WTA No.2 ranked Tennis star Iga Swiatek took out her frustration by slamming a towel repeatedly down on the ground following a defeat to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the Indian Wells 2026 quarter-finals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California. In a video going viral on social media, the Polish’s performance left her infuriated and took it out on the towel.
Iga Swiatek’s inconsistency costs her a spot in the next stage
In what was a shocking loss to the ninth ranked Ukranian Elina Svitolina, Siwatek struggled as inconsistency crept up, headlined by eight double faults. By contrast, Svitolina maintained her composure to take advantage of her opponent’s inconsistency. It was particularly important in the third set after the Polish bounced back well from a defeat in the opening set. By advancing to the semi-finals, Svitolina has reached The Indian Wells semi-finals for the first time since 2019. Svitolina broke the 24-year-old’s serve to go ahead by 5-4 lead, followed by clinching a point by unleashing a forehand volley.
Below is the video of Swiatek taking out her anger:
Też bym się wściekała więc frustracja Igi wcale mnie nie dziwi..
🎥Canal+Sport2 pic.twitter.com/sW5N5Ktfj3— Ania (@eni_87ch) March 13, 2026
She will lock horns against Elena Rybakina in the semi-final. As for Swiatek, her torrid season after being eliminated in the quarter-final as well of both the Australian Open and Qatar Open.
“She was definitely more confident and played more bravely” – Aryna Sabalenka
Russian Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, who holds the No.1 ranking, preveailed over 19-year-old Victoria Mboko in a straight set but it was a seemingly tough battle. Sabalenka praised her opposition and said, as quoted by News18:
“It was a tough battle today. I’m super happy with my performance and the level I played at during key moments in each set. I think she was serving much better than in our match in Australia. She was definitely more confident and played more bravely.”
The World No.1 will face Linda Noskova in the semi-final, hoping to finally clinch the Indian Wells title. Sabalenka had reached the finals of the Indian Wells before but lost. Hence, she will hope to cross the finish line this time.
Also Read: IPL 2026: BCCI Issues Strict Directives For All 10 Teams On Pitch Usage And Ground Allocation
