US OPEN

August 31, 2024

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/A. Pavlyuchenkova

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Iga, your thoughts on the match.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure, I'm happy with the performance, because I felt like, you know, she's a player that can play really powerful shots, so I wanted to be ready for that and I was. I'm happy that I was in control of the match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I just wanted to ask you about the forehand...

IGA SWIATEK: I practice that all the time (smiling).

Q. Yeah, it came so naturally to you. How much of that is luck and how much of that is at all hand skill, eye skill?

IGA SWIATEK: No, I think mostly luck (smiling). I would be giving too much credit to myself if I said I had control over it, but I guess in situations like that, you remember it's worth to kind of reach for every ball even though you think you might not get it.

It was mostly luck, yeah (smiling).

Q. I saw the video of you and Serena chatting. Curious, what was it like to see her, and if you want, what were you chatting about?

IGA SWIATEK: It was really nice to see her. She has a lot of positive energy. It's nice that she came on-site and she was chatting with the players, because for me, yeah, I still felt, even though we met before and for like couple of years we have been on the same sides and on tour together, she's still like star-striking me (smiling).

It was nice that she approach me, because I wouldn't, for sure, find courage to do that (smiling) if it was the other way. But, yeah, she's really nice and really positive.

I'm happy that she's following tennis, you know, and, like, my game, because she told me that she's cheering for me. It's always nice to hear that from somebody like Serena.

Q. Have you gotten better at approaching people in general?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, I think so. I think so, yeah. I'm not that shy, for sure, as I was a couple years ago, so it feels better.

Q. It's not about only about today's match, but in general, you have been No. 1 for more than two years already. Many players say that women's tennis is evolving so fast. If you stay in the same level, it's not good enough to be same ranking or same position. So do you agree with that? How much progress do you think that women's tennis has made in, like, the last couple of years or, like, five years or something?

IGA SWIATEK: I didn't understand the first part of the question.

Q. Oh, so if you maintain your level, you cannot stay in the same ranking.

IGA SWIATEK: You need to get better?

Q. Yeah, yeah, to maintain ranking.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think it's hard for me to judge, like, the whole level of the game, because I'm mostly looking at myself and probably a few other players, you know. So it's hard for me to judge if we are playing better tennis than tennis, you know, five years ago.

I think for sure we are playing better tennis than, like, 20 years ago, because our physicality is getting better, like, and some other stuff. I think people are, as general, they are kind of like going forward. But it's still, I mean, I'm not an expert. I haven't watched, like, a lot of matches from the past to kind of know exactly.

But for sure you need to get better, because I would say, like, getting to No. 1, it happened suddenly for me, but at the beginning I feel like my opponents didn't really know what to expect from me and how I play. I think, like, 2023 was challenging because I had target on my back and also players actually learned my game style, so I think you always need to, yeah, learn and try to have more variety and many options on the court, because it's not like you can keep playing the same tennis. People will figure it out, and it's going to be much harder to win.

So, yeah, I think in these terms rather than if I'm getting, you know, if tennis is getting overall better and better, because it's hard for me to judge. But I think, yeah, you need to kind of mix up your game, because at the beginning, you might be there for a while, but then everybody will analyze you and focus on how to win against you.

Q. You seem like a player who has very specific ways that you like to warm up before matches, so to have Serena kind of be a part of that, I mean, did that distract you at all or kind of faze you at all?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, come on. I mean, I have my routines but it's not that bad. Like I can mix them up and change them, as well. But she approached me, like, at 4:00, you know, today. It was before my warmup. I wouldn't say it matters.

I mean, if it did, like, anything would distract me, but I would say it more inspired me and it give me, like, a positive kick, so it was nice.

Q. Curious how you spend your days off. How has that changed over the years, and how have you been doing it here?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I wouldn't say it changes comparing to other tournaments, but it changed comparing to, like, me in New York one year ago, two years ago. Because I'm staying in a different part of the city, and I'm enjoying some restaurants. I'm doing some Legos, so that.

I'm reading a lot. I mean, I was watching Modern Family for past few weeks but I was watching it too much in Cincinnati, probably, so I have to balance it. So I am reading more. Actually, Beatriz Haddad Maia recommended me a nice book. I don't remember the name. I will tell you next time, because I just started it and it seems nice. So I have something to read.

Q. What Lego have you been working on?

IGA SWIATEK: Like the machine, like, the old one from the '80s when you played games. Pac-Man. So it's a nice one. And also, I chose it because you can kind of, when it's going to be built, I can kind of travel with it, because it's just like a square, you know. It's not something crazy. Because I have been doing like flower sets, and then they broke, like, after 30 minutes in travel, so I just left them in these places. But this one I want to get home.

Q. Who recommended Modern Family to you and who is your favorite character on that show?

IGA SWIATEK: Who recommended Modern Family? I'm not sure, honestly. I think I just started watching it because I wanted something light. It was funny.

Who is my favorite character? It changes every season, so I can't really say. It was easier with Friends than with Modern Family, because I feel like -- I think Manny, for me, is the funniest one, yeah.

Q. And Friends?

IGA SWIATEK: When I first watched it, it was Phoebe. When I watched this for a second time, Monica. Yeah.