ROLAND GARROS

June 7, 2023

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/C. Gauff

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Iga, well done. Back in the semifinals. Obviously a rematch of last year's final. What was different about today, do you feel, in the way you played and also the way Coco played?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think tactically it was a little bit different, but also, you know, the conditions because Coco I think used the wind a little bit more. Last year I don't think it was windy on the final, but I don't really remember.

Yeah, for sure it was more tight in the first set, so I'm pretty happy in those important moments I was the one that was solid and could put a little more pressure on Coco.

Q. Does it still feel for you like an achievement to get to this stage, or has it started to feel like, Okay, but I'm just playing for the titles?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, no, come on. It's never like that, honestly, especially on a Grand Slam.

I'm pretty happy to be in the semifinal again on Roland Garros. It's a great achievement no matter how the tournament is going to finish.

Semifinal is really great result. Especially coming into the tournament as a defending champion, it puts a lot of pressure on you. I'm really happy I can show consistency and just play good here every year.

Q. You are always so conscious of where your emotions are. As you've gone through this tournament and gotten to the later stages, are you feeling the pressure increase as it has at other tournaments in the past, or does it dissipate a little with you because you've gotten through the early rounds and now you're into the business end?

IGA SWIATEK: No, no, I would say it's always a little bit less. Maybe changes, like, before the final because final you feel like it's the last one, and you can give 100%. It's always kind of packed with pressure and expectations from the outside.

But, no, I would say the beginnings of the tournaments are a little bit more tricky. Later when you are just -- you can just kind of play your game because you also feel a little bit more. Yeah, just getting into the rhythm is the toughest part, and you kind of have to just progress a little bit, but keep it good, and that's all.

Q. You didn't seem too concerned when you got knocked over by a close range ball, but is that quite unusual?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, it is. I don't really know if that was her only option or not, but I know Coco is a nice person, and she wouldn't mean it. Nothing personal. It happens.

Q. I guess you were wearing a lot of clay after that, but it doesn't bother you too much?

IGA SWIATEK: No, I changed the T-shirt to look more stylish. But sometimes being in clay it feels like you're just out there doing dirty work, but it doesn't really matter, so yeah.

Q. You face Beatriz Haddad Maia now. You faced her in Toronto. So how much do you think this match is going to be different considering it is different conditions and different surface? How do you feel about the match, especially mentally, because during the tournament Bea has been showing a lot of mental strength and so are you, as usual?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure she's the fighter, and she showed even today that she's fighting until the last ball. It pays off.

For sure you have to kind of be ready even when you feel like you're leading or whatever. You have to play every point 100%. We played in Toronto, and I would say actually this was one of the matches that had similar conditions in terms of the wind. It was also windy that day.

Obviously surface is different, so we'll see. I've never played against her on clay. Again, as before any other match, I will kind of focus on myself and what I want to do on court.

Q. You said on court that you were kind of happy to have a bit of a tougher match because you hadn't been on court that much over the tournament. I mean, do you get worried maybe if you have gone through a little bit too easily coming into the latter stages, especially of maybe a slam?

IGA SWIATEK: I wouldn't say worried, but as I said like after last match, I can work with it and play well anyway I think. It happens sometimes in tournaments where I was winning matches pretty easily, and then I just continued, you know.

I feel like in terms of having these couple of tougher situations and really important points, you're just not going to feel rusty when it happens again. I didn't feel rusty today anyway, but it's good to have the experience anyway.

Q. You mentioned her tactics, and she's obviously throwing up a lot of loopy forehands and stuff. Just wondering, is it at all like flattering to play against a player and see them having to kind of change their game plan and play in a different way than they usually do in order to beat you?

IGA SWIATEK: To be 100% sure, you have to ask Coco, but for sure she has a lot of dynamics in herself, physically and also in her shots. So I was surprised because when I was playing against the wind, sometimes these forehands were just stopping, and you had to work twice to kind of get to them.

I don't know if that was her tactics or it just happened because of the wind, you know. So I'm happy that I managed to get the win anyway and be aggressive anyway.

Q. There is a phrase "You can't mix business with pleasure." Can you enjoy yourself when you are winning matches and moving through the draw, or is it just about taking care of business?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I would say I'm that kind of player who still has to kind of learn to enjoy playing and winning because when I finish matches, I usually just think about the next one. Moments of enjoyment are usually after the tournament.

But I hope I'm going to progress because we play many tournaments throughout the year, and I already learned how to also just be happy with my -- as, for example, today I'm not going to think about tomorrow's match until the rest of the evening, and I'm just going to enjoy that I won.

These are the small things that kind of help you keep more positive attitude and energy. But usually with me, yeah, it's all about business and then I'll enjoy.

Q. When you started this tournament in 2020 when you walked out to the first round, I wonder if you could describe sort of who you were at that point?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, my God. I wouldn't say I was in a good place, honestly. It was a pretty tough year. I wouldn't say it was a good season.

Roland Garros was my only good tournament, honestly, and I just felt on my first round that I kind of played so bad in Rome and on US Open swing that it can't get worse, and it actually helped me to be free a little bit more.

Also, I played against Vondroušová, she was in the final the previous year against Ash Barty. I felt like, oh, the draw isn't really lucky, so whatever, I'm just going to go for it.

Then step by step I managed to kind of play better and it happened.

Q. After you completed match point, it seemed like the most emotional reaction I think we've seen from you all tournament. I'm not sure whether that's true or not, but can you maybe just describe your feelings at that point. Was it relief? Was it just excitement or something more because you hadn't really been necessarily tested in that way so far this tournament?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I would say maybe after first two rounds it was more of the relief, and maybe that's why I wasn't really so enthusiastic because I kind of wasn't feeling 100% comfortable on court during my first two rounds. But today it was excitement, and I was just happy that I'm through to the semifinals, so yeah.