QATAR TOTAL ENERGIES OPEN

February 16, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/K. Pliskova

W/O

THE MODERATOR: Iga, congratulations. You're obviously through to your third consecutive Doha final. Probably not the way you wanted to end up there, but how does it feel to accomplish that?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I was preparing for the match and Karolina pulled out. I hope she's okay. That's the most important thing. She's been playing a lot of matches lately, so I hope she recovers before Dubai.

Overall, I'm going to enjoy the day off and already thinking a little bit about the final.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Qualifying from a walkover, does that present maybe some pressure or you will change your schedule of practice to be on shape in the final tomorrow?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, we don't have to adjust anything. We just prolonged our practice a little bit and that's all. We would do it the same way if this day off would be kind of scheduled from the beginning.

But I don't think it matters. Last year I got two retirements in Doha and in Dubai, and it didn't change my rhythm. So I'm actually going to enjoy that I have a day off and I don't have to play a match today and that's all.

Q. At this point Rybakina is leading. Can you just talk to us about the challenge of playing her.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, you know, she's one of the top players in the world right now, so yeah, it is a challenge. She's a great player, really solid.

I mean, what can I say? It's just going to be tough, but nobody is expecting an easy match in the final. I'll be ready.

Q. Can you talk about these tournaments, you know, Masters 1000s, the 500 series and everything. In the matrix, I know we are a long way off from going into another Grand Slam, Roland Garros, which is your favorite probably. Do you pick on little things you can work through the season, and how do these events really shape up for you in the bigger picture?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, we mostly adjust our practices to what I feel. Obviously the coach has, like, a long-term plan of me improving some stuff, but, you know, it's a constant work, like, you know, five minutes this day, ten minutes any other day.

So I would say we are for sure playing these tournaments but we are not forgetting about the big scale of me just improving as a player.

But I would say every tournament that I play it's really important for me. I never really go to a tournament and, I don't know, think about practicing. It's more like I want to compete and just play my best tennis.

Yeah, you have to be ready for this long season, and it doesn't matter for me what kind of tournament I'm playing. I'm just doing my best anyway.

Q. Coming back to Rybakina, could this be the kind of rivalry where you have to make an exception and say, I need to play differently because it's her? I need to change the way I approach the match? And not only focusing on myself because she's proving that she's kind of a problem for you? Or is it just an occasion of matchup and at some point you're going to go through again?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't think that changing anything that has been working really makes sense, so I'm just going to try to play my game. And for sure, you know, against these top players, we need to remember to just play all the time on high intensity and not letting them feel comfortable on the court, because if the player is experienced enough she's going to use it, you know.

So you just have to be ready for a battle, and that's all. I wouldn't say I would change my game just because I'm playing somebody, you know.

Q. I know that once you said that you were trying to not think about the ranking anymore, but you have been No. 1 for 90 weeks already. So what does it mean to you?

IGA SWIATEK: A lot, but honestly, the same as it meant 10 weeks ago or 20 weeks ago. I'm just doing my job and, as you said, yeah, focusing on the rankings is not really the best way to handle it.

You know, I had my time of celebration after WTA Finals when I come back to No. 1, and since then I wasn't really thinking about rankings. I'm just trying to practice and do best job no matter what the ranking next to my name is (smiling).

Q. Can you say how much you have changed as a person, not really as a person but grown as a person since you won your first French Open?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, obviously I'm, like, four years older, so there is no way for me to stay the same, you know. I just gained a lot of experience and knowledge about this sport and also learned how to handle success, which is sometimes even harder than, you know, handling losses.

Yeah, I feel like I'm just experienced and that's all.