INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 18, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/A. Sabalenka

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: We'll jump right into questions for our champion. Who wants to start?

Q. How good was that?

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, you tell me.

Q. It looked pretty amazing where you demolished the second-best player in the world.

IGA SWIATEK: I mean, I was playing well and solid. I used my chances. For sure this match looked a little bit differently than in Madrid. I felt like I'm putting a lot of pressure. I just continued doing that throughout the whole match.

Really proud of myself and really happy.

Q. You had seven break points against you. You saved all seven. You saved 18 of 19 in the last three matches. What makes you so difficult to beat in those moments?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, overall I try to treat these points as any other point. I'm not feeling like I'm under so much pressure. Maybe also because I know I'm a great returner, even if I'm going to get broken, I can work it out.

I think on this tournament, my serve was kind of really helping me. All this work that we've been putting actually paid off in those important moments.

So, yeah, I'm really happy with that because that's what we've been working for.

Q. Do you know how many players won Rome, Madrid and Paris in the same year in history?

IGA SWIATEK: Rafa?

Q. In the WTA.

IGA SWIATEK: Serena?

Q. Just once, Serena. Are you the favorite for Roland Garros?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I'm No. 1 so I'm the favorite everywhere if you look at rankings. But rankings don't play, so...

I'll do everything step by step and we'll see.

Q. You won the title in Madrid and now Rome. You didn't have many days from a tournament to another. Now you have one week before Roland Garros. What is your plan? Will you rest a bit or will you travel to Paris?

IGA SWIATEK: I'll do everything you said.

For sure, recovery is important and necessary before a Grand Slam. Yeah, I'll not travel tomorrow because I have also my friends here, so I want to stay here a bit longer. Then we'll go to Paris. I have also some appointments there to do. It's not like I'm going to have full time off.

I guess we'll start practicing in the middle of next week.

Q. You seem a bit chilled out in light of the accomplishment of winning these two tournaments. Where is your emotional level at this moment and whether you have regulated that in a way?

IGA SWIATEK: I'm chilled out maybe compared to Madrid after the final because obviously this final was so surreal. It is a little bit different. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm really proud of myself and really happy. I need to maybe watch some highlights or anything to feel these emotions a little bit longer.

I'm chilled out because I kind of knew that if I'm going to work hard and if I'm going to be in the right mindset, this is achievable. I'm happy I was so focused and disciplined throughout the tournament to do that. I feel like I'm in the right place. I don't know...

Q. After such a competitive final in Madrid, did you make a different game plan for today or make any big changes?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, overall I was playing a little bit differently because of the surface and the difference. Basically there needed to be some change in plans anyway.

But for sure we learned as well from this match. I think Aryna did, as well. We both were so close to winning. It was a good match anyway, from both of us. I think it was kind of smart to analyze and see what worked and what not.

But honestly Madrid, I didn't feel like I could do everything. Here I kind of did. I felt like I can really use this surface and this feeling to play even better.

Q. You won three Roland Garros and you won three finals here, losing only nine games in three finals. Being so dominant on clay, how do you explain that you're not as much dominant also on other surfaces? Everybody is saying that nowadays the surfaces are much more similar than they were 20 years ago.

IGA SWIATEK: You think the surfaces are the same?

Q. On the other surfaces you win, but not as much as on clay.

IGA SWIATEK: Have you played on each of these surfaces?

Q. What?

IGA SWIATEK: Have you played on each of these surfaces you're talking about?

Q. I think you should win everywhere the way you play.

IGA SWIATEK: Thanks.

Q. What is your explanation for not winning as much as you win on clay on the other surfaces?

IGA SWIATEK: Because they're different. Because the surfaces are different.

Q. How important are your opponents now? I think everybody could be happy today is that people was very pumped about having No. 1 against No. 2 again after Madrid. It's something you always said, that you want to win tournaments in a row. Now also your competitors like Gauff, Sabalenka, Rybakina, they're doing very well on many weeks on the season. That's how important for you and for WTA also?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I would say that this year I'm less focused on rankings and points compared to last year. I felt like last year I needed to -- I didn't play Miami, so I felt like I needed always to chase. Even though I was first, I felt like I have somebody behind my back.

But this year, I just feel like I can focus on myself and not really think about that because, honestly, focusing on rankings is never helpful, I would say. There are plenty of things to focus on that we need to spend our energy for, that is just a waste of energy to focus on points and rankings.

I mean, last year also showed me that it doesn't matter even if I'm going to have a couple of worse tournaments, I can play another tournament well, like WTA Finals, that I haven't played that well before. No point to overanalyze. I leave that to my coach a little bit. He's the one looking at these stats, points.

I know that he's also not really focused on that because there are so many tournaments that you always have a chance to gain some points and suddenly be higher.

Q. How confident are you feeling about Roland Garros? Also the possibility of having another final in another clay court tournament against Sabalenka?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, obviously I am confident. I feel like I'm playing great tennis. But it doesn't change the fact that I really want to stay humble and really focused on getting everything step by step. Grand Slams are different. There is different pressure on the court and off the court.

For sure, I love to come to Paris again and be there. It's a great place for me to be. I really enjoy my time there anyway.

These are hard seven matches that you need to win, so I don't take anything for granted. I'll just work hard as I did in Madrid and Rome and we'll see.

Q. After the win you had a video call with someone on the court. Can you tell us with who was it?

IGA SWIATEK: My dad and my sister. I'm really in the bubble during the tournament, so I sometimes even not talk to anybody for a longer time. I wanted to call them because without my dad I wouldn't be here. He's the reason I play tennis.

I felt like it's a good idea (smiling).