MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 29, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/S. Sorribes Tormo

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: What's your immediate reflection on the match?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, basically I'm happy with the performance. It was really solid, and I'm happy with the way I adjusted to Sara's game.

Yeah, I feel like I already knew how she plays, you know, after these couple of matches we have played in Beijing and United Cup. I took a lesson from that, and I just played really efficiently.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You get to play Bea next. One thing you guys have in common is that you're kind of the faces of your sport in your country at the moment, you know, you with Poland, she with Brazil. That part of your career so far, how have you adjusted to it? Have there been phases for you before you kind of took on that role of being kind of the face of tennis in Poland and all that pressure from home on you out there?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I wouldn't say there were, you know, phases, because it all really happened suddenly after Roland Garros 2020, but back then, I felt like still people didn't know if I'm going to be just one-time athlete that succeeded or I'm going to keep playing well. I didn't know that, as well.

So for sure I think my consistency put me in that position. I would say it's a nice role to have, because I always wanted to kind of inspire. Also, it's easier to find motivation when you feel like, you know, kids are watching you.

But on the other hand, for sure, it's also some baggage on your shoulders. Yeah, it's not easy to balance it and to kind of save yourself of that, because everybody treats you, like, you know, like I should play for them, not for me.

So I'm kind of learning sometimes how to deal with that and how to not let that affect my mentality or my attitude.

Q. Have you ever spoken to Aga about anything like that? Because she also was kind of flying solo. You have Hubi now, but with her, it was kind of her flying solo?

IGA SWIATEK: We haven't, because we just didn't feel like we need to talk about this stuff, you know (smiling). There's no point to overanalyze it. But I know that if I wanted to, she's totally open-minded and I could talk to her.

Q. Now that you are used to the life on tour, just wondering if you have changed any of your off-court routine, if you are giving yourself more time to do things off the court to relax a bit? Is it different?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I didn't have practice yesterday, so I had full day off to do some stuff. I went to eat some great seafood. I was at the park. Just, you know, walking around, looking for something to shop.

Yeah, it was pretty fun. We really know Madrid pretty well and we stay in nice location where everything is close. It's easy for me to kind of wind off and not think about tennis.

Q. Speaking about playing Bea next, you had that match obviously at Roland Garros last year, a tight one. Curious what your memories are of that match and how much you maybe learned and take from that match into the upcoming one?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, well, the biggest thing I remember is it was really tight in the first set. The tiebreaker was stressful. I remember the crowd also being crazy, because Brazilian crowd is, like, taking all these instruments with them and making small music festival on the audience. So it was for sure different experience, a good one but tough to handle.

Yeah, it was a really intense match and long first set. I wouldn't expect an easy match against Bea, for sure. She's a great player. Yeah, we'll see.

Q. It seems like players' teams are getting bigger and bigger and more players are seeing the value of having more people around them. You have obviously had people around you for a while now. When you were younger, what made you realize that that was an important part of tennis and that it's not just a solo sport, that you need people around you?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think it was just kind of obvious for me that it's good to invest in yourself. You know, I remember that I wanted to have my own physio, for example, because I kind of knew that the work that I'm going to do right now may have an impact on the times when I'm even 30 and if I'm going to play because of that for three years longer it's already worth it to have a physio.

I found Maciej who is physio and conditioning coach at the same time. It was a perfect match. You know, in terms of what Daria does, she has plenty of work to do, not only in, like, psychology part but also helping with communication. Like when I needed to have also my business part of tennis, you know, bigger, she really helped me to handle that and put on a team that really works together.

Jules can confirm (smiling).

Yeah, they all have a lot of work to do. So I still feel like the team is pretty small, but for sure, you know, I feel like I have good care around me. Also with IMG being on most of the tournaments and also my Polish team back home who is basically doing a lot of stuff with Polish journalists and some other tournaments, as well.

Yeah, the team might be bigger than I thought (smiling), but they all still have a lot of work to do, and with this stuff we talked about at the beginning, you need these people to help you and to feel safe, you know. Yeah.

Q. Obviously your movement is one of your strengths, but we were talking to Naomi, and she said she hired a movement coach who is a former ballerina. And we also found out Novak, someone who moves so well, works specifically with a movement coach. Have you ever done that or considered doing that? I know it's your strength, but a lot of people like to work even more on their strength to make it better, or does that always fall under the same work you do with your normal fitness coach?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I never had any experience working with movement coach, because I never actually met even one, but I'm happy with the work we are doing with Maciej, so there is no point for me to work with anybody else. His job is safe (smiling).

Yeah, as you said, I'm moving well, so I don't want to overanalyze it or find problems where they don't really exist. You know, we have still a lot of work to do, you know, on court, so I wouldn't say adding new things to focus on off the court would help for me.

Q. As much as your team is obviously very tight and close and you get on very well, is it weird at all to think that you're an employer with people on your payroll?

IGA SWIATEK: Is it weird?

Q. Yeah. Or just how do you think of it?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I got used to it. It's weird that I'm the youngest one and that I'm the employer and I shouldn't even have this kind of money at this stage of my life and I'm paying everybody, you know. So this is for sure tricky.

But I think the most tricky relationship any athlete has, I mean, not maybe the athletes that are in the clubs, because then the club is employing the coach, but individual athletes, I think the trickiest one is with the coach, because we're basically paying him to, you know, speak to us about our mistakes and to make us work even harder to sometimes say stuff that we don't like.

Obviously sometimes you hear it also from a psychologist or a fitness coach, but from the coach you hear it basically every day. In tennis, you know, you need somebody telling you, oh, I don't know, make a bigger turn or use this more than this. So basically you're paying to always be reminded that you're making mistakes (smiling).

I mean, I'm kind of on the pointing out the trickiest part, because obviously there are more and more, that's why we need coaches, you know, but this is tricky and sometimes frustrating, but I think every athlete has to accept that and, yeah, we basically need this person. So there is no point to, like, (whispering) bitch about it.

Sorry. I couldn't find another word.

Q. When you look back, do you ever go back and rewatch, for example, Roland Garros, the first Roland Garros you won, or Junior Wimbledon or old highlights of those runs at all?

IGA SWIATEK: I wish I did it more, because I always feel good watching it, but I should still watch couple of matches from recently to analyze.

Yeah, it's hard for me to find motivation to watch these matches that I need to watch anyway. So I'm not watching the highlights. Sorry.

Honestly, in my life, I only watched my highlights against Naomi in 2019, because I got injured right after that tournament and it was the first tournament where I felt like I have a chance in WTA, so I watched these highlights because they really made me smile.

Q. Second question was whether or not, when you look back at, for example, if we go back and look at old press conferences, for example, interviews from very early in your career, what is the biggest kind of sense of maturity, I suppose, that you feel like in this environment?

IGA SWIATEK: I haven't watched those interviews. It's hard for me to analyze. Maybe I'll watch some on my vacation and we'll talk after that (smiling).

That's what I like to do in my time off, watch myself on the Internet. Great (smiling). Thanks.