BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 14, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/C. Wozniacki

6-4, 1-0 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Iga, obviously not probably the way you want to win, but you're into the semifinals. Your thoughts on the tennis you played today.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure, you know, I'm hoping that Caroline will be better and she'll be ready for Miami, because, yeah, as you said, it's not the best way to win. But I'm happy that I played well enough in first set to win it. For sure it was tight. At the beginning we had many longer rallies, so I felt like I needed to, you know, be solid and be ready.

At the end I'm happy that I used the chances in the last games.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Watching you that first set, you probably took a little bit to take the right timing on the return. I felt that was the moment that you started to feel better on court. I was wondering your opinion if you felt the same, if the beginning was tricky with some conditions that you were expecting?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I felt like I mishit the ball sometimes, but also it's because of how she changes the rhythm a little bit.

No, but honestly I think today it was all about how I'm going to prepare and approach these shots.

Yeah, sometimes I felt like at the beginning I had some chances that I didn't use. That's why also the score went her way a little bit at the beginning, but I'm happy that I was able to break back, and in these last games I used the chances that I was kind of speaking about so yeah.

Q. Since that match was a bit short, are you going to or did you get back on the practice court today? Is there any way you customize that work now to face Marta next?

IGA SWIATEK: No, I think there's, you know, no sense to do that at this stage of the tournament. You need to recover and keep your body fresh. So I did feel like I need to do that.

Marta, she's a great player. It's not going to be easy. I don't feel like her game style is much different than the players you face on tour. It didn't feel like I need to practice more today to prepare for the match. I'm keeping my routines, and for sure I'm going to prepare tactically today in the evening.

Q. What are your thoughts going into that semifinal?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't have many honestly, because I'm still kind of thinking about the match that I played, you know. But, well, I think, you know, if she's in the semifinal, she deserves to be there, and there are no easy matches at this stage of the tournament. So I'll be ready.

Q. Are you close to Marta, given that you've been very supportive of players from Ukraine and the geographical proximity between your two countries?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, we had some talks about the war at the beginning, yeah. But I don't feel -- I mean, you know, we're not super close. It's not like we're talking about personal stuff or something like that.

I'd say we have normal relationship between two players that are seeing each other in locker room, but on the other hand competing against each other.

Q. On court you're known for your mental strength. You probably learned a great, great deal about tennis, obviously. But do you think all your mental work, all your experience in tennis in general has helped you mentally sort of off court and your thoughts and your mind?

IGA SWIATEK: Of course. Yeah, of course, for sure. I even feel like I have grown, you know, faster than I would if I wouldn't be in this place.

So, no, off court I feel like I'm this kind of person that I want to be. But honestly, I play so many tournaments that usually I look at myself as a tennis player actually, and, you know, it's more this stuff on court that I want to work on, you know, because I don't feel like off court I need to change myself a lot. I like who I am and stuff like that (smiling).

Q. Is the player lounge and locker room set up in a way that you've seen Caro since the match that you could say a friendly word, like, after the injury? Have you talked to her?

IGA SWIATEK: I haven't seen her, but I saw her husband. We talked a little bit, and, yeah.

Q. So you could extend your well wishes and stuff?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, yeah, we did. We just asked if it's serious or not, but I'll let her speak about that.

Q. In order to prepare in this match against Caroline, did you watch her recent video and the one before she retired when she was at the top level?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I didn't watch anything, because I'm not doing that because I can't see a lot from the camera angle, I've got to say. My coach has much better eye, so I just leave that to him. You know, he's able to give me some tips.

(Watching TV in room.)

Q. A bee swarm on center court.

IGA SWIATEK: I'm glad I'm not there anymore.

Q. I got stung on Stadium 2 this week.

IGA SWIATEK: That's crazy. There was nothing like 30 minutes ago. I would run away. Okay.

(Comments about video.)

IGA SWIATEK: That's pretty dangerous, you know. Oh, my God, this camera is high and it's there? That's why the match is not starting?

THE MODERATOR: It's started. They have just paused.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, they should. I wouldn't be there already. I would get, like, so many time violations.

THE MODERATOR: I think those would be excused. (Laughter.)

Q. Speaking of which, what has been sort of the strangest incident in your career where things sort of went haywire? Anything like that?

IGA SWIATEK: The strangest? I mean, the whole Cancun situation was pretty strange. I thought honestly the stadium was going to fall apart when I was in the middle of it. I'm happy that it didn't.

There were some drunk people in Melbourne once when I played my first Australian Open, I think, pro, and in Miami, but that's not strange, I guess. I mean, it's entertainment.

But yeah, they were shouting and it was visible that they were drunk.

But that was fine. I mean, I'm fine with that.