BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 8, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/D. Collins

6-3, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Iga, strong performance. What are your thoughts being back on these courts?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure I'm happy with the performance, especially, you know, how I used the important moments at the end of the first and second set. Never easy to play first match on any stadium, here especially, because the conditions are a little bit more tricky. So I'm happy that I'm through.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You mentioned on court that Southern California, Indian Wells, was a little overwhelming for you at first when you were a new player and now you've kind of gotten comfortable here. Can you elaborate a bit and talk about what you have come to like about this place. Is it a place you look forward coming to more than maybe any other, and if so, for what reason?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure, we always spend a lot of time here because we are getting here earlier to get over jet lag, basically.

Yeah, when I was younger, I felt overwhelmed by all these fans and, you know, the courts are so big, even though it's not a Grand Slam, and everybody is kind of more motivated and more pumped to practice.

So at first I felt that, but now I just take a lot of positive energy from everything that's going on. You know, the tournament is taking care of us really nicely. And, I don't know, I feel more comfortable kind of everywhere, because I just grew up and I got more experienced.

You know, it's always nice to also come back to a place where you have already won a tournament.

Q. You seem to be a very quick study from players you have played before and especially players who have pushed you. Do you learn a lot when there is a player that pushes you and you try and improve that sort of head-to-head a little bit?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure. Well, we try to watch and analyze, and since I started, you know, working with my coach, the one I'm working with right now, Tomasz Wiktorowski, he has a really good perspective on tennis. When we started watching matches, I just felt like I can learn tactically much, much more, and then use it on court.

So I remember having a few players I didn't like playing against, and then I started to, you know, be more comfortable and win against them.

Yeah, for sure he's helped a lot.

Q. In the past you said one of the things you have learned is in the long process of a tennis year to play well when you're not necessarily feeling that well or tired or just out of sorts. Could you just talk about how you perform, how you manage to perform well when you were not feeling well.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, honestly, there are different reasons, so you have to react differently and find different solutions.

I think most of the players would tell you that they don't feel comfortable most of the time. They only have probably, like, I don't know, if they have five tournaments during the year where they feel great. That's a lot, you know, (smiling).

So, yeah, you just have to kind of don't panic and take it step by step, because I already had plenty of tournaments where I didn't play well during first matches, and then I was able to change my game and adjust a little bit more so I could win titles.

So this gave me a little bit more perspective and it showed me that I shouldn't, you know, judge too early my game even though I may not, you know, play so well or feel comfortable. And for sure this kind of approach helps to find these solutions and actually problem-solve.

Q. How hard do you find this part of the season, given there were the two back-to-back 1000 events in the Middle East and one week off and then two more back-to-back 1000 events?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, you know, for me, the kind of tournament it is doesn't really matter. But for sure I think being at Indian Wells brings a little bit to the top players, they have much more things to do, and there are always sponsor shoots and things like that.

So I would say, you know, switching from being in Middle East where everything is so, like, peaceful, you're just focusing on tennis, that's it, and you have kind of the same rhythm every day, because they are starting the matches pretty late there and we only have WTA, so the schedule is pretty smooth, and then going here where there is so much fuss, you know, I think this is pretty tricky.

But I know this place already, so it's not a problem for me and the intensity is just tough, but on the other hand I'm one of these players that can kind of cope physically. So that doesn't worry me as well.

Q. You mentioned that you like it here, you feel comfortable here, the courts are so big even though it's not a slam. Do you have a list in your head of the tournaments that you want to win that are outside the slams? Do you rank them in a certain way? What is most important to you outside of the slams and particular tournaments?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't have that kind of list, probably because when I start the season, I don't think about actually winning titles. I think about just working and getting my game together.

So, no, for me, yeah, I don't really -- for me, doesn't really matter if I win Doha or I win Indian Wells or Montreal or Cincinnati. Tournament is a tournament. I want to win every tournament that I play at. Yeah, doesn't matter.

Q. Do you enjoy the process of sitting down with Tomasz, as you said, watching video, breaking down your opponents? Are there some things you learn from the video maybe you didn't even feel during the match?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, there are plenty of situations where I can see that, oh, I thought I did this differently or something like that.

But, yeah, usually it's just the learning process and I like it. But sometimes obviously we have to watch these matches that didn't go well, you know. So it's not nice to see, like, yourself in troubles, but it's necessary to learn. So it's part of the job. That's all.

Q. You were just saying about you don't make lists of I want to win this tournament or that tournament, et cetera, but at the beginning of the year, do you set an end goal of what is the main achievement that you want?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, last couple of years they kind of messed with my head that way that, you know, I achieved much more than I ever expected. You know, so making goals that are based on the results, it's pretty tricky for me, because honestly, just winning, I don't know, two tournaments per year would be, you know, all I ever dreamed of, honestly, and even more.

So I'm trying to set my goals, you know, for more kind of technical stuff, like, working on my serve and actually being more comfortable at the net and stuff like that.

So it's not tournament-related. It's more process-related. I think that's also kind of how Daria kind of pushed me in that direction, so I think these goals are kind of healthier.

Q. In one sense then have you surprised yourself with what you have done?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, of course (smiling).