ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2025

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/R. Sramkova

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Iga, congratulations. Another one on Chatrier. How did it feel being back there?

IGA SWIATEK: It feels great. I think it was a great first round and a really solid performance.

Yeah, I'm happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Just wanted to ask you about yesterday. How many times did you cry? What was it like seeing Rafa again?

IGA SWIATEK: I wouldn't call it a serious crying, but for sure there were tears. I think twice during the ceremony, but I really tried to hold it together so I don't look that bad, you know.

Yeah, it was amazing ceremony, and I'm happy that Roland Garros did this for Rafa. You know, I'm happy that also the whole tennis world had opportunity to kind of come together and just thank him. Yeah, because we all should be grateful for everything that he has done.

It's pretty abstract seeing him now on the court after so many years of fight and, you know, just grinding through everything.

Yeah, like, he's a GOAT so I'm happy that I was there.

Q. Playing Emma Raducanu next. You won your first Open here at 19. She won the US Open at 18. What do you make of her journey since then? What do you make of her as a player, as a person?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, you know, everybody has a different path, you know, and different changes. But for sure she's a great player and has, you know, great forehand. She can use her topspin pretty well.

So we played already couple of times, and we know each other's game. For sure I will need to be intense and focus on myself.

Yeah, but for sure, you know, she won the US Open. She can play great tennis, you know. I'll be ready.

Q. You obviously had a comfortable win over Emma in Melbourne. What do you think the differences will be here on clay?

IGA SWIATEK: I didn't really think about that match, honestly. I was thinking about our Stuttgart match, and I think we played another time on clay after -- I'm not sure. I'm not good at that.

But yeah, I don't really take a lot from that except the experience and, like, me knowing how she plays, you know. But Melbourne and Roland Garros, like, totally different surfaces, different stories. I'll prepare tactically as I should, you know, before a clay court match, and that's it.

Q. You were the first match on. That's been very common for women to be the first match on on Chatrier in recent years here. Curious what your thoughts are on that. Also, it goes into the men getting a huge majority of the night-session slots, as well. What you think of the really unbalanced schedule they have had on Chatrier for many years?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, I mean, every year we talk about it. My position didn't change. I like playing days, so I'm happy that I'm done and I can have a longer rest.

But on the other hand, yeah, people just try to look for, like, not even things between men and women. You can find that in the schedule a little bit, and you can ask us all the time, but honestly, my answers are not gonna change, so I don't mind.

Q. I understand your personal preference playing in the day and it doesn't bother you, but do you, as an ambassador for women's tennis, understand the men are getting a much bigger stage and bigger audiences because of the schedule?

IGA SWIATEK: I understand, but I'm not making the schedule.

Q. But does it bother you they get such a bigger platform?

IGA SWIATEK: No.

Q. What do you consider the greatest challenge for a player who is a teenager, relatively new on tour, younger than a lot of her opponents, to win a Grand Slam title?

IGA SWIATEK: Greatest challenge for a teenager to win a Grand Slam title?

Q. Is it any different from...

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it's hard to speak for everybody, but I think for a teenager it's easier. You're an underdog, you're not observed, you don't have a target on your shoulder. The expectations are lower, and for sure it is easier to win a Grand Slam when you are a teenager rather than, I don't know, winning it as Maddie did after so many years being on tour. Everybody also knows your game.

Probably you have many situations where you didn't make it and it can haunt you. So I think winning as a teenager is easier.

Q. I wonder if Chatrier, for you, has reached the point when you step on it for a match, you can feel it's going to lift the game because you've won so many matches? Rafa used to say I step on it and I am so at home that I know that literally it feels like you can't lose.

IGA SWIATEK: No, I mean, I literally lost a match on the Olympics, so it's not like you can't lose. But for sure I feel a lot of good energy, and I feel like I'm ready to fight. You know, I am willing to fight, and it's great to be pumped up before the match because of that, so I'm using it, for sure.

Q. Yesterday was an incredible day for Rafa. Could you talk about him, what inspires you? Can you share a fun story?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, everything honestly inspires me, because it's not only what he does on the court, which everybody sees not giving up, winning matches, when he's started from being in trouble and you see that his game is not working, but then he pushes through it and then he manages to win.

You know, coming back from injuries, also his attitude and the way he always, like, resets and focus on the next point. But off the court, as well, like the way he treats people. You could see yesterday that he was in tears when the Roland Garros staff came out on the court. You can see that this was important for him, showing gratitude to other people and being grateful for their work.

So, yeah, he's really like a humble person, and I really appreciate it. Yeah, I think he's a role model for, like, everybody, especially now, and people only seek this drama and being so bright and being like everywhere, he seems to just be doing his job and be focusing on that and people love him for that, so yeah.

Q. Did he ever give you any advice that was helpful that you recall or a comment you could share?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, it's not like it's, like, a eureka thing, but on the other hand for him tennis is pretty simple, you know, and he knows what his values are and he follows them. So sometimes where you're lost, it's nice to look at him to see how much clearer goals he has. Yeah, again, how tennis is simple for him.

Yeah, in 2021 when he lost against Novak in the semis and everybody stay at the same hotel, in the Novotel. I remember, I was devastated that he lost, and next day, like, I met him because he was just sitting there after breakfast or something, and I asked him, How does he feel?

He was, like -- he was chill. He's like, Oh, it's just a tennis match. I'll get many more chances.

I was, like, What? Why am I crying if he's not crying? (Laughter.)