DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 24, 2023

Iga Swiatek

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/C. Gauff

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: You have a great record against Coco, but she gave you a test in the first set. What did you make of Gauff's performance today?

IGA SWIATEK: For sure I'm happy that I started both sets well. I think she used her chances to come back and to win a break.

But honestly I felt like with the way I started I could also always come back to the game I played at the beginning. I'm pretty happy that I was solid and just confident.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You keep blowing your nose and now you're coughing. Do you feel physically fine?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, it don't influence my ability to run or anything. So I feel fine. Obviously this far, I have sore throat. It's like typical. I'm just having a cold, so yeah. Not the first time during the tournaments. I'm already experienced (smiling).

Q. Take us through your thought process during the match.

IGA SWIATEK: My what?

Q. Thought process. What was going through your mind?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, like, the same things as usual. I was just focusing on the technique and I wanted to really be consequent [sic] with my tactics, so I'm happy I was so focused.

For sure I felt like I had more ups and downs than in my first rounds here. But honestly I just felt like I was always coming back to the same, like, key points that I worked on with my coach, and they worked.

Q. We all have our own thoughts about it, but what, according to you, is the real reason why you're playing so well, especially these two weeks?

IGA SWIATEK: I think just the work that I'm doing is kind of clicking and it's paying off.

You can never, like, honestly say why you're playing well this week and why not the other one. But I feel like it's little bit easier playing on slower hard courts comparing to what we played in Australia. I just feel like I can do a little bit more, and I'm kind of using that.

So it's a combination of couple of things because I also, like, really worked hard to get my confidence back in Warsaw. And technique also I feel much better.

Q. Have you ever cut a cake with a sword before? Was that difficult?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't think so. That was the first time. Pretty happy that I got to do the experience. I'm not sure if I did it well. It was pretty hard to, like, do it 90 degrees. I guess nobody will see.

Q. What happened with the signature? What really happened?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I didn't know if I should write in Polish or English. Usually after matches when you're, like, focused on playing, your mind is not capable of doing the usual stuff because you're so focused on the physicality and playing.

Yeah, it was a mess.

Q. What changed last year about this time? What changed for you? Was it a mindset?

IGA SWIATEK: When?

Q. Just before the swing when you started dominating, the 37-match winning streak.

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly it's not everything changed because at the beginning I just won couple matches, then I won a tournament. I didn't know it's becoming to be something more.

So for me, I just played little bit better. I always like playing in Doha. For sure I feel like back then it was February so I just started working with my coach. We worked for like two months. I felt like that was, like, the first tournaments I could use 100% what he tells me. I felt much better with how he, like, tactically prepares me.

So, yeah, I just felt in Doha that it was a pretty nice tournament, but I didn't know what was going to happen later. It's not like my whole world changed then.

Q. When you play such dominant tennis right now, one word people like to use is 'easy'. But to achieve this dominance is a lot of hard work for many years. Do you enjoy people saying, It's so easy for Iga?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't really hear that a lot because during the tournaments I'm kind of trying to stay off social media as much as possible. I'm posting my stuff. It's not like I'm reading a lot.

Honestly, I don't mind that they're saying if it looks easy or not. I know that it's never easy. If somebody wins also with a great score, it's not like...

Tennis is such a complicated sport that you're never going to know why or what happened. I feel like if you work hard and you give 100% on every match, your chances are going to come.

So I'm pretty glad that I can play dominant tennis right now, but I'm really ready for every match and I'm really concentrated and motivated. I think if I wouldn't be, I would just have different score. It's just work, so yeah.

Q. Jessica seems to be struggling with a thigh injury. Most likely it's going to be Barbora in the final.

IGA SWIATEK: Really? You never know.

Q. She's having trouble moving properly on the court.

IGA SWIATEK: I'm not going to answer that. Both of them can be in the final. They're playing great tennis. We'll see.