ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2022

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/C. Gauff

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. How does it feel?

IGA SWIATEK: Amazing, honestly. It's so much different than after, you know, 2020 Roland Garros, because right now I feel like I'm more ready to what's coming. I feel more prepared and more, you know, solid, because it was all pretty hectic two years ago. Right now I'm even ready to celebrate a little bit more.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You have this fabulous record in finals over the last year and a half. Is there anything different in how you approach a final to everything else?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I try to treat it as any other match, which is pretty hard and kind of not possible, because there are always going to be like bigger amount of stress, and, I don't know, you have a feeling that the tournament is coming to an end and this is the last match. So it would be nice to just, you know, finish it properly.

But I guess I'm kind of accepting that a little bit more and just, I try to lean on the strengths and the things that I have, you know, better maybe. I'm also aware that my opponents are also going to be stressed. So I try to not panic and just be less stressed than they are (smiling).

Q. What did it feel like when that last point was won? How can you compare it to 2020?

IGA SWIATEK: I think in 2020 the main thing that I felt was confusion, because I have never really believed 100% that I can actually win a Grand Slam.

This time it was, you know, pure work and pure -- I don't know. Just with everything that was going on, I'm also like more aware of how it is to win a Grand Slam and what it takes and how every puzzle has to, you know, come together and basically every aspect of the game has to work.

With that awareness, I was even more happy and even more proud of myself, because in 2020 it was all, I just felt that I'm lucky, you know. This time I felt like I really did the work.

Q. You just used the word "proud," you said you're proud of yourself. There is a lot for you to be proud of right now. I'm wondering, what are you most proud of?

IGA SWIATEK: I think honestly, it may seem pretty weird, but having that 35th win and kind of doing something more than Serena did, it's something special. Because I always wanted to be, I don't know, to have some kind of a record. In tennis it's pretty hard after Serena's career.

So basically that really hit me, you know. Obviously winning a Grand Slam too, but this one was pretty special because I felt like I've done something that nobody ever done, and maybe it's gonna be even more. Yeah, this one was special.

Q. How different was the experience today compared to 2020? I'm thinking more about walking out on court with 15,000 people in the stands as opposed to October 2020 when there were no more than a thousand fans there?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I liked it more, for sure. It was kind of easier to focus, because with the empty, almost-empty stadium, you hear your every thought basically.

Here you can actually lean on the audience, and maybe sometimes if you're a little bit stressed, just let yourself hear all these things and then you're not hearing your own thoughts. So that's pretty nice. I tried to use it that way sometimes.

Also, you know, seeing Polish flags basically and knowing that people are there to support me and they are shouting my name, I mean, it's a great feeling, honestly. It's hard to describe it, but it's really giving much, much more power.

Q. Many congratulations. Another thing that's different from this title to 2020 is the pressure that you have been under with that winning streak and the domination that you came into this tournament with. I know pressure is a privilege but you did say on the court earlier it's been a lot. Now that you have that trophy next to you, can you tell us about how difficult that level of pressure is to deal with.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it is like basically the hardest part of the job, I would say, because you can see on Grand Slams that there are a lot of, you know, surprises. It's not easy to cope with all that different atmosphere and the pressure, because everybody is preparing for the Grand Slam always, you know.

Well, for me, I felt the baggage. The hardest thing is like not letting yourself think about that and overanalyze and not letting yourself think about all the numbers and the odds, you know.

Yeah, I have been doing that for a few months now, and for sure, two weeks here were harder, also because you guys keep reminding me about all this stuff (smiling).

But it's part of the work and I'm getting better and better at it, and that's also something that I'm proud of.

Q. I'm curious, did you know that Robert Lewandowski was in the stands, and what did it mean to you that he was up there?

IGA SWIATEK: I didn't know, and I'm happy about that, because I would get so stressed.

Well, I'm happy that he's here, honestly. I don't know if he's like a huge tennis fan or not. But, yeah, I mean, wow. He's been top athlete in our country for so many years that it still feels, it's hard to believe that he actually came to watch me. I hope he liked it (smiling). I hope he's gonna come back. Yeah, I don't know. Just overwhelmed.

