‘This is the worst nightmare a top tennis player can have’: Iga Swiatek struggles after Miami Open defeat

World No 3 reveals her difficulty in handling the pressure that accompanies her success after second-round loss

In the gloomy surrounds of a makeshift mixed media zone situated inside a dark corridor under the Hard Rock Stadium, Iga Swiatek needed a brief moment to let some of her emotions go before another wave of questions struck her.

An hour earlier, Swiatek had experienced one of her most difficult defeats in years, losing in the second round at the Miami Open against her compatriot Magda Linette in a messy three-set affair. Between the Polish and English sections of her post-match media duties, Swiatek retreated to a corner of the room and, with her back to her audience, she wiped tears from her eyes.