DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 23, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

Press Conference

A. KALINSKAYA/I. Swiatek

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: We'll go straight to questions.

Q. Can you give us your initial thoughts after that match.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure I'm unhappy. I didn't play my tennis tonight. But on the other hand I was there to win it. For sure I didn't live up to my standard as I usually do. So I'm not happy.

On the other hand, these two weeks were so intense that you just have to look forward. Doesn't matter now.

Q. You got frustrated in that match and threw your racquet. What was the most frustrating part? What were you frustrated with the most?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I felt like I didn't have power anymore to give even more, which doesn't happen often. I just felt like out of control a little bit because of that. Yeah, I mean, usually when I tell myself what to do, I can improve my game. Today I was like so out of power a little bit and tired that I just couldn't.

Q. Did you feel in the morning when you woke up you were tired? Sometimes this hits you when you don't know. Or it wasn't like that?

IGA SWIATEK: No, it was day by day it was a little bit worse. I wasn't talking about it because it didn't really make sense to go over it.

But for sure, as I said, it's been intense two weeks. I mean, I'm angry, but on the other hand there aren't many other players that survive these kind of tournaments. I just have to kind of let it go and accept it.

Q. You never played Anna before tonight. Can you talk a little bit about what preparation you can do when you play against someone you never faced before.

IGA SWIATEK: The same as before any other match. But for sure today, I mean, she played well. For sure she deserves to be in the final. I feel like it was more about me and my level. I wanted to be focused on myself.

I wasn't able to really implement any tactics that I had, so I would say the preparation was the best I could do anyway. I just wasn't able to make anything that made sense today on court. Maybe I did in first six games, but then it just, yeah...

Q. She was pretty good about trying to rush you tactically. In terms of your inability to combat that, do you chalk that up to lack of energy?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, you never know how the match would look like. I'm not going to say straightaway it's because of that. As I said, she was there to win it. Sometimes you have to do it.

I also had plenty of matches where my opponent played a little bit worse, but you still have to win it. Also congrats to her. Yeah, she already has a good season.

Yeah, I don't want to analyze the match 'cause for me was about the energy and intensity. I just feel like I didn't do a great job tonight, so it's hard for me to analyze from like a tennis perspective.

Q. How quickly do you go to California, the States?

IGA SWIATEK: I go home for, like, two days. I'm going to have couple of days off, which I need for sure. I'll fly in the middle of next week.

Q. Before this tournament started, there was a lot of talk about there being initially 17 of the top 20. Looking at the two finalists now, both are out of the top 20, and one from qualifying. What does that say about...

IGA SWIATEK: The calendar is tough. Not many players will be able to go to further rounds of tournaments all the time. Yeah, there will be injuries. There will be pull-outs. There will be people that are too fatigued to play their game. That will also contribute.

Sometimes the underdog wins and it's just easier for them. It's a mix of these things, I would say. Yeah, that's how the thing will look like, I guess.