Q. Let me ask you a question. It could be funny. I don't know if you type your family name in Google translator, it appears that Swiatek is -- I don't know how to spell it exactly -- means Christmas.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah.

Q. I don't know if you know that Nadal in Catalan, mother tongue of Rafa, is Christmas also. What do you think about that, about Rafa Nadal, if it's a source of inspiration for you?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, that's a weird question. I just think it's a nice coincidence, that's all. Because nobody really prepared that for us, so nice coincidence, yeah. It's good to have something in common with Rafa.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

IGA SWIATEK: Well, he had many more chances to lose, so I think his stat is much, much better.

Q. Sports stars often use a platform to speak out about important issues, but it feels like Gen Z are even more willing to do it. What you said today about Ukraine and Coco in the past, is that something you feel? Do you feel more athletes of your generation are more willing to speak out?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think it's like an individual choice. And, you know, I wasn't -- I'm also not feeling comfortable with talking about every kind of popular topic, you know.

But this one, it really, it was really emotional for me, and still is. I felt like I want people to be more aware of what's going on. Yeah, I think if it's really important for us, we should maybe use our voice, because we are public figures and we have some impact.

But honestly, it's not like everybody should do it, because it also brings a little bit more, you know, pressure, because you feel like you have that impact, it can kind of mess with your performance.

So I'm trying to really balance that. For sure when I became World No. 1 I felt like I have some kind of obligation to speak, but I really want to keep doing that in a smart way and maybe not too much so it's not too overwhelming. I think it's individual.

Q. Anyone who risked it all and bet their house on you to win Roland Garros will sleep well in their beds tonight. Congratulations.

IGA SWIATEK: Thank you.

Q. You have told us how much you enjoy reading. So I wondered, when you were reading "21 Lessons for the 21st Century," did you consider you could be 21 when you won Roland Garros? And also, when this chapter is written about your career and your win here at Roland Garros, what would you like people to write about you as a tennis player and you as a person?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, my God (smiling). That's probably the hardest question ever.

Well, I would like them to write the truth and just, you know, some -- I don't know. Maybe like about all the experiences that I had on Roland Garros, because every year since juniors -- I mean, this tournament was pretty special. Even I was thinking yesterday that I remember when Coco won, it was 2018, and that was the tournament that we really planned everything, you know, to play well here. I was really kind of hoping to win. I lost in semifinals. Also, I learned a lot, you know. I had many regrets about that match.

Right now I feel like I want to play every match so I'm not going to regret anything and do like 100% work. Well, I don't know, I'm not a writer.

So, yeah, it's all pretty hard to think about, but maybe like, I don't know, seeing the whole perspective and what's going on also in the team and inside. I think that's pretty -- not everybody knows about stuff like that. Yeah.

Q. People are going to say, Of course she won, too good. Can't lose. No way she was going to lose that one. Can you share about the work that is implied to get to 35, to get to that trophy? Because you make it look easy. That's one of the hardest things to deliver. Can you just explain how hard you have worked to get to this point?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it is hard. I don't even know how to describe all of that, but for sure I would say the hardest thing on Grand Slam is not getting too many thoughts in your head during that day off. I felt much more, you know, confident, kind of in the zone when I was playing day by day these two matches.

For sure yesterday's day off was like the hardest part, because you can't stop thinking about the match and the opponent you are going to face. You want to keep it cool, but it's hard.

I would say just having somebody who I can talk to and having that kind of supportive team was really helpful. But also, you know, I couldn't describe all that work because in tennis it's like you have to kind of sometimes control every thought that you have in your mind, and it's hard.

But, yeah, I'm getting better and better at it.

Q. One technical question and one which is not. The technical is: What is your best shot? Someone says it's the forehand; someone says it's the return down-the-line backhand. What do you think? This is the first question. The second question is: Outside of the court, when you go to a party, do you use makeup? Do you like to go elegant and smart and so on? Because many players we have seen in the past, they were staying hours in front of the mirror before going on court and using the makeup. And you seem very natural like this.

IGA SWIATEK: Okay. Thank you.

Well, I'm wearing a hat, so I don't have to worry about my hair. That's the most positive thing. I don't wear makeup, because I don't feel like I kind of have to, and also, I don't think that will change something. Also, it's going to come off when I use a towel.

