A Lead That Should Never Be Lost
Iga Swiatek's US Open campaign ended in one of the most baffling collapses seen in recent major tournament history. The former world number one stormed to a 5-0 advantage in the opening set against China's Zheng Qinwen, only to lose the set 7-5 and then drop the second 6-3, exiting in tears. For John McEnroe, who was covering the match as a Eurosport analyst, the result defied any straightforward explanation. He called the loss "shocking" and admitted he was at a loss to describe how a player of Swiatek's caliber allowed such a commanding position to evaporate. McEnroe noted that Zheng deserves genuine credit as a former top-four player, but still insisted that no player at this level should surrender a set from that kind of lead. His view is that losing the first set in such dramatic fashion can shatter a player's confidence and mindset, regardless of their ranking or experience.
Coaching Questions and a Path Forward
The defeat quickly sparked debate about Swiatek's coaching setup with Francisco Roig, but McEnroe pushed back firmly on that narrative. In his assessment, the collapse was entirely on the player in that moment, not the coaching team. He praised Roig as a respected figure who has been guiding Swiatek to play the aggressive baseline style that fueled her multiple French Open titles. McEnroe also pointed to Swiatek's strong performances in Canada and Cincinnati leading up to the US Open as evidence that the coaching partnership was heading in a positive direction. He urged patience rather than hasty changes, noting that Swiatek's trajectory had looked promising before this heartbreaking result. It remains to be seen how she responds heading into the Asian hard-court swing. TennisDraw users had Swiatek listed among the top favorites to reach the final before her stunning early exit.
