At 21, the Polish won Saturday at the US Open, on hard surface, the third Grand Slam tournament of her career, after two Roland-Garros on clay.
How do you feel after this victory?
Each Swiatek : I’m super proud of myself because it wasn’t an easy game. Even though I dominated the start of the game, I knew it would be close and I knew Ons would take advantage of every mistake I made. In the second set, the match became very physical and I’m happy that my energy level went up a notch to be able to be a little more precise in the key moments and to conclude. We played at a very high level. And I’m particularly proud of my mental level, I don’t break down in difficult times. After the games, even though I lost, I have no regrets because I know I was 100%. I am also proud to have many more solutions in my game than before, from a tennis point of view but also from a mental point of view. I use these possibilities very well and I’m proud of it because I know what it’s like to be on the court and not know what to do to change the course of a match. It’s been a long time since I found myself running out of ideas, so it proves that I’m progressing.
Was it important to win a Grand Slam title on a surface other than clay?
Sure ! At the start of the season, I realized that maybe I could have some good results on the circuit. I also made it to the semi-finals at the Australian Open. But I wasn’t sure I was good enough to win a Grand Slam, especially on a surface as fast as the US Open. I didn’t expect that, that’s for sure. It is also a confirmation that I have no limit.
Read alsoUS Open: Stronger than Jabeur, Swiatek, as patron, offers herself a second Grand Slam in 2022
So is this title more satisfying than the two from Roland-Garros?
It is difficult to compare. At Roland-Garros, I always feel that I am in control and I feel good on the Philippe-Chatrier court. Here on the Arthur-Ashe, I find it hard to get used to the atmosphere. For my second title at Roland-Garros, I was under a lot of pressure and everyone expected me to win. Here, I had lower goals and managed to exceed them. And I think people weren’t expecting a lot from me on hard. So I think Roland-Garros was a bit more complicated. But if we only talk about tennis and physics, it was more difficult here (at Flushing Meadows, editor’s note).
Read alsoUS Open: Stronger than Jabeur, Iga Swiatek wins her third Grand Slam title
You talked about distractions in New York, what did you get distracted by?
In fact, it’s not entertainment, but rather meeting celebrities. Like (ex-ski champion) Lindsey Vonn. And (the singer) Seal! After meeting Seal, I said to myself: even if I lose now, I will have already won this tournament because I have a picture with him. It was awesome. This is something that can probably only happen in New York…because it is New York.
SEE ALSO – Mbappé’s goal after 8 seconds during Lille-PSG on August 21 (1-7)
