Iga Swiatek blames fatigue for shock Wimbledon exit

Iga Swiatek, the weary world number one, conceded that she was struggling at Wimbledon after losing shockingly in the third round to Yulia Putintseva on Saturday.

The Russian-born Kazakh Putintseva stunned the top seed on Court One by fighting her way to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 triumph. This ended the top seed’s 21-match winning streak.

Last month, Swiatek won her fourth French Open and fifth Grand Slam championship; nevertheless, by the time she got to the All England Club, she was feeling the effects of her clay-court victory.

The Polish player, who has never advanced past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, failed to muster the energy needed to defeat the fierce Putintseva.

“For sure, I felt like my energy level went down little bit in the second set. I couldn’t really get back up,” she said.

“My tank of really pushing myself to the limits became suddenly empty. I was kind of surprised. But I know what I did wrong after Roland Garros. I didn’t really rest properly.

“I’m not going to make this mistake again. After such a tough clay court season, I really must have my recovery.

“I need to recover better after the clay court season, both physically and mentally. Maybe next year I’m going to take a vacation and literally just do nothing.”

Swiatek, a four-time French Open winner, has never thrived on the All England Club grass.

– ‘I was playing fearless’ –
Asked to explain her struggles in south-west London, she said: “Actually, this part of the season is not easy because we’re switching surfaces.

“For me going from this kind of tennis where I felt like I’m playing the best tennis in my life to another surface where I kind of struggle a little bit more, it’s not easy.”

Losing to the diminutive Putintseva was especially painful after their clash at Indian Wells earlier this year.

Putintseva was ticked off by the chair umpire for moving from side to side as Swiatek shaped to serve.

Describing herself as “a gangster on court and angel off it”, Putintseva even threw in a collection of underarm serves.

“Maybe they teach that in Kazakhstan,” a grumpy Swiatek said at the time.

Swiatek was grudging in her praise for Putintseva after their latest meeting, saying: “I totally let her come back to the game in the second set. I shouldn’t have done that.

“I made some mistakes, as well. But for sure, she used her chance.”

Putintseva was also frosty when quizzed on her relationship with her Swiatek.

“No, I don’t know her. She never, at least what I see, she always like in her zone with her team,” she said.

“She don’t talk much to anyone. I mean, I’m not entering that bubble.”

Unlike Swiatek, Putintseva has adapted well to grass and won on the surface in Birmingham just before Wimbledon.

“It just clicked. At some point I was playing fearless,” she said.

“I have nothing to lose, just go for it. She didn’t lose it. I took it.”