QATAR TOTAL ENERGIES OPEN

February 11, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Iga, welcome back to Doha. Obviously a tournament you are very comfortable with. Can you just talk about your preparation coming here and how excited you are to be back in Qatar.

IGA SWIATEK: Really excited. I like this place, so it's always nice to come back. I was looking forward to this tournament.

Yeah, I already had two days of practices here, just to feel the court and the conditions. But as I remember last year, the conditions were pretty tricky, so I'm not expecting anything. I will just adjust to what's going on on court and we'll see.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. How do you start again from a defeat like the one in Australia?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, honestly, it's not like every time it's the same, because we are human and we feel different things. But for sure, you know, I always feel like the season is long and you have plenty of chances in later tournaments, so I'll just work hard and do my best and we'll see what's going to come after that.

Q. Obviously you come here as, like, a defending champion. Always we describe it as, like, you have a point to defend, and for your mindset, do you come to the tournament to defend the point or it's more like a brand-new tournament for you?

IGA SWIATEK: No, honestly I learned from last year that there is no point on focusing on defending anything, so it's a totally different chapter and totally different story.

So I'm going to take it step by step and not really think about what happened last year or two years ago, because, you know, we are all at different points in our lives.

Our tennis is also different, so, you know, I will take it step by step. I'm not really thinking about that. Obviously it would be nice if I could play well here, but I already learned that you can't expect a lot in tennis because it's going to surprise you. So really I'm trying to take everything step by step.

Q. Last year I kind of remember that after the Australian Open you went back home to spend more time for preparation and practicing, and then you won this tournament. Kind of similar thing happened to last year after the US Open, because you skipped San Diego, and you were kind of like almost unstoppable at the end of the season. So isn't it maybe not secret but how important for you to have this kind of, like, period of practicing and also the tournaments?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, well, I'm that kind of person that really works hard, so if I'm going to work hard, you know, during some period of time, you know, my tennis will get better, you know, but I wouldn't say right now my time at home was really peaceful. It was a little bit different, honestly.

Also, I know that I had these comebacks, as you may say, or my level got up, but it's not like it's going to happen all the time, so I'm really trying to keep my expectations low and work hard to find more confidence in my game, because for sure in Australia I lacked it a little bit.

Yeah, well, I don't know if the story is going to repeat itself (smiling). I will do my best to play the best tennis possible here, and that's all.

Q. Four years ago you started winning in Paris in Roland Garros. You haven't stopped. How have you changed as person, as a player in these years?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I grew up, for sure. I think I would change a lot even without these wins, because I was 19, and now I'm almost 23. So for sure I grew up.

I don't know. I'm kind of seeing tennis from a different perspective, because I have been in the top of the rankings for a long time now and I know a little bit more.

Yeah, also my tennis changed, so not many things, you know, stayed the same, but for sure I feel like the base, like, you know, my family, my home, and also the team I'm working with mostly stayed the same, so I have people to lean on. I feel like I have been going like that, you know, for a long time (hand indicating upward direction). So I'm happy about how the previous years looked like.

Q. So you are No. 1 in WTA, which is maybe one of the most, like, most popular female sport in the world. I think the last year we have been talking about what is the responsibility of being No. 1 on the tour. So do you think that as a No. 1, do you feel like you have some, like, responsibility or do you have many plans to talk about your opinion or do you feel like take this No. 1 like this way?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I feel like people expect us, you know, to sometimes take a stand and to, you know, be loud about what we think and our opinions.

But I always try to remember that if I don't feel comfortable doing that, I can always just say that and, you know, mostly people respect that, journalists, you know, (smiling). But for sure there is some responsibility, even when I'm practicing or working, I feel like because I'm at the top of the WTA I should have some, you know, standards. Sometimes it's a little bit harder to kind of take it easy, because you feel like everybody is chasing you.

But I'm also, you know, still trying to navigate through that. Yeah, there are some stuff that's changed because of the position that you're at, but on the other hand, I always try to remind myself that I'm still the same person no matter what my ranking is and no matter what the number next to my name is.

So, yeah, sometimes you feel like, yeah, the society kind of force you to do it differently than you would, but it's good to remember who you are no matter what your ranking is (smiling).