ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/A. Potapova

6-0, 6-0

IGA SWIATEK:

THE MODERATOR: Iga, congratulations. Back into the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. Just talk us through that very emphatic victory today and your keys to the match.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure I was playing really solid and efficient way, and I didn't lose any points that I didn't need to. So I'm happy with the way I was disciplined, and I just stick to my tactics for the whole match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. This morning we are watching Novak Djokovic play until 3 o'clock in the morning. It is an issue in tennis when matches are starting late and then finishing after midnight. You're World No. 1. Do you think as a sport there should be a cut-off? Do you think tennis should do more? I'm thinking of ball kids and security staff. It's not just the players that are tired. It's everyone in the arena who is working late.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, that's true. Obviously, everybody kind of thinks about themselves, and that's why I was always looking from the player's perspective.

It's not easy to play and then it's not like we're going to fall asleep one hour after the match. Usually it takes us, like, four hours to even chill, and you need to do recovery, media. It's not like the work ends when the match point.

Yeah, I was always one of the players that said that we should start a little bit earlier. Also, I don't know if the fans are watching these matches if they have to go to work next day or something when the matches are finishing at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.

It's not up to us. We need to accept anything that is going to come to us.

Q. When you have a match like you have today or even one slightly longer -- you have a lot of quick matches -- what do you do the rest of your day? Do you go hit more? Do you feel like you need to get more reps in, or is it just take advantage of the rest and chill out?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, we have time to practice tomorrow, so there's no need to, like, do that today because it's not that I'm playing next match tomorrow, and I need to work on some stuff, and I need to rush it.

So, no, usually I don't play even after a quick match. Maybe, you know, it happened couple of times, but yeah, I don't feel like I need to right now.

So I'm actually happy that I could recover after match against Naomi because, you know, three-hour matches, they stay with you for a couple of days, but I felt really fresh today. There's no need to, like, make it worse again. It's better to recover.

Q. The match was over in 40 minutes. That's the shortest match of your professional career. Is it possible that those results against Anastasia from U12 and U14 were in the back of your mind a little bit?

IGA SWIATEK: No. Well, obviously I had just a thought that times change a little bit because I remember she was always the player to beat me. I don't think I won against her, and I lost some heart-breaking matches for me.

Like semifinal of the Orange Bowl when I had match point, and I lost here when I had a pretty good tournament, and I lost against, yeah, Potapova and couple more. We always played against each other, like, European championships or something.

Honestly, there's no point to think about that, but I had just a thought like that. It lasted two seconds, and then I was focusing on my work because that's the best thing I can do.

Q. What's changed in those ten years for you?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't know. When I think about myself, I just know that my progress was kind of like that, you know. It's never kind of stopped, so I'm just proud of myself and the work that I've put to be in this place.

Everything changed because I'm just older, and I play better.

Q. There are some, I guess, one-sided matches where they can be quite tight with tight games, but this was, you know, you lost ten points, and you hit two unforced errors. I'm curious just how does it actually feel like when you're in the zone and you're not making errors and things are flowing freely? How does that feel?

IGA SWIATEK: Comfortable. You just go with it because there's no point of, like, changing anything. You just continue what you've been doing and what has been working.

But, honestly, I was always focusing on the next point. I didn't really look at what happened before. So that was probably also why I could be efficient.

Q. After this express win ,is your coach planning to get you on the practice court again today, or is your day at the office ended? Second question, do you feel any change of the attitude from the French crowd after your request several nights ago to be more quiet during your rally?

IGA SWIATEK: No, I'm not going to practice today. Well, I think the crowd was calmer also because I didn't play such a high-intensity match as against Naomi because, obviously, that was like a popcorn kind of match, and everybody was really excited and pumped up for it.

Next ones I felt I had everything under control, so also, I think the crowd felt that as well. I think, yeah, people are listening, and they are respectful. So I felt a difference, but I don't know what's the reason. I hope they kind of accepted my little speech after the match, and they are not mad at me.

Q. You were requesting not to play at night. You don't want to play that night session. I'm just wondering whether it's a routine issue, if it's the conditions here that makes it difficult. What's the reasoning behind it?

IGA SWIATEK: There's no issue. I just like to sleep normally.

Q. I just want to know if you saw a part of the game last night between Djokovic and Musetti?

IGA SWIATEK: I haven't.

Q. Do you think Novak Djokovic can be fit for his next game after such a game?

IGA SWIATEK: I haven't watched it. I have no idea. You have to ask him, but I guess he is so experienced that he'll do everything to be.

Honestly, I didn't know that it finished at 3:00 a.m. I have nothing to say. Sorry.

Q. As you said, spectators are really excited with watching your game, enjoying. If you remember, the first year -- the first time you won this tournament, that time very few spectators because of COVID and it's taking place October, which is very crowded and cold. So can you recall a little bit about that experience and compare that time to this very enthusiastic situation?

IGA SWIATEK: I remember. It was weird playing with no noise on the court because you're kind of alone with your thoughts because you're used to the support and hearing even something in between the points.

When we had no audience, for sure it was weird and hard to adjust to because you just hear yourself and you hear, like, your breathing and everything. Sometimes it's weird.

Yeah, but I remember I think from the semifinal or the final there were a few thousand people separated from each other, so they were trying to also support us. Even though the quantity wasn't big, they were kind of loud.

But, honestly, back then I didn't really care. I was so overwhelmed with being at these stages of a tournament that it didn't really matter for me. Actually, I think it was kind of easier because I was still 19 and not experienced, and if I would go on a stadium that was so loud and so pumped up, maybe I would get more stressed or something. Now I have the experience. Now I can play you should any conditions.