QUEEN OF CLAY INCONSOLABLE AFTER SIX-YEAR LOW; RUUD 'SOUGHT HELP' FOR MENTAL HEALTH

It's been a rough few months for the five-time major winner. (Getty/Jose Breton)

World No.2 Iga Świątek received a dose of her own medicine following her eyebrow-raising defeat at the Madrid Open.

A four-time French Open winner and defending champion in the Spanish capital, Świątek managed to win two games against Coco Gauff, suffering a 6-1 6-1 loss at the semi-final stage.

The 23-year-old Pole last won fewer than three games in a match six years ago against Jeļena Ostapenko.

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But it was midway through the second set that had fans concerned for Świątek at the change of ends when she placed a towel over her head to hide a stream of tears.

"I couldn’t really get my level up. Coco played good, but, yeah, I think it’s on me that I didn’t really move well," said Świątek.

"With that kind of game, it was pretty bad. I think I pushed kind of with my head for more than I even should, tennis-wise. Today, for sure, everything kind of collapsed."

For Gauff, the comprehensive victory marked only her fourth win over Świątek in 15 attempts, as she prepares to face Aryna Sabalenka in the decider.

Earlier in the day, three-time Slam finalist Casper Ruud got over the line for the first time against Daniil Medvedev, booking his spot in the semi-finals.

The Norwegian star has yet to claim a title in 2025, and he was honest about his recent struggles with mental health that have played a part in falling out of love with the sport at times.

"I prefer not to go into too many details because I’ve been kind of feeling not great mentally this year," Ruud shared.

"I’ve sought help, which has really worked for me, and I’ve been feeling a quick response and feeling a lot better. So, that’s really helped, to have someone to talk to about certain things.

"It’s a tough life in many ways, with a lot of travel days, and it just got to a point where it felt like it was getting to be too much."

Refusing to fight his battle alone, the 26-year-old is thankfully back on the right track thanks to priceless support behind the scenes.

"I feel like I’m waking up every day with a smile on my face, so I’m happy that I was honest with myself and felt like I needed some help, and it’s been paying off quite quickly," he said. "Mentally, I really feel like I’m in a better place this week than last week, and definitely more so than two or three weeks ago."

20th seed Francisco Cerúndolo awaits in the last-four, who has won the equal-most matches on tour this season (25) alongside Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur.

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