A painful departure: Iga Świątek just announce resignation departure to…

Last month, Swiatek won her fourth French Open and fifth Grand Slam championship; nevertheless, by the time she got to the All England Club, she was feeling the effects of her clay-court victory.

Iga Swiatek, the weary world number one, conceded that she was struggling at Wimbledon after losing shockingly in the third round to Yulia Putintseva on Saturday.

The Russian-born Kazakh Putintseva stunned the top seed on Court One by fighting her way to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 triumph. This ended the top seed’s 21-match winning streak.

Last month, Swiatek won her fourth French Open and fifth Grand Slam championship; nevertheless, by the time she got to the All England Club, she was feeling the effects of her clay-court victory.

The Polish player, who has never advanced past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, failed to muster the energy needed to defeat the fierce Putintseva.

For sure, I felt like my energy level went down little bit in the second set. I couldn’t really get back up,” she said.

“My tank of really pushing myself to the limits became suddenly empty. I was kind of surprised. But I know what I did wrong after Roland Garros. I didn’t really rest properly.

“I’m not going to make this mistake again. After such a tough clay court season, I really must have my recovery.

“I need to recover better after the clay court season, both physically and mentally. Maybe next year I’m going to take a vacation and literally just do nothing.”

Swiatek, a four-time French Open winner, has never thrived on the All England Club grass.

Asked to explain her struggles in south-west London, she said: “Actually, this part of the season is not easy because we’re switching surfaces.

“For me going from this kind of tennis where I felt like I’m playing the best tennis in my life to another surface where I kind of struggle a little bit more, it’s not easy.”

Losing to the diminutive Putintseva was especially painful after their clash at Indian Wells earlier this year.