Jimmy Connors has urged Iga Swiatek to block out “outside” criticism and voices amid a recent dip in the Pole’s form.
Swiatek has fallen to world No 7 in the WTA Rankings after her semi-final exit at the French Open, her lowest ranking in over three years.
The Pole had won three straight titles – and 26 straight matches – at Roland Garros before her three-set defeat to Aryna Sabalenka, extending her title drought.
The former world No 1 has not won a title, or even reached a final, since her triumph at the 2024 French Open, and has already recorded more defeats in 2025 than she did throughout 2024.
Swiatek has amassed a 32-10 record for the season, and her struggle to find consistent form has been among the biggest talking points on the WTA Tour in recent months.
Many have questioned whether the five-time Grand Slam champion needs to make wholesale changes to her game or potentially make changes within her team.
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However, the 24-year-old has now been given advice by tennis legend Connors.
Speaking on his podcast Advantage Connors, the former ATP world No 1 urged Swiatek to ignore outside talk and criticism, and instead focus on herself.
“She needs to not listen to anybody now, the outside criticism, the outside voices who think they know,” said Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam champion.
“She has got to stay within herself and her team and work this out. Everybody goes through that, all the players, no matter who.
“You go through, your game has fallen off, you can’t compete anymore, you were the best at one time, past tense.
“She has got a clear mind from all of that too, and [then] do whatever it takes to take care of herself to get her game and her mind back to being number one.
“Once you taste that, being No 1, you never lose that flavour.”
Swiatek is currently set to return to action at the Bad Homburg Open, which takes place in the week before Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the year.
The Pole previously played at the WTA 500 event back in 2023, reaching the semi-final before withdrawing due to illness.
Grass has traditionally been a surface on which Swiatek has struggled more than clay and hard, with the Pole having never made it past the quarter-final stage at Wimbledon.
Swiatek is currently in line to be the seventh seed at the All England Club, dependent on any movements in the WTA Rankings over the next two weeks.
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