ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2022

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/J. Pegula

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Iga, can you start by giving us some thoughts on today's match?

IGA SWIATEK: Well for sure I think it was my most solid match here, so I'm pretty happy with the performance. And from A to Z I was the pretty focused and I didn't let Jessica come back in those sets and I'm pretty happy.

Q. After previous match you said that tough matches like that are sometimes needed for you as a cold shower and did that cold shower help you to be so fresh today?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I think so. You could see that because I think that was, my performance was more solid and I didn't, you know, let go of anything. I was really focused.

So it really helped me the last match to kind of remind me what I have to do to make my tennis more efficient.

Q. I wanted to ask you about night session scheduling. I know not everyone's been that keen to go out and play those matches because they have been quite cold. But when Amelie was asked about it, Amelie Mauresmo, today she said that the reason it had been I think nine men's matches and one women's is because the men's matches had more appeal and I just wondered if you had any views on that comment or whether it was disappointing?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, it is a little bit disappointing and surprising because she was also in WTA. But, well, the thing is, from my point of view, for every player it's more convenient to play at normal hour, but for sure I want to entertain and I also want to show my best tennis on every match.

So for me I'm always focused the same way when I'm going out. It doesn't matter if it's day session or night sessions. But, yeah, it is a little bit disappointing.

But, hmm, but it's always, you know, their decision and we kind of have to accept that. But, yeah, I want my tennis to be entertainment as well and I always said that and on my toughest moments I always remember that I also play for people.

So I think it's kind of personal opinion of every person if they like men's tennis or women's tennis more or if they like them equally, but I think women's tennis has a lot of advantages. And some may say that this, you know, it's unpredictable and girls are not, you know, consistent. But on the other hand it may also be something that is really appealing and it may really attract more people. So it depends, you know, on personal views of some people.

Q. Belated happy birthday.

IGA SWIATEK: Thank you.

Q. Firstly, are you sure now how old you are, because I know at the end of the match it was a bit confusing for you.

IGA SWIATEK: It was.

Q. Secondly, what do you think you've learned most about your self in the last year?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, I learned a lot, but for sure I kind of felt like the sky's the limit for me, so I feel more free right now, I feel like I've proven myself.

So, yeah, a lot has changed in my mind and for sure I also realize that I can actually be No. 1 and really cope with it properly. So that's pretty cool.

Yeah, I was a little bit confused, I forget what year was that, so, yeah, I mean, it happens, so it's so much already that the numbers are big (laughing).

Q. Imagine what it will be like when you get to our age trying to remember. I wanted to ask you two things, one more of a general question about, after what was a very tight back and forth start you were able to sort of take control and go on a long run there in the middle of the match and if there was something that you could point to that you thought made the difference there in being able to elevate in that stretch. And then I wanted to ask about one specific point at 3-All, when you broke her, Jessica hit a dropshot, you got there, you responded with what was a winner. I'm wondering, TV replay showed that it bounced twice before your racquet got to it, I'm wondering, did you have any idea in the moment that that had happened and have you seen it and what your thoughts are on that?

IGA SWIATEK: Well the thing is that I'm trying to get to every ball basically and, yeah, I mean, if it was two bounces then I'm sorry. But at that point I was so focused to just get to the ball and to win the point that it is like, yeah, I just went forward, you know.

So, yeah, it's kind of these moments are pretty tricky because it's all on the umpire. But if it was two bounces then I'm sorry, I was just too focused to win the point.

And basically, yeah, I think what's made the difference in those sets was I think my consistency on backhand side because she was playing really well balls and sometimes I was making mistakes. But I feel like I was playing more solid at the end of the sets, so I could really push her even more.

Q. Going to your next match, could you just talk a bit about your next two possibly opponents for the semifinals.

IGA SWIATEK: What do you mean two possibly opponents?

Q. Like who you face next.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, but I'm going to play Daria Kasatkina.

Q. I'm talking about the other one. Looking forward to the opposite match.

IGA SWIATEK: I'm not even thinking about that, honestly, I'm just thinking about the next one. So, yeah, I mean, I played against Daria like three times already this season and every match is a different story, so I kind of want to start from the beginning and maybe take advantage of what I know about her game. But not really, you know, become too confident because you have to really stay focused and be ready for anything. And I know that she's playing a little bit differently on clay court so I have to also adjust to that.

But my main key for me is to just play my tennis and play aggressively and try to dominate from the beginning.

Q. Your last round opponent, Qinwen Zheng, explained the reason for her pain against you was, "girls problems" and said on her first day she always has a lot of pain. I remember you spoke about period and PMS problems at the WTA Finals. Just if you want to give a bigger picture how important it is for you that female players can speak about that topic if they want to and how much of a problem it is for a pro tennis player, female.

