ROLAND GARROS

May 31, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/M. Bouzkova

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: How does it feel to get a win on your birthday? Does it make it any more special?

IGA SWIATEK: It does. But for sure I was waiting until after the match to feel that I have a birthday because I knew that I need to focus on my work because if I would lose, it would be a total disaster.

So I'm happy that I won, and I kind of gave myself a present.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You seem to have a bit of trouble remembering the name of a park that you went to.

IGA SWIATEK: I know. I still haven't checked, so I don't think I can change that now. Yeah, I didn't get much help. We couldn't communicate properly with the noise and everything, so yeah.

Q. How difficult is it to reset after such a highly emotional and important match for a second-round match than to reset, put it behind you, for a match that you probably more are expected to win in some ways in a third round?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, honestly, I think this is the advantage of having one day off because, yeah, sometimes it's harder to, you know, keep the routine or something, but this time actually it helped because yesterday I wasn't even practicing also because of the rain.

So, yeah, I could reset, and I could also rest physically because this match was for sure demanding. I felt good today. Like, I can just proceed with having a solid tournament even though I was in trouble against Naomi for sure.

Q. A little bit out of topic. In your position of No. 1 of the world there is something that you can say to the people that can see you from Latin America?

IGA SWIATEK: I played some tournaments there. In Guadalajara I played there with WTA Finals. I know how supportive they are. Even though we don't have many tournaments there, I know that people love tennis there, and they are really supportive.

I remember I wasn't even at the top of the ranking then, but they recognized me, and they really gave their energy to any of us. It was great to be there, and hopefully in the future it's going to be possible to come there.

Q. If you wouldn't mind, if you could step back and just say in your career who would be the first one or two toughest players that you have faced and why?

IGA SWIATEK: Toughest players. You mean the ones that are like the hardest to play against or...

Q. Yes, hardest to play against or who are the best, most skilled.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think Elena and Aryna just because they are also consistent and they are improving kind of with me I feel. So, yeah, there are other players obviously doing that, but there is some rivalry between us, so yeah.

I guess Ons it was always tricky. You had to really think on the court and adjust a little bit more. Yeah, yeah.

Q. Kind of a follow-up question off of the first question. We watched the video shot footage of you crying after that Naomi match, which is on social media. Can you explain what kind of tear it is? Are you overwhelmed or relieved? Can you talk a little bit about that?

IGA SWIATEK: Maybe I was crying because there are cameras on the gym. Well, just overwhelmed with emotions. I honestly thought that I'm going to be out of the tournament. Even though I felt something on court, it kind of hit me after. I was happy that I won, but I still felt like I was really on the edge. So, yeah, I just cried.

Q. Just following up on that, I'm curious just how long does it take after a match and the intensity and the emotion, how long does that remain when you leave the court, and how long does it take you to get back to a kind of normal state?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it takes a lot of time. That's why also it's kind of -- I always feel like it's kind of easier to play during the day because I have time to recover after and go normally to sleep because I think that's the biggest issue when you finish late.

Yeah, it takes a lot of time. There's no pattern. For sure it's longer after such a hard match, but on the other hand, you're more tired so maybe there's going to be possibility that you're just going to lie down to bed and just die, you know.

It depends, honestly.

Q. How was your sleep?

IGA SWIATEK: How was my sleep? Decent. Better than I thought. It didn't really matter because I had the day off yesterday so I could catch up.

Q. Obviously you're very used to celebrating your birthday at this tournament, and I'm sure you've had many great experiences. Is there any part of you that kind of wonders what it might be like just to have a normal 23rd birthday or 22nd birthday, you know, not busy winning Grand Slams?

IGA SWIATEK: Usually I have birthday during my day off. I think that's the first or second time I have a birthday when I played -- second.

Basically, I never felt like, I don't know, I don't have time celebrating when I had the day off because it was my birthday anyway. I think if I would be at home, I would practice anyway, I would see the same people anyway. Maybe I would have some kind of a party or something, but I'm also not a party person, so I'm not sure.

For sure playing on your birthday, it's not so comfortable because it's 8 o'clock, and I have four hours to celebrate, so yeah, but that's the work that we have to do. We can't complain. Like many people work during their birthday, and they have to do that, so I don't care.

I mean, the tournament is a priority for me anyway, so I'm not going to choose birthday over tournament anyway.

Q. You've been working with Daria for five years I think. When did you begin to work about the mental topic? Were you maybe, like, 14 or...

IGA SWIATEK: You just answered yourself. I kind of started then, but it wasn't easy to find the proper person to talk to and person that I could trust and open up to.

Also, I didn't feel like it was helping much before, so Daria was the first person that actually helped me, I feel.

Q. I just wondered when you're not playing but in a tournament like this, how much of the tennis are you watching? Do you prefer to switch off, or do you like to watch it?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't watch anything.

Q. You don't watch anything?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, sorry.

Q. And the outside tournaments as well?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I don't get much time outside of tournaments if I play well, and if I don't play well, I don't want to watch because I'm kind of jealous that other players are in the tournament.

So, yeah, I don't watch much tennis, but if I wouldn't play tennis, I would watch it, so it's not like I'm giving bad advertisement to our sport. It's a great game.

But, honestly, I've had enough when I play anyway, so I don't feel like I need to add more.

Q. Do you have to scout your opponents and that sort of thing?

IGA SWIATEK: I'm not good at that anyway. When I watch tennis, I don't see a lot. I can't really analyze properly, so my coach is doing that, and he is for sure better at it.