ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2022

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/D. Kovinic

6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Probably the toughest opponent you have faced so far at the tournament. You're through in three sets. How was Danka to play against today?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure I felt like she used my power in some moments so I had to adjust a little bit more to what she was playing, and for sure played a little bit more smart.

I changed the tactics in second set a little bit to play less risky, but then I did some mistakes. I lost my breaks. I'm not perfectly happy with that, but overall I'm happy with the performance, and that I came back in the second set.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Everyone keeps reminding you that it is a long time since you lost. I'd like to know, do you think you play your best tennis when you feel like you have everything to lose or when you feel you have nothing to lose?

IGA SWIATEK: For sure nothing to lose. It's been always like that. I feel like every person basically is playing better when they feel like they have nothing to lose.

I mean, from my point of view, I don't really mind the streak. I'm just playing my tennis. I gain so much points this season already that I try to look at it from that perspective that I actually have nothing to lose here.

Q. You just talked about trying to change your tactics in the middle of the match. Curious how that aspect of your game has developed from when you were younger to now and just identifying when you need to change and continue...

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, well, for sure it changed because I remember my first year on WTA. I mean, I did feel like I have match options, you know, so right now I have them, for sure. I feel like I have much more variety and that's great and that's something that really helped me to gain more confidence, you know.

So it has changed, for sure, but, you know, just also the experience and knowing which solution is the better one for specific situation. It's also pretty cool to have.

Q. With three games left, you put on a jumper. Was that just because you were cold? Or did it serve as a reset mechanism, as well?

IGA SWIATEK: It was cold. Yeah, I thought -- I mean, these are superstitions, so I don't really believe in that. But I have seen sometimes when people were changing their outfits in between sets and they suddenly came back.

I don't know if that has something to do with the level of the game, but, yeah, it was pretty cold and windy.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

IGA SWIATEK: One more time?

Q. (Question off microphone.)

THE MODERATOR: The question was: Had you seen anyone do this before?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, I know that in Guadalajara, Aryna changed outfits when she was playing against me, and she won the next set. So I didn't know if the outfit won for Aryna but she was still playing good tennis.

Some players are doing that, yeah.

Q. You have been winning so easily. Was it a little bit of a shock when all of a sudden you were in a battle there in the second set?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, for sure, the matches that I played here have been -- I feel like I was dominating, and today maybe at some point I wasn't during the match. So it wasn't surprising, it wasn't like weird, but for sure it took me longer time to kind of come back. That's why I think I lost these two service games.

But overall, you know, I had many tight matches in Stuttgart... I'm thinking about Rome. Yeah, against Bianca. Yeah, I was missing that.

It's not that I forgot how to play these kinds of sets. So it's okay.

Q. In the past you have spoken and shared a little bit about what you have been reading. Could you just give us an update and some comments?

IGA SWIATEK: So I was reading -- I finished, like, few days ago, "21 Lessons for 21st Century." And then I read "Murder on the Orient Express" in like two days. And now "Three Musketeers."

Q. What did you take away from "21 Lessons"?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, it was a hard one to digest because it's about basically the purpose of life. I took a lot in terms of like kind of broadening my horizons, because the author really thinks pretty -- oh, my God, how to say in English. He's pretty thoughtful about some things, and he provokes some ideas I didn't even think about. But also kind of typical to, I don't know, what science fiction movies show us.

Yeah, it was pretty nice to educate myself a little bit more. But on the other hand, it was kind of about the future, so you never know what's gonna happen, and these were like his ideas so I don't know how to really trust in that.

But I'm going to read also other book of his, so I'm going to see what I take from those ones as well.

Q. I wanted to ask you about whether you can sense at all from an opponent across the net that maybe they feel like they have to try more than they normally would against you. When I have spoken to some of your opponents who have faced you lately they said with the way you were playing they go into the match aware that maybe they are going to need to do something extra, something special, something different. I'm wondering, can you sense that at all from opponents ever?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't really know exactly, because it's not like I'm playing with the same opponents all the time. So, for example, today, I mean, I wasn't exactly sure how she's playing during a match, because we never played. So I don't know what's extra, you know, for these players.

