AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2025

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/E. Raducanu

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Iga, that was a very efficient win today. How did you feel out on the court?

IGA SWIATEK: For sure I felt great. I felt like the ball is listening to me. So just pretty loosened up.

At the end I felt like all the tactics and everything I wanted to do, I was able to. So I just kept going.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Do you enjoy being ruthless? Do you take extra satisfaction from a 6-Love set?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't take it personal kind of, so... I wouldn't say I'm ruthless. I just try to have the same kind of attitude and same kind of focus no matter what the score is.

But it's not like I want to, you know, show something. I'm just playing my game. If it's working, why stopping? I also seen many matches when someone was back being down like 2-5 or something. You always have to just keep going. It's not over till it's over, so yeah.

Q. What do you think are the biggest differences from how you're playing now compared to last year?

IGA SWIATEK: I think kind of everything changed because for sure last year I think it was the toughest Australian Open I ever had. Like, the draw was pretty unlucky for me. But, I mean, still, if you play well, you're able to get through that.

I remember I was just tight, didn't move well. Also had some things that bothered me like physically, as well. Now I feel much more fresh. I feel like everything is in the right spot and working. I can just focus on the game, and that's it. I don't need to fight through some stuff.

Yeah, I feel less stress. It's helping, for sure.

Q. Tactically, compared to the year as a whole 2024, do you think now you're doing some things differently, as well?

IGA SWIATEK: Tactically?

Q. Yes.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I do things differently for every opponent. There's no way you can compare. Last year I played Danielle who plays super flat. Emma, for example, she plays more spin. My previous opponent Rebecca also plays more spin. You can't compare really.

Q. I found that phrase you used about the ball listening to you interesting. Could you explain a little more about what you mean by that. How often do you feel that? It looks from outside like that's a frequent thing. I'm wondering from your perspective.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I would say I feel that on a practice court, like, most of the time. Sometimes during the matches I feel like... It's just being able to, like, aim for this kind of space or for this, you know, like being more precise and actually knowing where the ball is going to go, seeing the effects that you want it to.

On practice court at home probably I feel it all the time. But I'm used to the court. I like the conditions and everything. On the matches is a bit different. Sometimes you need to get through some matches where you totally don't know where the ball is going to land, for example.

Yeah, honestly, every day is different. You always have to work to get these feelings, not expect that you're going to get them because it's not so easy.

Q. At the end there, there's this ritual of writing on the TV camera. You looked a little like you were struggling to come up with what to say.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I'm not really a creative person, so... Yeah, at first I had no idea what to right. So thanks for the support. I actually thought of it more and I asked to write again. Yeah, well, I'm not so smart sometimes (smiling).

Q. What did you write the second time?

IGA SWIATEK: I just wanted to kind of, like, dedicate this tournament for my grandpa. Just wanted to send him some nice message because I never did that. I feel like I had many opportunities before.

As I said, these things don't come up to my head naturally. So now I remembered, and I used the opportunity. I felt even though these are not final rounds of a tournament, I feel like I'm playing good. Even this tournament already has a nice story to it. I wanted to dedicate it.

Q. What would you say is the biggest impact that Wim has had on you, now that you're playing in a Grand Slam and had a couple months to test-drive some things?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't know. I think the fact, I just feel the support. I think he knows I'm doing 100%. Even when the effect is not perfect, I don't mean today because this match was kind of perfect for me, but on a practice court or something when I'm struggling, I feel like he gives me a lot of support and understanding.

For sure this is important. But obviously tennis-wise, it's hard to say because it's not like his view is totally different from the coaches that I had before. It's just about the execution, you know?

For sure, this year these matches that I played I was able to execute the tactics, my game style a bit better than before. The biggest impact, I don't know...

Our work is about everything. There's not like one specific thing. It has to click in every aspect for me to play well. For now it does, so I feel more relaxed and I feel like for sure with my game a bit more confident than last year, for sure.

Q. Am I right you made some small changes to your forehand to make it more compact, no?

IGA SWIATEK: Did I? Well, honestly, it's not like we had a lot of time in the pre-season. Like, I didn't change my movement, so... At least I'm not aware of it.

Q. People thought you did.

IGA SWIATEK: No.

Q. Obviously very early in the year. You've had one loss this year so far to Coco. How do you see your game today compared to that match two weeks ago? Do you think if you played like you did today, that result might have been different?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, doesn't make sense to compare. Playing against Coco is different than playing against Emma or other players. Like, she's literally one of three best players in the world right now, I would say.

