Iga Swiatek, the World No. 1 tennis player, admitted that she faced significant pressure at the beginning of the year, which was difficult to handle. The 21-year-old came off a remarkable 2022 season, winning two Grand Slams and registering a 37-match winning streak, the longest unbeaten run in the 21st century on the WTA Tour.
Season So Far
In a pre-tournament press conference at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, the defending champion discussed her current season, which has so far lived up to the high standards she has set for herself. After a fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, Swiatek went on to win the title at the Qatar Open and finished as the runner-up at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She then made it to the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells before withdrawing from the Miami Open due to injury.
Losses and Mentality
A journalist asked Swiatek if she felt she had been panicking too quickly this season. Swiatek responded that this was not the case, and she lost because her opponents were “pretty solid” during the clashes. She added that the losses had nothing to do with her mentality, and were simply a part of tennis. The three-time Grand Slam champion does not care whether her losses came in straight sets or three sets, stating that she doesn’t pay much attention to that detail.
Stuttgart Title Defense
Swiatek then discussed her impending title defense in Stuttgart, saying that she, like any other player, would love to win the tournament again. However, considering this was her first tournament on clay this year, Swiatek is keeping her expectations low. Though she admitted to feeling rusty, the 21-year-old promised to play her best tennis at the WTA 500 event, where she will begin her campaign against Qinwen Zheng in the second round.
