MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 30, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/B. Haddad Maia

4-6, 6-0, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Iga.

Q. Iga, just your thoughts on the match itself. Where do you think it kind of turned in that first set, and what did you need to do to kind of get things back on track?

IGA SWIATEK: I needed to for sure stick to the tactics, because in the first set I started making too many mistakes. I started playing too fast.

Yeah, I just needed to really get back to basics and what I wanted to play today. It took me a while, longer than usual, but I'm glad that it happened after the set anyway.

Q. My question is not about the match. While you were playing, we know that the draw for the Billie Jean King Cup in November, you are against Spain again one year later. Your thoughts from last year matches, and what do you expect from this competition this year?

IGA SWIATEK: For which matches?

Q. Billie Jean King Cup.

IGA SWIATEK: In November?

Q. The draw, Poland and Spain in the first round.

IGA SWIATEK: I had no idea. Sorry, I'm not prepared. So the draw was today? We are playing against Spain? What's the question?

Q. You played also last year...

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't have many thoughts because obviously this is happening in November, and still long way, you know. I hope I'm going to be able to play for the first time, because it's been pretty annoying, you know, being kind of forced with the calendar to pass this tournament because I feel, like, you know, I have been playing these qualifying matches so I want to get the job done till the end, you know. But it just didn't make sense for previous years. It would ruin, you know, for sure the beginning of the season and scheduling.

So I want to play, and then if it's going to be possible for me to play, I'm going to start thinking about it. Sorry.

Q. How have your processes changed for dealing with, like, rough patches during matches compared with where they were two or three years ago? What are the things you do differently now that you didn't used to do in order to get through something like that and turn things around?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I wouldn't say there is no pattern, so that's why it's hard to answer that question. I wouldn't say I did the best job today to do that, because it took me really a while. So I did something probably that wasn't right, you know.

But honestly, I don't remember how it was two years ago. I tend to kind of just look, you know, for the future. I don't really remember even some injuries that I had two years ago or something, so I'm not good at, like, analyzing that in a bigger horizon.

Well, for sure I have -- I don't know. It's a different situation. Two years ago I have been an underdog and it was kind of normal for me that I'm going to struggle in most of my matches because, I don't know, I was in top 10 but I wasn't really, I wasn't sure if I have the best tennis out there, you know.

Now it's a little bit different because I start from the point where everybody expects me to, you know, have easy matches kind of. So this changes a little bit, but on court, you know, we don't have time to think about expectations of others.

So I'm trying to deal with my expectations and choose the right solution for the moment.

Q. You get to play Ons or Maddie next, if you don't mind talking about them separately and the challenge they pose to you here in these conditions.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it's going to be a tough match. It's the semifinal, so any player that's going to be there deserves to be there.

I don't know about the conditions. We'll see with the weather. I think it's getting colder tomorrow. Also, we'll also see how the schedule will look like, but, you know, I mean, they play different games, so I will need to prepare tactically. It's not like I'm going to go and play the same way against both of them.

So we'll see who's going to win, and then I'm going to prepare. Against Ons it's always a battle, and Maddie can really have great tournaments. We'll see (smiling).

Q. When you said you started too fast and needed to get back to the game plan, does that mean you were trying new things in this match, or it was just another day and you just need to get back to basics?

IGA SWIATEK: No, it was more like I just made, you know, mistakes. I made some decisions that weren't right for the moment. And back to basics, I mean back to really solid game so I would avoid these mistakes.

Q. Any progress on the Taylor Swift tickets?

IGA SWIATEK: Taylor Swift? Ask Jules. He's IMG agent so he should get it, I guess.

No, but it's hard with the schedule. I think there is one show that it's going to be perfect, but I think the tickets were already sold out.

Not yet? So I can just buy them? Well, then what's the problem? (Laughter.)

Okay. I'll get to it. Honestly, I didn't check before. So thanks for the reminder.

Q. Which show?

IGA SWIATEK: Which one was that?

(Off microphone.)

Q. I would like to ask you, do you feel that this tournament on clay feels different for you because of the altitude compared to Roland Garros or Rome?

IGA SWIATEK: Yes, for sure it's different. You just have to play it differently and adjust at the beginning. For sure after a couple of matches you can feel more free and natural, because your brain gets it better.

But, yeah, it's more tricky, for sure.

Q. Have you ever played a match that you wished you had a souvenir from? Because yesterday Pedro Cachin took Rafa's shirt as a souvenir, and I'm wondering, have you ever had that feeling where, oh, I wish I had something from that match?

IGA SWIATEK: Hmm. Not really, but if I would play against Rafa, for sure I would ask for a T-shirt. (Laughter.)

But that's not possible (smiling).