“You’ll be back stronger”: Casper Ruud sends support to a tearful Iga Swiatek after crushing Madrid semifinal loss

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek endured one of the toughest defeats of her career on Thursday, crashing out of the Madrid Open semifinals in a 6–1, 6–1 loss to Coco Gauff. The match, marked by an uncharacteristically emotional Swiatek and her most lopsided defeat on clay, prompted an outpouring of reaction, including a compassionate message from ATP star Casper Ruud.
Swiatek’s performance was well below her high standards. Trailing 6–1, 3–0, she was caught on camera at a changeover covering her face with a towel, appearing to fight back tears. It was a stark image of vulnerability from the typically composed three-time Roland Garros champion, who has yet to win a title in 2025 and now faces growing questions about her form heading into her favorite Grand Slam.
Her struggles were clear from the first game. Gauff dominated with focus and aggression, breaking Swiatek early and racing through the first set. In the second, things unraveled further for the Pole, both mentally and on court. A frustrated Swiatek was seen shouting toward her player box, prompting the chair umpire to issue a code violation after overhearing the exchange.
This marks the third consecutive loss for Swiatek to Gauff, all in straight sets, and her first time losing a set to the American on clay. Gauff, who had been 1–11 in their previous head-to-head meetings, capitalized on Swiatek’s off-day to deliver a clinical performance.
“I’m proud of the mentality I had through the whole match,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “I think I was aggressive and played with margin. Maybe it wasn’t her best level today, but I think I kind of forced her into some awkward positions. I’m really happy with how I played today.”
Swiatek finished the match with just 7 winners and 21 unforced errors. Her last match against Madison Keys also raised eyebrows after she suffered a rare 6–0 "bagel" set.
As the footage of Swiatek’s emotional moment spread across social media, Casper Ruud, who had just secured his own spot in the Madrid semifinals with a win over Daniil Medvedev posted a heartfelt note to Swiatek on X:
“Hey @iga_swiatek keep your head up 🙏🙏 Like millions of other people I love watching you play. Not your day today, but you inspire so many and you’ll be back stronger than ever!! 😊🤩👏🎾”

Ruud, like Swiatek, has enjoyed deep runs at Roland Garros and has built a reputation for his sportsmanship as much as his consistency on clay. He heads into his next match against Francisco Cerundolo with full momentum, having not dropped a set in Madrid.
“Eight sets played and eight sets won, so I can't ask for anything better, honestly,” Ruud said after his win. “I've been beating some good players, and, yeah, really happy with the game today.”
For Swiatek, all eyes now turn to Paris. As the defending champion and dominant force on clay in recent years, she’ll be looking to regroup quickly. But Thursday’s loss served as a stark reminder that in today’s game, even the most consistent stars are vulnerable.