I mean, for sure I know how Maria plays, Aryna, because I played them last season a couple of times, this season already. So these are matches when I can know a little bit more, but during matches like that, like these first rounds, I don't really know.

But for sure I sometimes feel like they are going all in, you know.

Q. Is it nice to know that they say they go into a match worried about coming up with something special or different because of how well you have been playing?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, I also worked on that to put more pressure on my opponents, so I'm pretty glad that I earned this kind of position. I want to really use it in a proper way.

Q. Today's Champions League final. Do you want to go? Are you going to visit it?

IGA SWIATEK: I was thinking about it. I really wanted to go, because I have never actually saw a football match in a good level. Yeah.

(Joke off microphone.)

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, basically I really wanted, but it was actually possible for me, but I'm not that sure like yet if it's going to interfere with my rhythm and the tournament. So I actually talked with my team about it yesterday that maybe in like two, three years, I'm going to be able to go in like some exciting events during and I'm still going to be able to focus.

But for now it's still pretty tricky for me, so I decided it's better to keep the routines.

Q. About Robert Lewandowski. You know he actually took a leadership in terms of supporting Ukraine in football. You are obviously take this place in tennis. Have you communicated with him about this or...

IGA SWIATEK: Well, honestly, not really. I didn't see a lot in terms of that. That's probably my fault, because I'm not browsing through Internet during tournaments. My schedule has been pretty busy. I was more reading about all the transfer rumors. I was reading more about that. But still, I don't know anything more. I just know the rumors.

And about the Ukrainian matter, I didn't really see a lot in terms of what he said, but I'm pretty happy that he's taking a proper stand.

Q. While we are on the topic of football, you wrote on the lens of the camera on the way off, "Real Madrid or Liverpool." Why did you think to write that on the camera and who are you supporting?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't know. I just feel this whole day in the back of my mind we have that there is a final out there. Just curious what people are going to say, how they are going to answer.

I don't know honestly who is going to win and I'm not cheering for anybody because I'm not that -- I'm not like a football fan. I'm not watching a lot. I watched Euro 2020 and the previous ones. But Champions League, it's not like I'm following, so I don't really know and I don't want to just shoot at one team because it's a final. They are both pretty good.

Part of my team is Real Madrid fans... I mean, I'm honest. Part of my team is Barcelona fans. So I don't know if they want Real to win or not. And I'm split, because usually I would go for what they are cheering for, but if they are split, I'm split as well.

Q. Briefly on the next match, just wondering how tricky is it, especially round of 16 at a major to face somebody that you haven't faced before? I don't even know how familiar you are with Zheng Qinwen and how she plays.

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, I'm not really familiar, honestly. Because I didn't watch a lot of tennis during past couple of months, but I have heard some other players talking about her. I'm sure that she's, you know, she's in the right place for her to be, because she's playing really well.

Even when she lost some matches, people were really telling that she has a talent. But I didn't really watch a lot, so I'm not like tactically ready. For now I'm going to prepare, for sure.

What's the score, anyway? Oh, she already won? Oh, okay. So we will see. My coach are going to help me for sure in terms of tactics.

Q. There has been a lot of talk obviously about your winning streak and the way things are going. I think the other day you were suggesting that you are preparing yourself for the day that there is a loss. When you get into a situation like the second set today and you haven't lost a set since the semis of Stuttgart, do any of those thoughts come into your mind? If not, how do you avoid that?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, they do, but I just try to focus on the stuff that actually is going to give me something. Thinking about all these stats, it's not really helpful.

So basically I try to be really strict in terms of my thoughts and try to really focus on some solutions and finding solutions. And, yeah, the thoughts are there, but I'm accepting that, and it's kind of the biggest part of the job is to manage them properly and to really shift the focus on the right things.

So, yeah, so I think I did that pretty well, but they are there.