DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 21, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/E. Svitolina

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: We'll go straight into questions. Who would like to start?

Q. Generally your thoughts on the match and what you needed to do especially in the second set to hold her off. Seemed like she raised her level.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure, I felt like she played better in the second set. It wasn't that easy to just finish points and win points.

I wanted to stay focused and proactive and kind of make decisions but not too risky. I felt like we were both good in the longer rallies, so I needed to really push in the right time to make pressure.

I think, yeah, decision making and placement was the most important thing, I would say.

Q. Did you feel more comfortable today with the court speed, with just everything out there?

IGA SWIATEK: Yes, for sure. I felt like I could focus more. Yeah, the rhythm and the speed, as well. So it was great.

Q. Yesterday Sabalenka said she struggled a little bit with the court. How did you find the court today?

IGA SWIATEK: I would say it's pretty similar to last year. I knew what to expect. The only thing is kind of getting used to it when you played on little bit slower surface in Doha.

I don't know what she meant, so... I felt good.

Q. Obviously you've been incredibly successful on hard court for the last especially few months. I'm curious, when you think about how much you have improved and your comfort on this surface, is it just about comfort or is it more about changes, evolution of your game, things you've done to make yourself so good on hard court?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure 2022 was this year where I felt a total change in terms of, yeah, the evolution, what I learned, what I could do on court, what options I had on hard court. Yeah, I would say there was, I don't know, I went like 10 levels up.

Now I kind of got more consistent, I would say. I mean, not 2022 because it's pretty hard to be more consistent than that year, but...

I don't know. I feel like I don't care anymore if it's clay or hard. I'm just going to play my game and that's all. I feel like it's hard to say because also my attitude changed little bit.

We actually saw a video from Doha three years ago when I won against Maria. Winning in the quarterfinal was like such a big thing back then. Now it's just another match (smiling).

Also, yeah, it's hard for me to compare my progress because also in my head it changed little bit, yeah.

Does it make sense?

Q. Yes.

IGA SWIATEK: Okay (smiling).

Q. We don't know who you're going to play yet, but I wanted to ask you specifically about Zheng. What did you make of her run in Australia and her progress? What do you think she's doing better?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, we played on United Cup. She's progressing, but I felt like I still could play good tennis against her. I don't know about Australia because I got to say I didn't see any of her match. When I lost, I just completely cut off any tennis in my life. So, yeah, it's hard for me to say.

She's at this moment in her career, I mean everybody is when they're 21, 22, 23, when they're improving a lot. So it's normal, I would say.

Q. When you look at the quarterfinalists, none have won here the tournament before. When you go to a tournament that you haven't won yet, are you aware? Are you more inclined to try to fight more for it?

IGA SWIATEK: I wouldn't say because honestly you don't think about winning a tournament when you're in the middle of it. There are still many matches and many scenarios that can happen.

For sure when you're going into the tournament and you won it before, you feel more comfortable. You feel like you're home. On the other hand, it can give you more pressure. As I said in the beginning of Doha I felt like, yeah, being double defending champion was pretty stressful.

But, yeah, when you start a tournament, and you haven't won it, you don't think about winning, you just think about the first match that you're going to play and that's all.

I wouldn't say at this stage it changes a lot.