PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX

April 21, 2023

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/Ka. Pliskova

4-6, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Iga, a really tough battle out there today. Just talk us through your thoughts on the match and how you came back as well in the second set.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I'm pretty proud of how I came back, because that was like pretty important moment. I'm happy that even though I started pretty badly, I could reset a little bit and just start over in second set.

In third, I felt like I can play better and better. So I'm pretty happy.

But for sure she used her experience to get the advantage and these breaks in first games, so on next match for sure I'm going to have to be more ready.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Wondering how is your body responding at the moment, since this is the first match in three sets of your season but especially is back-to-back matches after a long break.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I feel good. So as you could see like physically I was ready till the end. You know, for sure we're kind of aiming for me to be like most fit at Roland Garros.

I just started preparation for clay court, but I didn't have any problems with longer rallies and coming back to play another point in 20 seconds. So I feel like I'm ready for anything. But hopefully I'm gonna be in better and better shape every tournament.

Q. It looked like in that first set, after falling back, you started to kind of get your rhythm and get a beat on her serve in particular as well. What specifically do you think kind of came online for you that helped you get traction in the match?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, overall I felt like at the beginning I couldn't really focus, you know. When she's serving, these are like really milliseconds that matter. So I feel like I was playing already good tennis at the end of the first set, but it was already too late kind of to even the score.

But I just didn't want to make the same mistake and I was more focused, more composed, and kind of ready for whatever direction she's gonna choose. I can't tell you anything more specific. It's more like intuition and just being ready.

Q. Looking ahead obviously to Ons, just looking back to not just the matches that you guys have played, this will be your sixth meeting, but also just how your relationship has developed because of the matches that you played particularly last year? Can you kind of speak on that a little bit and what she's like as a competitor and as a rival?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, yeah, for sure when you have Ons, you're not gonna expect an easy match. It's gonna be a little bit different than most of the matches you play. You have to be ready for different game style.

It's pretty exciting, but when you're out there on court it's tough (smiling). So we'll see. I just hope it's gonna be a nice match, because I'm pretty happy that I'm back and I can just play in front of audience and feel these emotions. Even though my break wasn't really long, I feel like I really missed that.

So with Ons, these matches are always really just tight, you know, so every point matters. I'm really looking forward to it, but I don't expect anything.