Yeah, but, I mean, I felt like I'm playing good in the United Cup. I had these nice matches with Muchova and Boulter, as well. I was in trouble. I was able to come back. I won against Elena for the first time on faster hard courts.

It was nice. I felt like I'm playing good. For sure, I couldn't give 100% on that match with Coco. Obviously she earned it. She played really nice and pretty aggressive and everything.

But, you know, at the end, like, I couldn't really move much because everything hurt me. So for sure I would like to play again with Coco when I'm more, like, fit and ready to run and everything. With Coco, you need to physically be ready. She's running a lot, as well. The rallies can be long.

But yeah, I mean, during the whole year, I think there are many situations where, I don't know, both players are fresh or one is fatigued, one not. United Cup is intense for everybody. You never know what you're going to see on the other side of the net.

When you play these top players, you always need to be ready and 100% to win against them. Also these previous wins I had with her, they didn't happen like that (snapping fingers). I always had to work for it.

I wouldn't compare. Totally different story. Totally different tournament.

Q. Do you feel fresh? Do you feel good?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I feel much more fresh than for past two years. Even though it's beginning of the season, last two years I felt much more fatigue and also a bit more stress, I would say. This also comes together.

So yeah, for sure I can now just focus on improving my game rather than, like, feeling better.

Q. A few players have commented this tournament about the courts being slower and balls heavier compared to previous years. Have you noticed that?

IGA SWIATEK: I haven't noticed the courts being slower. So for me, they're fast anyway. The balls... I remember that last year I felt like at the beginning when they were new they flew like bullets. You couldn't really control them. Especially, yeah, they were just so fast in the air.

I don't feel this this year. Still they are really dynamic and bouncing off the court pretty fast. No, I mean, I wouldn't say there's much difference.

Q. Movement is obviously a big part of your game. You can hear your feet squeaking on the court. Is that because of the way you move, or do you have particularly squeaky shoes?

IGA SWIATEK: It's the way I move, yeah (smiling).

Q. Do you notice? Can you hear it when you move?

IGA SWIATEK: When I first started working with On, I realized that there are different ways to do the shoe, as well. They were also able with the Roger shoe to avoid any kind of noise. I didn't want that.

I also want my grip. And the shoes that are not squeaking much, I think the sole is more flat. Like, it has no spaces in between.

I like it. I asked them to kind of keep it the same that I always had before. They are really great brand, so they did perfectly for me. Also, it's the way I move, I would say.

Q. There were a lot of suggestions about how Raducanu played over here, there was a freshness about her, that she had really picked things up, looking so much better on the court. Did you have any note of that going into the match today? If that was the case, if you were aware of all that, does something like that spur you on even more to really score a scoreline today?

IGA SWIATEK: I wasn't really aware because I'm not reading much what you guys write. Sorry. Maybe after the tournament (smiling).

I'm so focused on myself kind of that, honestly, it doesn't matter. Also every match is different. You've seen like two days ago, like, also I might not play the same. It's hard to keep the same kind of level for whole two weeks or even for a week sometimes.

All these stories behind, I don't really focus on them. I was ready for a big battle and for anything that I can show. I'm always on my toes and ready. I think this is what my kind of focus is about.

I wasn't aware. I just played my game.

Q. When did you maybe sense this was going to be such a one-sided scoreline during the match?

IGA SWIATEK: I try not to think of that during the match because it makes your head kind of lazy, you know? As I said, so many matches where players are coming back from 2-5. I just wanted to finish it and to close it.

I don't know. I felt like she might lost her belief a bit. But honestly, you never know what's going on on the other side of the net.

I know if I would not be so intense, if I would back out, she for sure would use it because she's an experienced player. I just focused on myself. I didn't want to change anything.

Q. A lot of players barely leave the bubble of Melbourne Park and their hotel. You famously in Paris like to get out to parks. It's worked very well there. Have you found any in Melbourne where you like to do that? How important is this disconnect for you, given the intensity you bring to practice and match day?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I mean, for sure I found some nice places in Melbourne. It's important 'cause you just have to enjoy life off the court to play good. Also to find some kind of distance to everything.

If you're just focused on tennis, then it suddenly becomes life-or-death kind of thing. It's not like that. It shouldn't be like that. It's just tennis. It's just a game.

Off the court, I try to have - I don't know - just rest in a nicer way that I would even at home, because at home I have so much stuff to do usually.

Now, yeah, I just chill. For sure I'm not sitting in my hotel room too much. It's nice, I love it, but I want to see Melbourne, and I want to just feel the summer and everything because it's nice.