Iga Swiatek faces the final stretch of Roland Garros with very clear ideas and willing to take her second crown in the Parisian tournament. The world number 1 was very sincere in the previous press conference she offered after getting her ticket for the semifinals against the Czech Vondrousava (6-0 and 6-2). She even complained to the competition organization.
Now, Coco Gauff will be her next rival and she hopes that her concentration technique will help her overcome an American who is in continuous progression: “I see her more mature, her mental game is a little better, before it was a little easier to defeat her when you were leading her. It is normal that she is progressing, she is at that age where everything is going very well and if you work hard you will make progress. She is doing it and probably every aspect of her game is a little better because it is different being a teenager on the circuit and then being a more mature player.”
AND If Swiatek is characterized by something, it is by the continuous insults he imposes on his rivals. Something that is not easy to achieve, because relaxation usually appears at some point during the set. And in this sense, he has confessed how she achieves it: “I try not to think about the score. Sometimes I even forget how the score goes. I just concentrate and keep myself busy thinking about technique, tactics and what I would do on the next point. That’s why I don’t allow myself time to be distracted and think about other things. It’s not easy and I’m not always able to do it, but often when I’m not thinking about the score, I can reset after each point and start the second with a clean slate. It’s the best kind of game for me.”
In another vein, questioned about the controversial schedules in which some matches are being played this year due to the rain, Iga has spoken out loud and clear: “I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t care because I’m only concentrating on my matches and I like to play during the day, so I’m comfortable with them scheduling my games like that. I think it is better to ask the person responsible for scheduling and choosing the matches. Many factors and many requests probably come into play. I prefer to play during the day, but if I said that, it is bad for women’s tennis, so I wouldn’t say anything that would make my schedule more comfortable, although it would be good to choose the hours to play. I understand some decisions such as having my match with Naomi during the day and Richard Gasquet playing at night. It is quite obvious that a French player may have priority for the night session.”
Finally, he confessed what has been the most special moment of his career to date, the one that changed everything: “The 2022 victory was the most satisfying and I have already shown everyone and myself that it was not a one-time thing.”
