WTA FINALS

November 9, 2021

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with our next player, Iga Swiatek.

We'll start with questions.

Q. Regarding the conditions, what for you has been the biggest challenge about learning to play at altitude? How is your progression coming along?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it wasn't that bad because we actually stayed in States. I didn't have to, like, go through two jet lags, so I'm pretty happy we made that decision.

Yeah, I mean, the altitude of course is pretty tricky. Also the balls are different. We needed like few practices to get used to it.

I would say for me it's not such a huge difference because also when we were in States, we were practicing in Phoenix, in the mountains, because Bethanie Mattek-Sands invited us. She provided some good clubs, good tennis clubs, I mean. Don't get me wrong, I am not partying that hard. Good food because it's Bethanie.

We had a good time and we could practice.

Q. Could you explain the difference with the balls.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, they're pretty heavy. The pressure is different. Well, for me it's like everything, with the altitude and the balls. I think the conditions are okay.

But I would say if we would play here with normal balls, they would, like, fly like crazy, so I'm pretty happy that the tournament provided us with the different ones so we can actually play.

Q. Also about the conditions. You were a player who really likes to use your trick shots and also have a very powerful game. How difficult it could be to play on those conditions with your style? Do you consider changing your game a little bit for this week?

IGA SWIATEK: I wouldn't say that I would change my game. But for sure, I mean, for now it's pretty hard for me to say that because I haven't been, like, trying many trick shots. For now I was just keeping the rhythm on practices. That's the most important thing for me, just playing from the baseline, having control over the ball at the beginning of the tournament, for sure with a lot of stress, it's going to be like the most important thing.

I think if I'm going to feel comfortable with the trick shots, some risky shots, they're going to come next. For now I'm just focusing just being in the rhythm, being solid, being consistent during matches, yeah, so I can be solid. That's all.

Q. Obviously being in this top eight, very exclusive tournament, you must feel a lot like a top player. When did you really start to feel and believe you were one of the very best in the world, when you started to feel like you belonged at this level of the women's game?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it's hard to say. For sure when I started playing WTA, I didn't feel like that. I remember that first two tournaments I was kind of stiff because I felt actually that I don't belong here. But it was two years ago, so...

Right now I feel like I've made progress. By going step by step, I made it to the top. Yeah, sometimes when I think about it, it is pretty crazy. On the other hand when I'm living day by day, working hard, practicing, it seems I just made progress and it's pretty normal.

It's good sometimes to just sit and remember what road it has been so I can actually be proud of myself sometimes. Yeah, so it depends on my mood probably (smiling).

Q. You spoke about being in Phoenix and staying in the States. How tricky has it been this period, needing to be on the road for so long, this long stay in the States? What was it like for you? I also know you went to some Phoenix Suns games. I want your thoughts on that as well.

IGA SWIATEK: Basically at the beginning I knew it's going to be tricky, staying away from home for that long. Even though I had, like, trips like that, I've been abroad for more than one month. Here I didn't have any tournaments. We were just practicing. We had a lot of time off. At home I would be pretty busy.

I'm pretty happy we stayed here because I could rest actually and see little bit of States which I didn't have chance to do my whole life.

Yeah, as you said, we went to some NBA games. It was great actually. It was pretty different atmosphere than on the Lakers because we actually also went on a match in L.A. I felt like on the Lakers stadium, there are a lot of tourists coming there, maybe they are not like huge fan of basketball, they just going there to see the match.

On Phoenix Suns, everybody was so enthusiastic. You felt like there is, like, many people there, they knew what's going on. They were really shouting. It was really emotional. It was great.

Also, like, all the things that were around the match, like the cheerleaders, also the contests for the fans. It was pretty cool. We had fun, for sure.

Q. Do you have a favorite player that stood out to you on the court?

IGA SWIATEK: It was hard to choose, but Chris Paul was pretty cool. I mean, at the beginning of the match I could see that he's not, like, a hundred percent in the game. I could see how he's making progress during the match, how he's changing his game little bit. I also have the situation sometimes on court, so it was fun to see that. I would say Chris Paul, yeah. We bought his T-shirt.

Q. When you think back on the past year, starting with Australia, what are the moments that stand out to you, both the highs and the lows? What comes to mind?

IGA SWIATEK: It's a hard question. For sure Roland Garros was the moment, because coming back as defending champion, it was tricky. But still I felt like I did solid work, so I was pretty happy with my result. There are many situations like that. Also Australia was pretty weird, going into quarantine. I actually liked it. I know that it was tough for some players.

Then having this first tournament in Australia when we could go and live with the society normally after being in a quarantine, it was pretty great.

But I would say there were, like, many situations like that because I play some tournaments, tournaments I've never been to. Being, like, seeded there, it was also pretty weird because I never been there. Right now my ranking is so high that I was seeded. I could also get, like, some new experiences.

I would say the most tricky thing was learning how to play with the higher ranking because usually I was an underdog. I still feel like I didn't figure it out completely. That was pretty tricky.

Q. A lot of tennis players in the WTA are pretty close as you travel a lot together. Who are your best friends on the tennis circuit? When you have to face them on the court, is it easier or harder?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't have many best friends. For sure Kaja Juvan from Slovenia. She's my best friend since we were like, I don't know, 16 or something. We actually were planning to play little bit of pre-season together. I think it's going to be impossible because I'm going to have such a short pre-season because of Finals that it's going to be hard to schedule that.

It's pretty fun right now on tour because I feel like there are many players that are really, like, open-minded. I'm talking with Paula Badosa a lot, as Anett Kontaveit, Ons Jabeur. I feel every day when I go on-site, the atmosphere is pretty cool.

Yeah, it's nice to have that feeling that it's not always all about tennis and all about competing with each other.