James Wilson 
Andrea Petkovic has expressed skepticism about Iga Swiatek’s chances of making a significant breakthrough at the 2025 Australian Open, citing recent developments in the Polish player’s career. Despite being a five-time Grand Slam champion, Swiatek has struggled in Melbourne, with only one semifinal appearance in six tournaments.
Last year, the world No. 2 faced a surprising third-round exit at the hands of Linda Noskova, further complicating her Australian Open history.
As the upcoming tournament approaches, Swiatek is coming off a one-month doping ban, which she described as one of the toughest challenges of her life, severely affecting her mental health and well-being. Petkovic, recognizing Swiatek’s sensitivity to external pressures, believes it may take time for the former world No. 1 to regain her best form in 2025.
“I just think that with her personality and her anxiousness, there might be some residue in the first month,” Petkovic said during an appearance on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast. “I just don’t know if she can perform at her best right away on a surface that traditionally doesn’t suit her well, especially with everything that happened at the end of the season.”
However, Petkovic remains optimistic about Swiatek’s long-term potential. “Once she shakes it off, I think she will start playing really well again. I believe she will be even better in 2025 than she was this year.”
In October, Swiatek made a significant coaching change, bringing in Wim Fissette to replace Tomasz Wiktorowski. Fissette has indicated that one of his primary goals will be to enhance Swiatek’s performance on surfaces other than clay.
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