BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 16, 2023

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/S. Cirstea

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Do you want to give us your thoughts on your performance against Sorana today?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think it was a pretty nice match for me. I feel like I'm playing better and better every match. Today I started both sets well, and it gave me a lot of confidence, and I felt like I can just put pressure and kind of leading most of the rallies.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Just in terms of playing in the day, and at least these conditions felt like the kind of true Indian Wells-type conditions in terms of the ball exploding off the court and what you can do, is there any comfort you take going forward knowing it's afternoon matches, not night session, and how that feeds into your game?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly I think I can play well in both scenarios, so it doesn't really matter for me. On the other hand, you know, in evening sessions, the balls fly a little bit, like, slower in the air so there is more control.

So, yeah, I'm trying to take advantages from both situations. For sure today's match showed that I can adjust quickly, and I'm just happy with my performance.

Q. What was the reason for the lengthy time after the match before coming in here?

IGA SWIATEK: It was kind of personal, so I just had to do some stuff.

Q. Wondering if you had the chance to watch any of the three sets that Rybakina played today? What do you think she was doing well? What do you expect in your matchup?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I watched like -- I didn't really focus. I was just watching I think the end of first set, because there was a tiebreaker, and I was just curious.

Really, I didn't really watch a lot of what Elena did. I was more focused on what Karolina did, because I feel like she can play great tennis but because of her injuries she wasn't able to do that, and it's great to see her performing that well.

Elena, I know she can play great tennis, I felt that on my racquet. I don't need any proof. I'll just be ready for tomorrow, and that's all.

Q. The other night you made those extraordinary comments about the responsibilities of top players, the pressures that Ukrainians must be feeling and so forth. Did you get any response at all from players or others after those extraordinary comments?

IGA SWIATEK: I did from Ukrainian players, which was pretty nice. They appreciated.

Q. Can you share a little bit of what they said to you?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, they just kind of thanked me. I said that they don't need to thank me, because I'm just, you know, honestly saying what I feel. They're in a pretty tough situation.

So I feel it's the right thing to support them.

Q. Obviously you don't take any opponent lightly. Everybody's difficult. But what do you think separates you from the rest and allows you to maintain this level to maintain No. 1? Do you think it's a physical aspect, it's the mental aspect? There is something else in your game? What do you feel is the difference?

IGA SWIATEK: I think, you know, kind of everything. I mean, I don't know how other people work and what are they doing most of the times.

But I know that I'm doing everything, you know, 100% professionally, and we are taking care of everything. So everything sometimes is clicking and it's getting me great results. But there is no, like, one solution or one way. So hard for me to say what that is.

Q. These are eventful times in your life. If you could say how you have changed as a person a year since you won the title here, what has that been?

IGA SWIATEK: It depends, because like professionally I think I change a lot, because I'm in a totally different situation. I had to kind of grow up tennis-wise pretty quickly because I became World No. 1 and I had to handle that.

Plus, you know, winning two more slams, it was a dream come true, but also, you know, a huge experience. But as a person I think I'm just growing up like a normal way (smiling). Yeah.