IGA SWIATEK: I think at the beginning of the careers it's sometimes very tricky to manage that properly. But when you get the experience and actually find some solutions that may help you it's easier later.

I think we have pretty comfortable situation because, like the health care and technology, I mean the medicine technology went up, I think the level went up, so it's probably easier for us to choose the proper solution sometimes than it was like 15 years ago and it's more healthy.

So, yeah, I mean it happens. I also had, I mean, I had more problem with PMS, so, yeah. But I think she has to just find a way to deal with that so it's not going to influence her performance. But, yeah, it's normal.

And I think for every, each of us it's kind of, that you don't have to speak about it, but it's pretty nice that they're doing that because we are facing those problems. And it's cool that she's honest, but it's up to every player if they want to talk about that or not.

Q. Curious, with the fact that you won here before, but it was such a different situation when you won here before, in 2020. Do you flash back much at all to that victory as you're walking around the grounds or as you're playing your matches and does it help you in any sense?

IGA SWIATEK: Not really, because I feel like the conditions are totally different. And also these two weeks were so weird for me that it wasn't like a, you know, normal tournament, honestly.

I had, you know, really tough time before the tournament which led to some changes that actually led to winning. But this year it's a little bit different because I'm not an underdog and everything has changed, honestly. So I'm not really coming back to that.

For sure I know that I can play good on clay court, but sometimes it's, if you are going to process it the wrong way it may really push you down a little bit because expectations are very high. So I'm not really coming back to that.

Q. A little earlier you said that you feel more free now. Just talk about that. That must be a wonderful feeling. How did you gain that, does that, is that, does that mean day-to-day, do you feel that in your strokes, could you talk about that?

IGA SWIATEK: I for sure felt more free on all the WTA tournaments that I played because I felt like I already had so much points that I don't have to defend anything and I'm leading, so if I'm going to even lose and have some bad matches that it's like, you know, I'm going to suddenly drop in rankings and it's not going to, you know, change a lot.

So I also, you know, learned how to use my potential a little bit better, so in that way I feel more free. But I mean, this tournament, it's a Grand Slam, so it's tough. So I think only underdogs can feel more free on Grand Slams.

But on the other hand I'm also learning how to deal with the pressure and expectations and I think I'm doing a good job. So when I actually go over the, that stage when I'm learning and when I actually do that job to get rid of that, then I feel more free. And today for sure it was a more solid performance for me and I could be more focused. So I felt much more free than on my previous rounds.

Q. It's your third major semifinal and I'm curious how different this one feels from January or from two years ago?

IGA SWIATEK: Hmm, well, this time I feel like I'm in the right place and that place that I kind of worked for really hard.

And on hard court this year it was all kind of, hmm, it was all kind of new for me and I really didn't expect to be, myself to be in the semifinal.

Here, I mean, I kind of, it's not like I expected that, but for sure I felt the pressure and that, you know, in my mind I wanted to do better than last year.

So I'm even more proud of myself that I could cope with that and really push myself to not think about that and to just focus on tennis.

So this is a little bit different, yeah, but still being in the semifinal it's a new experience because it didn't happen very often and, yeah, I hope I'm going to use my chance.

Q. You touched on looking ahead to the next match. You also said that you played her three times this year. Did the matches from earlier this year mean anything going into this one, because obviously those three were all on hard court and different environments compared to here. But will they have any effect on how you approach this one?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I want to use the experience that I have and also I know her game style pretty well and I know how her strokes how I feel them on my racquet, so that's pretty positive.

But I don't really want to become overconfident. I don't think it's going to happen because still it's semifinal of a Grand Slam and she really deserves with her game to be here. Because I feel like she's playing even more solid than she was and she already played really solid.

So, yeah, I mean I'm going to prepare as to any other match and for sure I'm going to use the experience, but I don't really want to come back to those matches because they were on hard court and it was a different time for me.

Q. Same topic, facing Daria Kasatkina, do you feel like she will be a much more dangerous opponent for you, given that it is on clay and that it seems to be her best surface, with all her variety and whatnot?

IGA SWIATEK: It's also, I feel like it's also my best surface, so maybe it's going to be even. But I'm not really thinking about that yet.

For sure tactically I want to be prepared, but I want to, I know if I'm going to have a good mindset and really be focused and just be focused from A to Z, like today, not like on previous match, I know I can do a lot on court and I know that I have many options and I am pretty sure that I can cope with some problems that I'm going to have on the court.

But yeah, but I feel like any player is dangerous at that point, so I really want to prepare as it would be any other match, yeah.