ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2021

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/R. Peterson

6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Very different situation than your first-round match against Kaja. Just wondering how you thought you brought it forward. Did you like your performance tonight a little bit more than what you got out of the first match?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, obviously the score says that it was pretty easy, and it wasn't because she was playing really nice balls with good rhythm. But actually, from the beginning, I felt like I had a good day today since I woke up, so I knew that, you know, I'm going to be in the right mood. I just kept that.

You know, I did my routines before the match. Then when I was on the court, I just felt the ball perfectly. I felt like I could do anything with it. So I'm pretty happy that I had this, you know, this attitude right now.

But with Kaja, yeah, in the second set I kind of lost my focus for a bit, and she used that. I backed out, and I didn't want to, you know, do that again. So I learned from that. Today was a day I was consistent till the end.

Q. You seem to be much more relaxed here than you were in Australia and I'm curious if there is anything you have done over the last month or two in sort of preparing yourself for this Grand Slam as opposed to the last one, which was your first Grand Slam after being a Grand Slam champion.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I mean, the thing you said, the last thing you said, probably that's the reason for that, because on the Australian Open I didn't actually know how I'm going to react to my new situation. Yeah, that's why I didn't know what to expect for a little bit, and I was more nervous and more stressed.

Here, you know, I already won two titles, so I feel like I don't have to, you know, count every point to keep my ranking high. So I just realize that I can actually play without any expectations, because there are, you know, many stories when after going to a tournament as a defending champion players have some issues.

So I just told myself, Hey, there may be a situation that you're not gonna play as well as you did last couple of years in Paris, so just, you know, relax and we're gonna see what's gonna happen.

So I tried to approach the situation in different way. I think it's working.

Q. I just wanted to know if you could talk a bit about in a dominant score line like that when you win, somebody watching from home will say, That was easy. You said it wasn't. How much of it is a mental challenge to keep your focus to get that kind of a score? How much of it is to just dominate with your game, would you say?

IGA SWIATEK: You know, usually it's harder to keep your focus when you're actually leading like that, because, you know, your mind can fly away and you can think, oh, I won the first set like that, probably I would win second, the same score. But usually it's not a good way to approach stuff.

So, yeah, that's why it's harder for me to stay in the rhythm and stay focused. That's actually what happened maybe a little bit with Kaja, because I took for granted that I'm playing great, and the second set is gonna be the same as the first one.

It's not how things works, and that's basically one of the part why it's harder. But obviously when you're winning a set like that you have the advantage, and you have that flow. You know that your opponent probably is looking for some different options.

Yeah, I mean, you have advantage for sure, but you have to always be aware that this can change.

Q. Wonder if you could talk a little bit about the dropshot. You only used it maybe seven times tonight but very effectively. How, in your opinion, does it help you win a match or change the tone of a match?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think I can actually -- like, I don't know if that's what happen, because I didn't talk to Rebecca, but I can actually confuse players with that because they are, like, backing out because I play really strong topspin and really heavy balls.

So they are kind of staying -- they are not staying close to the baseline. They're like waiting for the ball to drop. I can use dropshots and, you know, surprise them because they are not, like, ready to go forward.

Yeah, I think it's just a good weapon. You just have to, you know, choose the right moment.

I had times when I didn't do that. I remember on US Open last year against Vika Azarenka, I played, I don't know, like so many bad dropshots. She was just coming in and finishing it (smiling).

So the right momentum is the most important thing.

Q. You're the defending champion, and you won in Rome playing very well. But the No. 1 seed is out with an injury. No. 2 seed is gone. How do you manage that mentally when you see or notice that? Or that's not something you think about at all?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't think about it. You know, we see that so many players can win a Grand Slam, not having so much experience. I had that situation. Many young players are actually, you know, winning and taking the confidence from every match, and actually, you know, getting more experienced in a tournament.

You know, I don't care that many seeds have pulled out or already lost. I'm just, you know, focusing on my next round. Actually, I'm gonna play against Anett Kontaveit. She's, like, super experienced. I already lost against her two times. So it's going to be a tough match.

I'm just looking on that. We're going to see what's gonna happen later in the tournament, but I'm just looking at my next match.

Q. You talk about routines and sticking to your routines and how important those are. What are your routines in Paris, if you can give us some sort of insight? And how much do routines change from tournament to tournament because, you know, new city, new hotel, new sights? How much can you actually maintain routines?

IGA SWIATEK: This time is different because Daria can't go to the stadium, and usually I was spending time with her. Also with the boys, but they are usually just, you know, on YouTube or something. We were playing games with Daria.

Right now I'm still finding my routines, because in the second week she's gonna come, it's gonna be able for us for her to come here.

Yeah, right now I'm just doing the same stuff I did but on my own, so it's not that fun. Yeah, I'm, like, playing games and I have talk with Piotr about tactics and stuff. Then I'm having warmup and I'm ready. It's basically the same as in every tournament.

But right now it's better because I know some places here when I can actually rest, and there is, you know, and they are quiet because first two years I was, like, confused. I didn't know where to go. Right now I feel like home (smiling). Yeah.