CHINA OPEN

October 7, 2023

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/C. Gauff

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Iga, congratulations. Into your first Beijing final. Can you give us your thoughts on your performance today.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, thanks.

Well, I'm really happy with my performance. I think I played really nice. For sure I learned from our match in Cincinnati. I'm happy that I could just kind of focus more on myself.

Yeah, I knew what I had to play to kind of gain more confidence. Yeah, I just showed that on today I think, and I'm pretty happy that I won.

Q. I wanted to get a few more thoughts on your performance, what you thought you did particularly well today. You seemed to be playing really aggressively throughout. I'm wondering how, given in previous press conferences you've talked about risking, what was your approach towards that when you're playing someone like Coco?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, honestly I think I played less aggressively than past tournaments. I feel like I'm playing more solid. Obviously it is aggressive because I couldn't be at this stage if I would kind of push the ball. I think I'm making less mistakes than I did before.

Overall, playing against Coco, yeah, it's tough because she's really well at keeping the initiative, but on the other hand she can play great in defense. You have to really be patient and be ready for her to kind of fight for everything and run to every ball.

Yeah, but I don't know. I felt really good and I felt like I can also do both things. When I felt like the moment is right to push and play faster, I did. I don't think I made, like, a lot of mistakes. Sometimes it's about more feeling than tactics or some kind of a plan.

Q. In your match against Caroline, you were serving remarkably well throughout that match. Today you only lost a handful of points on your service games. How much of the focus during your training block was on the serve itself? What do you think you're doing differently, if you are, here in Beijing on that shot particularly?

IGA SWIATEK: We are always kind of focusing on my serve, and I should (smiling).

Well, for sure at this tournament I feel like I'm serving better. I had matches during this season where I felt like, yeah, I was serving great, and I wish I had that kind of form in terms of my serve every match. It was up and down.

On the other hand I knew these positive matches meant that I can serve well and I can serve better. Yeah, I am practicing a lot my first serve. For sure on this tournament, yeah, it's working. I don't know exactly why. I'm trying to serve the best way possible in every tournament.

I don't know. I feel like overall I'm more loosened up. I feel more free. Everything is a little bit easier than on past tournaments.

Q. As for tomorrow's final, what is your expectation if you can choose which player you prefer to play against?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, I'm not going to do that. I'll see who's going to win really. Doesn't really make sense to go that way in your mind.

It doesn't really matter because I feel pretty good on court. I want to keep the focus on myself in terms of what I want to do on court and how I want to play.

Sometimes these little things as preparing the tactics that, like, suits you more than what you should play against your opponents is giving you some kind of extra positive thing mentally.

I feel that's what I should do because I've been doing that for the whole tournament. I'll play my best game as possible no matter who it's going to be against.

Q. Reaching the final for short break as you mentioned, does it make you excited? Is it stressful? Proud? What is the feeling?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure I'm proud of myself and happy with the way I played for the whole tournament. But I know that I'm kind of in the middle of the work. I'm still focused on what's next.

I wouldn't say it's, like, a new feeling because I think this semifinals in Montreal and Cincinnati were kind of, I don't know, similar in terms of the weight or importance. It's not like it's a new feeling.

I feel like I'm playing pretty consistent way throughout the whole season. I already played many finals. It's not like I'm treating it as a different match. I still want to do the same work.

Q. On court you said you feel free, that you're playing freely, that you haven't had this feeling in a long time. I assume you're referring to just kind of not having the weight of the No. 1.

IGA SWIATEK: Maybe.

Q. Maybe, I don't know.

IGA SWIATEK: Me either (smiling).

Q. Can you articulate or give us a sense as to how differently that feels to be playing freely compared to when you weren't?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I can't really point out because I'm trying to not overanalyze or overthink on every tournament.

For sure just the feeling that I get on court. This surface and these balls, maybe they fit me. I have, like, more positive thoughts when I play. I have a feeling that I also have Plan B if something doesn't work out.

But overall, yeah, I'm trying to do the work mentally like on every tournament. Maybe, yeah, not being No. 1 helps a little bit with that.

I wouldn't say also that it's been a long time since I haven't felt it, because I know there are players that kind of feel baggage on their shoulders for much more time. For me it's a couple of months.

I think I'm lucky anyway that I can kind of go through it and just work through it. My body and my mind is kind of I think really flexible so I can really get into that positive mode again.

What was your question?

Q. In terms of how differently it manifests itself when you're free compared to when you're not.

IGA SWIATEK: I don't know. It's just easier. You can keep your focus better and longer. You don't have any thoughts that are kind of messing with your head. Sometimes it's even, like, easier to run or easier to technically do something because it goes more naturally.

So yeah...