AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2022

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/R. Peterson

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Talk us through the match, what was working for you, what was the key to today.

IGA SWIATEK: Just starting the match with a confidence was pretty important for me. I felt like I was dominating from the beginning. After getting few breaks, it was much, much easier to go forward.

Yeah, that was the key basically.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is something that you have read recently, a book or anything, that has had a bit of an impact on you, even if it's not recently?

IGA SWIATEK: Since US Open, I mean, I've read 'Gone with the Wind' and I cried a lot so it had a lot of impact on my emotional being (smiling).

After that I've read 'Little Life'. I don't know if you know this one. It's kind of hard book, I mean, kind of heavy because the topics are heavy. It had a lot of impact because it was heavy.

I mean, I don't want to say a lot because it's going to spoil it if somebody wants to read it. Yeah, this book was really, like -- because I like to read some easy stuff so I can rest, but this one was an exception and I really liked it, so yeah.

Should I say more?

Q. Up to you.

IGA SWIATEK: It's okay, I mean, yeah. I don't want to spoil it.

Q. Did you have a plan today? How did you analyze Rebecca before the match and did the plan work, if she played exactly the way you thought she would?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, I played against her on French Open this year, last year, so I kind of knew her game style. But for sure playing on hard courts is a little bit different. My coach watched her matches and basically we knew the basic stuff about her game.

I always know that it can change during the match, so basically I was ready for everything. But I knew she's going to play probably heavy forehand, a lot of topspin. I didn't want to let her play her game on the forehand, so basically I knew that if we were going to, for example, play backhand cross-court, I'm going to have more advantage. Going forehand on forehand it may be pretty equal. I just knew this kind of stuff.

But my coach wanted me to kind of have a game plan on every point, so we weren't talking really specifically about every aspect of the game. It was more like overall idea.

Q. When you set out to play a player and you know the matchup is going to be against somebody who maybe doesn't hit as big as you but is a power player compared to players that are going to grind, how different is your mentality going into those different types of matchups? Do you make a lot of adjustments by matchup?

IGA SWIATEK: My mindset is pretty the same because I like to treat every match the same way. I mean, I don't change my attitude toward the match because of that. It's more like I change my game sometimes or maybe the way I want to build the rally up. My mindset on this part of work that I do before the match is the same.

Maybe sometimes I'm just, like, more ready for longer match and for a really long fight. For example, I don't know, on US Open maybe before my match good Anett, I was ready for a long match. You never know how it's going to turn out, but you kind of feel that, hey, this one is going to be really tough.

So maybe this is just like a feeling, but I want to be ready for every match the same way.

Q. With the level that you played in Adelaide and now, is it safe to say this is the best start of the season level-wise for you in your career?

IGA SWIATEK: I wouldn't say so because I also had good starts when I was -- good start when I was younger, few years ago. Obviously I was on different level. I've never had a problem with, like, starting the season well.

Maybe next time it's going to give me more confidence because for a few years now I did really well, maybe except last year. Last year was pretty special for me because that was the first tournament after Roland Garros.

Yeah, I mean, I feel more fresh at the beginning. I know I keep repeating that you have to get into the rhythm, yeah, find that rhythm during the first matches, but I've never had a problem with that. The fact that I'm fresh, it's giving me more than not playing matches.

Q. You'll play either Magda or Daria Kasatkina. Can you talk about what it would feel like to play a fellow Pole?

IGA SWIATEK: It's pretty weird that I haven't played Magda because we've been on tour for some time.

Yeah, it's going to be tough match. It doesn't really matter if I'm going to play against Magda or Daria. They both play great. They both have different styles. For sure I will have to adjust to that. They both can play a great tennis.

Right now I don't really want to think about it because I don't have my tactics ready. I'm just going to be ready for a third round, doesn't really matter for me against who.

Q. Are you watching much tennis on your off days or away from the courts? If so, what has caught your eye?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, I'm not like really focusing on watching matches. It's more like it's on. For example, Rafa's match yesterday was on for, like, three hours, but I was reading a book at the same time.

I mean, I don't know. I mean, if it would be the end of the season, I wouldn't watch tennis, but it's the beginning so I'm kind of curious how the girls are playing at the beginning of the season and how they worked during pre-season because maybe I can see that by watching.

If there was something that surprised me? I mean, for sure when I came off the court today I was kind of surprised by the scores, but I didn't have a chance to watch these matches.

No, I mean, I was just watching Rafa basically, yeah, as usual (smiling).