AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 13, 2021

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/F. Ferro

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just talk us through the match today. A good start by you. How did you feel like it went? Are you finding some good form, do you think?

IGA SWIATEK: I felt pretty good. It was a little bit tricky because playing at that hour can be tough.

I felt that I had a lot of energy at the beginning of the first set and suddenly less energy (smiling). So I had to, like, be pumped and, like, you know, enjoy every winning point and get the energy from that.

So I think I did that pretty well, but it was tough. She was also playing great, so, yeah.

Q. You haven't dropped a set, and it looks like you, I don't know, have gotten really comfortable. I know you're maybe concerned about how you would handle being a slam champ going into the next slam, but it seems like you are just playing pretty freely?

IGA SWIATEK: That's true. Well, I feel much better than last week. I think last week was kind of the toughest point for me when I was playing with a lot of expectations, and I learned my lessons.

Right now I approach matches differently, and I try to forget that I'm a Grand Slam champion, just focus on being here and playing my game.

Q. You're obviously very comfortable on clay and did so well last year there in Paris, but how do you feel, particularly with the courts being fast here in Melbourne, how are you feeing on this surface?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, pretty good. I always feel good in Melbourne, better actually than in New York. So I'm really happy that I'm in, like, in good shape and I'm ready to perform well.

Well, obviously clay is my favorite surface, but we don't have many clay tournaments in the season so I have to be ready for hard court.

Yeah, I mean, we play so many months on hard court that soon probably it's going to also be my favorite surface.

Q. You talked a little bit on court about setting up the match against Simona and so that's obviously a very big match in the fourth round. In the same half there's also Muguruza versus Osaka and Serena versus Sabalenka. There is a lot of excitement around those three matches. What do you think? Five of them are Grand Slam champions. It's an unbelievable section. What do you...

IGA SWIATEK: Basically I don't think a lot about that. I'm just focusing on the next match.

Honestly, I wasn't even looking at the draw, and I think that's, like, healthy approach because, you know, I'm trying not to have, like, many expectations and focusing only on the next match is really helping with that.

You know, I don't care what's gonna happen in quarterfinal or in semifinal. I'm just gonna play my best against Simona and we're gonna see.

Q. I guess my question wasn't more about who do you think you might play beyond that. It's more like all of these great players who are Grand Slam champions have made it this far. What does it say about the women's game? That's quite an exciting thing for fans. What do you think?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I think it's excited for fans. It depends, you know. We have had so many surprises that it's really nice that we have, like, many solid players right now in the draw.

But from my perspective, you know, I'm just focusing on my game. I'm really happy that they're playing, like, solid, because it's nice to watch some good matches on the TV when I have spare time, but I just focusing on my matches.

Q. Can you tell us about the cat that you drew on the camera lens, what that means?

IGA SWIATEK: You know, that was like the first thing that came to my mind. I was thinking what should I write, like, before the match, but immediately I was, like, okay, you're gonna have a chance to write something if you're gonna win, so focus on that first.

Yeah, I just love cats, and that's, yeah, I don't know. I'm watching cats on Instagram and it's relaxing for me. And, yeah, you know, what more can I say?

Q. Speaking about tonight's match, you know, there was that key game in that first set after she had run off those four games where you were down Love-30 and you were able to pull that out. I'm curious in that moment, what were you telling yourself to kind of get back to where you wanted to be, you know, mentally game-wise to get that back?

IGA SWIATEK: You know, the only thing I was missing I guess was, like, energy and I felt like I'm giving everything to my shots, and they aren't, like, as good as they should be. So I wanted to, you know, to kind of attack and go forward, but also to be more solid. Because she's also that kind of player that can, like, wait for my mistakes, so I was aware of that, and I just wanted to be solid, you know, and use my energy more wisely. If that makes sense.

Q. Then you mentioned that you're not used to playing late matches like this. I believe that one year in Toronto you played late matches, like, with Wozniacki...

IGA SWIATEK: It seems like a lifetime ago.

Q. Agreed. But how different is it for you to play a nighttime match? How much does it disrupt your rhythms, your preparation, all that sort of stuff?

IGA SWIATEK: Basically I really like it. I'm really happy that I got the chance, but it's always different to play a night session at 7:00 p.m. than at 10:00.

So I feel it's, like, a lot of stress for my body, but, you know, we have to get used to that. I'm not, you know, like a superstar I guess to request the hour of my match.

But I hope I'm gonna be there soon (smiling). Yeah, I'm gonna be more comfortable with that, because also I'm gonna get used to night session.

Last night I played night session was basically here. It was mixed doubles, and it's always, you know, different when you play singles. It's more pressure.

And also, I really appreciate that there were a lot of people here in the audience, because they gave me a lot.

Q. There were a lot of Polish fans out there.

IGA SWIATEK: That's true. That was really nice.

Q. Looking ahead specifically to the Halep match, she said, and she's been very open about it, you killed her in Paris, you know, she knows how good you are. She wasn't surprised you won Roland Garros after that. What do you need to do to prepare to go into this match against Simona? And how different do you think it will be that it's on hard court, you know, you've got your revenge, you got that scoreline? How different will this match be?

IGA SWIATEK: That's tough question. I wasn't thinking about that at all, so I'm going to improvise a little bit. Well, I guess she's a great player, and still, even though I won the last match, I feel like I have nothing to lose, because, you know, she's like a champion.

So basically I'm just gonna, you know, do my best and just, you know, work and do everything I can perfectly. I'm not expecting that I'm gonna win or something because I'm playing against Simona.

And I think last match it was great, but I was feeling like perfectly in Paris. So it's gonna be hard to being like the same shape again, so I'm not expecting that I'm gonna win easily. It's going to be a tough match, and I just hope we're gonna play good and longer maybe.

Q. This is more of a lighthearted question. Sunday is Valentine's Day, the holiday of love, of course. What is the role of love in the sport of tennis?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, you know, it depends on, like, individual views. I guess love is important not only in tennis but basically in life.

I feel like I didn't have any time to, I don't know, to focus on that. So, yeah, forever alone.

Sorry, that's not like the perfect answer.