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Swiatek on a very stressful and chaotic 2021

Iga Swiatek, the Pole who astonished the tennis world in 2020 with that spectacular autumn Roland Garros in which she was crowned champion and in an insultingly comfortable way, has had a 2021 not as successful as she would have liked. Even so, it has given her to stay among the 10 best in the world, being able to play the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. In an interview for the WTA website, Iga points out how difficult it has been for her this last year with many trips, surface changes and changes in the dates of the tournaments that have made everything very chaotic. He advocates a calmer 2022 in which he can better prepare himself to give the optimal version of his tennis.

A very turbulent and stressful 2021

“I could only feel relax after the Olympics. I had a pretty tough time. With Roland Garros, Wimbledon, then the Olympics, there was a lot at stake and a lot of added pressure. And all this did not stop, because as soon as a tournament was over. , I was already preparing for the next one and also changing surfaces, which does not give you the confidence you want.

After the Games, I was able to take some time to relax, it was not ideal, but I still needed it because I had to reset and it required more time than usual. After this period, I felt much better, I was able to compete again without having to worry about all these things from months ago.

I hope I can recharge my batteries and be ready for the entirety of next season because I can’t imagine playing at this intensity for six more years. At a point, I’m never going to want to see a tennis court again. So I hope that year after year, I will be able to rest more and worry less. “

Expectations created in 2021 and how you surpassed them

“I was very curious to see if I was able to handle all these expectations of myself and if I was going to be the kind of player that becomes inconsistent. I know I can have better results sometimes, but I feel solid. I feel like this. The last year has been very good for me.

Off the court, I wanted to see if at some point I would have time to sit quietly and not feel like a tennis player or a celebrity. That happened to me after the Olympics. But for the first part of the year I felt like I had a lot of energy and enthusiasm about my new situation, so I didn’t allow myself to rest. Now I feel that my lack of good attitude is similar to how I was before winning Roland Garros. That is, not being all the time focused on tennis. I am still not the best example of a player who plays without expectations. This is basically my goal in every tournament, but I haven’t reached that level yet. “

Your aspirations in 2022

“I am curious to know if my energy will last until the end of the season considering that I only take a week off in my preseason. When I started this year, we were all very fresh because we had only played four tournaments in 2020. This season was more intense because of all that we had to travel, since the circuit was not set up as usual and it was not the most appropriate way. “

Kick off the season in Adelaide

“I remember that it was to start before the Australian Open in a relaxed place, calm. I did not stress at all. I realized that that week was like a week off for me. Even though I was in the tournament and playing at my highest level. “I treated it like it was rest, mental rest. It’s really cool to have something like that. It was the same as when I went to Eastbourne before Wimbledon. You don’t have a lot of obligations when you play small tournaments. Much more fun and enjoyable at times.”

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