ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2023

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/C. Bucsa

6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Iga, talk us through your thoughts on the match. Your first match out here this year. How did it feel for you?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure at the beginning it was tricky, but I'm pretty happy that I managed to play better and better. In second set for sure I kind of learned what I did wrong in first, and I'm pretty happy that I was more solid.

Yeah, as I said at the beginning, it was tricky.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Was it the wind or was it also because it was the first match that you felt a little wobbly today?

IGA SWIATEK: I think both.

Q. Two breaks in the first three service games.

IGA SWIATEK: I think both. Well, yeah, it's never easy to play a first round, especially in the Grand Slam. But the wind added up for sure because it's a little bit different than on the outside courts where I practiced.

Q. I know we are jumping ahead of it, but if you win Roland Garros again you'll go to three titles, which would equal Serena Williams, Monica Seles, and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Are those kind of records things that motivate you or are you more concerned with charting your own path in tennis?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I don't even know these records. I play tennis but I'm not really an expert in terms of statistics and history, so I'm not really focused on that. I'm kind of living in a different world, I feel.

I never even played Serena or, you know, Monica Seles. So, yeah, I'm kind of living my own life and having my own journey.

Q. Since the beginning of the tournament, there is some criticism on the quality of the balls, that they are growing bigger after few games and fluffy. What do you feel about that and how do you feel with the balls?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't know, honestly (smiling). I don't know, because I don't want to be kind of influenced by that comments. I like these balls more than most of the balls that we have on tour.

I managed to kind of work through some tournaments where I didn't really have a lot of, you know, these feelings, so basically I learned from these tournaments that it doesn't really make sense to focus on that. I'm more like focused on myself and how I want to feel.

But, yeah, it's hard for me to say, honestly. And also, because I don't know when they changed from Babolat to Dunlop, but they also said that there was a huge difference between Babolat and Dunlop. And after a year I didn't really remember how it was with Babolat. So a pretty similar situation right now.

Q. What do you think of on-court coaching and have you used this option today?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I think here on Philippe Chatrier for sure it's gonna be a little bit harder to use on-court coaching because the box is pretty far away.

My coach gave me like one tip but mostly I was more focused on myself and I knew what I can improve. So there was no need to do that. It's already on WTA, so it makes sense that they are kind of making it consistent on every tournament.

But, you know, from the beginning I said that I liked the previous system better where the coach could go twice during a match or once during a set to your bench and you could talk.

But I kind of adjust to what rules we have right now, and that's all. I have no opinion really.

Q. Just in terms of I guess the information you were getting off of the court in terms of how it was playing today with the conditions, didn't seem like there was a lot of clay on one side of the court as well. What were you kind of feeling in the first few games in terms of how things were playing, and what were the adjustments you made as the match went on?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I just felt more tense, for sure, but I managed to kind of turn that around and not think about, you know, all the stuff that is usually kind of bothering when you play a first match on some tournament, you know.

You hear a little bit more. You're kind of like still have to get used to all that stuff that is like surrounding you. Yeah, I just felt like I need to gain some information to like play more solid further in the match, and I did that.

It wasn't like one exact thing. I just felt what I needed to change, because some things, you know, weren't as smooth as sometimes they are. So it's normal that I kind of need to get my rhythm again.

Yeah, in the second set I played much better, so that's the most important information for me.

Q. According to weather forecast, this week is going to be very sunny and hot. The end of the tournament it's gonna be a little bit rainy and cooler. So do you have any preference in terms of that kind of weather condition? How much do you think weather affects your tennis on clay?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I haven't really thought about that, because I don't know if I'm, you know, going to play at night or during the day. There are many factors that come in.

Even in Madrid it was really, you know, hot. But when I played, you know, at 11 p.m., I didn't really feel that. So it doesn't really make sense for me to go that forward, you know, and think about how the weather is going to change next week.

But for sure, you know, I just see what the focus is for next match and I will adjust.

Well, there are like some basic stuff that we do basically when the temperature is going up, like changing the string tension a little bit. But yeah, we'll see.

Q. Just a follow-up question. So do you change your tension of the racquet or strings according to that it's night or day or hot or cooler?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, like in Rome, for example, I knew that in the evenings it's like 6 degrees less sometimes or even more. Yeah, I change it there, but I don't really know how it's gonna go here. It's always like based more on a feeling than the numbers, you know.

So we'll see.

Q. You said on Friday that you didn't know that the top rank of the WTA can change. You said also that you're just going through the journey in tennis. Do you feel any pressure some days?

IGA SWIATEK: Of course I feel pressure. I think we all feel pressure. Like there are players who are in some positions that are a little bit harder for them or easier, but yeah, I feel pressure. I would be lying if I said I don't.

But I'm trying to kind of work with it and just play my game no matter, you know, all the circumstances and the expectations from the outside.

It's not easy, but basically I think it's like the most important thing in tennis right now to cope with that properly, and I already know how to do that, so I have like all hopes that I'm gonna continue doing that.