Well, that's -- wow, I don't have that in my PR brief, you know, so it's hard to answer.

Well, I'm not using makeup like really often. I honestly just learned how to do makeup like six months ago, so that's pretty embarrassing.

Yeah. I forgot the other question. Oh, I always felt good with my backhand, especially down the line, yeah.

Q. Like Rafa, you're a multiple French Open champion now.

IGA SWIATEK: Wow.

Q. Even if he has 13 and you have 2 but it's multiple. What do you think you can learn from how he's approached excellence over many years, since he's been a big model of yours, and now that you're starting to become someone who can repeat excellence as well?

IGA SWIATEK: I think the best thing I can learn from him is how he's cool about what's going on around him, you know. Because sometimes in our heads, I think many players are overanalyzing everything. We treat those finals as something, you know, that's going to, if we are gonna lose suddenly, our life is bad.

I feel like all these great champions, they kind of accept that they may lose. I remember even last year when Rafa lost in semifinals, I met him next day, coincidence, on the breakfast in the hotel, and I said to him that I was crying basically the whole evening because he lost.

He was sitting, and he was, like, Oh, it's just a tennis match, you know. You win; you lose. It's normal. That's something, it's pretty easy, but not everybody can do that and just treat those big moments as another match, you know. That's something special.

Because it seems like when he's playing and when Novak is playing, they are just, you know, tennis players who are playing their sport and sometimes just, you know, having fun, honestly. Facing challenges but not really thinking about the whole world. So, yeah.

Q. I know it's early days, but I'm just wondering how and where you will prepare for Wimbledon.

IGA SWIATEK: I don't know. Probably, I want to stay at least a week at home, so I will do that. We have some grass court venues, like two courts probably, maybe hour and a half from Warsaw. So I don't know. I haven't talked to my coach. It's usually his decision. But I want to stay in Warsaw for a few days.

That will be like the nicest thing for me because I have been on tour since, well, Fed Cup. Then I came back home for like one night. It doesn't really count.

Q. Your winning run with 35 matches has been on hard courts, now clay court. Does grass imply like you have to do well there, as well, to be the dominant champion of women's tennis?

IGA SWIATEK: My coach believes I can win more matches on grass. I don't know about that yet. But I would like to add like one or two. Yeah, but honestly, grass is always tricky. I actually like the part that I have no expectations there. It's something kind of refreshing.

Yeah, I'm going to just prepare my best and maybe with his experiences that he had with Aga Radwanska, it was her favorite surface, so maybe he's going to give me some tips that are actually going to be really helpful, and I'm going to enjoy playing on grass a little bit more.

Q. How different do you feel as a player and a person compared to the start of the year? And also, you have been saying in press that you were prepared for the possibility that the streak would end at some point. Just wondering how important, if I told you that the streak included a Grand Slam, given that so much of it was -- it started in the biggest period without a Grand Slam.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, yeah. It's adding a lot, you know, because for sure winning those matches on Grand Slam, it's just, I think, the value of these matches are a little bit higher, you know, and it's harder to add that to the streak.

Oh, my God. What was the question?

I mean, honestly before the match, before the tournament I was like, Okay, is it going to be even possible to beat Serena's result? I realized that to even -- I would have to be in a final. I was, like, Ah, we will see how the first rounds are going to go. I didn't even think about that before.

But right now I feel like the streak is like more important. I kind of confirmed my good shape.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I feel much more satisfied with tennis and with what I do.

I feel for sure calmer, because I feel like I don't have to prove anything, because I already did that. At the beginning of the year, my main, you know, thing that I was thinking about was just meeting my coach more. Right now I feel like we built a really nice team that is complementing each other. Is the right word? Okay. Yeah.

Q. Speaking yesterday with a commentator for Eurosport and she told me that your game is perfect, flawless. Is there something that you think you can improve in your game that can still...

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure. There is always something to improve, honestly. I'm still not like a complete player, you know. Especially, I feel like even on the net I could be more solid. This is something that Coco actually has, because I think she started working on that much, much earlier than me.

Yeah, there are many things. I'm not going to tell you, because it may sound like I'm concerned about some stuff. So, yeah.