PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX

April 15, 2026

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/L. Siegemund

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Iga, first clay match of the season. Just talk us through your assessment of the match and what you thought you did well today.

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure, I adjusted well to the surface. It's for sure slippery. It's a different kind of feeling, you know, when you play a match and when you practice. So I wanted, yeah, to adjust to that and give myself space to accept that it's not going to be that smooth.

Yeah, it was a positive first match. I, you know, used tactically the things that I practiced, and sometimes also, you know, it was not really straightforward, so I also had some moments where I needed to work, so I'm really happy about this match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I know you were just talking about adjusting to the slippery surface. Compared from your experience playing this tournament and other surfaces, what do you think led to the more slips than usual, or is it really just you getting a footing back on the clay?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I remember it was slippery as well in previous years, so I wouldn't say more than usual. But always the first match you're going to feel it more.

Also, you know, Laura plays tricky tennis, so you need to react fast sometimes to these dropshots and everything. Yeah, but I didn't feel any difference compared to the previous years.

Q. You had practices at a different place.

IGA SWIATEK: Which place?

Q. At Nadal's?

IGA SWIATEK: Oh, okay.

Q. I guess that was new? Did you practice there before, or...

IGA SWIATEK: I did in 2022 and in 2018, but yeah, you can say for sure it's new compared to last year, because last year I stayed home.

Q. So you had a quick intervention. Does it work already the things you practiced?

IGA SWIATEK: I think some, yes, but sometimes I kind of had my old habits, you know, in some solutions on the court. But I feel like I remembered well what I had in mind on practices, and I was ready to do that on the court.

You can't expect that after, because it was just, I just practiced, like, 10 days with Francisco, you can't expect it's all going to be there already automatically. So I need matches to just, yeah, get that automatic, but I'm pretty happy with what I had in my head today and the ideas that I wanted to do.

The other thing is actually doing it, as I said in a postmatch interview, but it was a positive step.

Q. So you feel good about it?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I feel like I have a clarity of what to do on the clay court, and I totally agree with what Francisco wants to show me. But, you know, if everyone could do 100% every match the ideas, they would win everything, so I need to have space to have some matches and try things out and see how it works.

Q. I also think it's a gutsy decision to change something just before clay court season, so I'm happy for you that it works.

IGA SWIATEK: Thank you.

Q. Is there anything that you are really pleased, like something did you try to do differently from the past and that you were really pleased? Even if you say you're still not maybe there, exactly where you want to be.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I changed my serve motion obviously, so this is something that I'm happy about. For sure I need matches to just have repetition, you know.

I'm trying to have a different approach to my returns, make more returns in, and sometimes not really rush during the rally but, you know, trust my solid game and, you know, remember that I can be more solid than the opponents. So, yeah.

Q. I think you just said that you tried to change your serve. How happy are you with it? There is muscle memory and you have done it so long for a certain time. How long do you think it might take you until you sort of do the other thing that you want to do, an instinct without thinking about it?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, the muscle memory for sure is not there yet, so it takes time, because I kind of didn't even change my serve exactly after Miami. I was figuring it out in Mallorca. And then after, like, five days there, I kind of saw what motion I want to have, so it's even less time actually than all my practice periods.

So I'm happy with it. On the practice court, it's already smooth. Sometimes today on the matches I felt like I did some movements perfectly, but somewhere, you know, like the old serve. So it needs time, for sure. It's not the first time I'm doing changes on my serve, and I'm going to be patient about it.

Maybe I wasn't completely patient on the court, but I'm trying (smiling).

Q. When you decided to change your coach, I was surprised to hear that you wanted the new one not to be a Polish one. Is that true? And what were your thoughts about that change?

IGA SWIATEK: Honestly, I feel like, you know, having Tomasz as my coach before, he was the best Polish coach you can have, so it's not like we have many options for having, you know, experienced coaches from Poland. So I feel like this time, you know, I was looking for someone who has experience with practicing, with knowing how to play on clay and also will have the same kind of ideas in terms of getting back my solid game and not really rushing in the rallies.

Francisco had similar point of view, so I wasn't, you know, looking at Polish coaches, because we don't have that many coaches, you know.

Q. Did you take this as a sort of new beginning, like new chapter? Or you were still looking a little bit at, for example, what was the press conference after the loss in Miami, as this was the first match after you lost in Miami?

IGA SWIATEK: You know, it's a new chapter, for sure, a new process. But, you know, it's my life, so I have all these experiences with me and you need to learn from them.

You need to also remember that it takes time to change some stuff, so, you know, I wasn't expecting today to be, like, flawless, especially after the last matches. It's different, you know, coming on a match after having, like, few wins, and it's different coming after bad matches.

So I'm giving myself time and space to just work on stuff and get the confidence in and get some, you know, good matches with me.