Iga Swiatek was seemingly left baffled by a reporter and among the questions she acquired following her Rome Open win.
On Saturday, No. 1 seed Swiatek routinely claimed the title at a WTA 1000 event in Rome after sealing a 6-2 6-3 win over world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
For 22-year-old Swiatek, it was her twenty first WTA title and he or she additionally improved her spectacular report in finals to a 21-4 report. Additionally, it was the ninth clay title for the Polish world No. 1, who’s broadly thought of the perfect clay-court participant in ladies’s tennis.
Though Swiatek’s clay dominance is well-documented, the 22-year-old has truly gained extra titles on onerous courts – 12. Whereas one may argue that there are numerous extra onerous tournaments than clay occasions within the calendar, the truth that Swiatek has gained 12 titles on onerous proves that she can also be a dominant drive there.
On the subject of grass courts, Swiatek hasn’t but gained any titles there however final yr she made an enchancment on the quickest tennis floor and was a semifinalist in Dangerous Homburg earlier than a suspected meals poisoning pressured her to withdraw from her semifinal match.
The questions that left Swiatek baffled
After profitable her twenty first title in Rome and her ninth clay-court title, Swiatek acquired a query that seemingly left her surprised and in disbelief.
“You gained three Roland Garros and also you gained three finals right here, dropping solely 9 video games in three finals. Being so dominant on clay, how do you clarify that you simply’re not as a lot dominant additionally on different surfaces? All people is saying that these days the surfaces are way more comparable than they had been 20 years in the past,” the query learn.
Swiatek bluntly responded with a query on her personal for the reporter: “You suppose the surfaces are the identical?”
However the reporter remained unfazed and even defined why they thought that they had a sound level, telling Swiatek: “On the opposite surfaces you win, however not as a lot as on clay.”
Swiatek then responded with one other query: “Have you ever performed on every of those surfaces?”
The reporter then responded in a method that may make it appear like they did not perceive what Swiatek was asking, responding with a “What.”
Swiatek clarified herself just a little, asking the reporter: “Have you ever performed on every of those surfaces you are speaking about?”
The reporter then had one thing very direct for Swiatek, telling her: “I feel you must win all over the place the way in which you play.”
The world No. 1 responded to that argument with a “Thanks.”
However the reporter in query did not cease there as he requested once more the identical: “What’s your clarification for not profitable as a lot as you win on clay on the opposite surfaces?”
Swiatek offered a solution nevertheless it was one thing that the reporter may have realized from the Pole’s earlier solutions.
“As a result of they’re totally different. As a result of the surfaces are totally different,” Swiatek stated.
Swiatek on how she feels about her French Open possibilities
Heading into the 2024 French Open editions, nothing adjustments in comparison with the previous couple of editions as three-time champion French Open Swiatek once more enters because the No. 1 favourite for the title at Roland Garros.
When the clay season began, Swiatek failed to finish a three-peat in Stuttgart after Elena Rybakina grew to become the primary participant to beat the Pole on the clay courts of Stuttgart. However since Stuttgart, Swiatek has gone 12-0 and is now coming off back-to-back WTA 1000 wins in Madrid and Rome.
With a 14-1 report on clay this spring, Swiatek acknowledges she feels very assured going into the French Open. Nevertheless, the three-time French Open champion insists she is remaining “humble” and never taking something without any consideration.
“Effectively, clearly I’m assured. I really feel like I am taking part in nice tennis. But it surely does not change the truth that I actually need to keep humble and actually targeted on getting the whole lot step-by-step. Grand Slams are totally different. There may be totally different stress on the courtroom and off the courtroom,” Swiatek stated.
“For positive, I like to come back to Paris once more and be there. It is an amazing place for me to be. I actually get pleasure from my time there anyway.
“These are onerous seven matches that it’s good to win, so I do not take something without any consideration. I will simply work onerous as I did in Madrid and Rome and we’ll see.”
After profitable her maiden Grand Slam title on the 2020 French Open, Swiatek additionally captured her second and third titles at Roland Garros in 2022 and 2023.
This yr, Swiatek will try to finish a three-peat at a Grand Slam event for the primary time in her profession and obtain one other very notable milestone. If Swiatek wins this yr’s French Open, she is going to develop into a five-time Grand Slam champion as she additionally has one US Open title in her assortment.
