatek at the 2025 United Cup and in the WTA Finals last year, both on hardcourt, but the American had never previously defeated the four-time French Open winner on clay.

“I think the previous times we played on clay I don’t think I had a win against her yet,” Gauff said.

“Obviously, on clay she’s a different player, but clay is one of my better surfaces too, and I thought if I can beat her on hard I can beat her on clay.”

Last year’s runner-up Aryna Sabalenka faces in-form Elina Svitolina in the second semifinal later Thursday.

In the men’s draw Casper Ruud reached the semi-finals with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over Daniil Medvedev.

The Norwegian ousted Taylor Fritz to reach the quarterfinals and secured his first win against the Russian in their fourth meeting.

Strong on clay, Ruud only converted two of his eight break points but it was enough to secure victory, with Medvedev, who dislikes the surface, not producing a single break.