LONDON—Even the world’s best players are not immune to crippling nerves as Iga Swiatek discovered when her Wimbledon dreams were turned to dust in a 7–5, 6–7(5), 6–2 quarter-final defeat by Ukrainian wildcard Elina Svitolina on Tuesday. Svitolina, who returned to the tour in April after giving birth to her daughter last October, might have…

It took World No.1 Iga Swiatek a little time on Monday, June 26, to acclimate to the grass under her feet in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open. But only a set. Swiatek, who won the French Open on the clay courts in Paris earlier this month, won her first grass-court match of…

PARIS—Iga Swiatek suddenly seemed lost in the French Open final. Her strokes were awry. Her confidence was gone. Her big early lead vanished, too. She kept looking up into the stands, seeking guidance from her coach and her sports psychologist. So much was amiss right up until she was two games from defeat against unseeded…

ROME—Novak Djokovic was tested by 61st-ranked Tomas Martin Etcheverry in a 7–6 (5), 6–2 opening win at the Italian Open on Friday. Aiming for a seventh title on the red clay of the Foro Italico as he prepares for the French Open, Djokovic twice had to recover from deficits during a tight first set. Djokovic…

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—Elena Rybakina fired seven aces in routing top-ranked Iga Swiatek 6–2, 6–2 on Friday to advance to the BNP Paribas Open final. “I’m pretty sad that I lost,” Swiatek said. Rybakina will play second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Maria Sakkari 6–2, 6–3, in Sunday’s final in the Southern California desert. “It’s going to…

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—Top-ranked Iga Swiatek breezed past Sorana Cirstea 6–2, 6–3 to reach the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. Swiatek, the defending champion, took a 4–0 lead in the second set and converted her second match point to close it out. “I’m happy that I played so intense that I could start…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Top-ranked Iga Swiatek stayed undefeated against Coco Gauff, beating the American teenager 6–4, 6–2 to reach the final at the Dubai Championships on Friday. The three-time Grand Slam champion improved to 6–0 against the 18-year-old Gauff, and each victory has been in straight sets. The Pole beat Gauff in last year’s French…

MELBOURNE, Australia—It all came so seemingly easy for Iga Swiatek last season—two Grand Slam trophies, eight titles overall, a 37-match winning streak, a lengthy stay at No. 1 in the rankings. Those accomplishments made everyone else expect constant greatness from Swiatek, which she can’t do anything about. They also changed the way she approached big…