THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2026

Katie Swan

Press Conference

M. KEYS/K. Swan

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Katie, give us your initial thoughts on the match today.

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I'm obviously disappointed with the result, but it was an amazing experience for me to get to play on Court 1 for the first time. I was really excited when I saw the schedule.

There was a lot of different emotions, nerves, excitement, and I just wanted to put on a good performance. I did the best that I could, despite the result.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Did you know the Princess of Wales was watching you live there in the box?

KATIE SWAN: No, I didn't. I heard after that she was there. It's probably a good thing I didn't know, otherwise I might have been a bit more nervous. It's incredible to know that she was watching me play.

Q. You mentioned your excitement about being on Court 1. Talk us through what sort of experience that was and whether it's something that makes you want to get back there as quickly as you can, as well.

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, it was incredible. I didn't really know how it would feel really to walk out there. I mean, you can kind of sit out there and experience it, but walking onto the court is a whole other thing. And then having to try and perform while my legs felt like they were lead from the nerves.

It was amazing. I knew I wanted to try and get the crowd going as early as I could. They were amazing. They really helped me stay positive when the score wasn't going my way.

You know, I was fatiguing quite a lot in that match, but the energy from the crowd was keeping me going. I kept fighting, and unfortunately just didn't go my way in the end.

Q. That second set, was it really difficult to serve with the wind? Was that contributing to it, do you think?

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I thought I was returning well from the beginning. I gave myself chances to break, even though I didn't actually end up breaking in the first.

I found it difficult to serve today, mainly from how heavy my legs felt, I think, just from the nerves, really. Pushing up was difficult for me, and I thought my first-serve percentage was not as high as I would have liked. She obviously returns very well too. I was feeling pressure from her end. I thought it improved a bit in the second set.

Yeah, you know, it's quite fine margins at this level, and Madi is such a great player, she's coming off a win in Eastbourne. She just won a slam, so I knew it was going to be incredibly tough.

Yeah, there is lots to take from it, for sure.

Q. Must be quite encouraging for the amount of time you ran a Grand Slam, and were pretty close in that second set the way you performed?

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I'm disappointed that I couldn't sneak it into a third set. But, you know, for how big the occasion was for me, and I don't have any experience on a court like that. We played on quite a big court in Sydney last time we played each other.

But yeah, I think I can take a lot from this experience and hopefully next time I play on a court like that, having had this match, I can go into that with a bit more confidence and knowing that I can compete with these top girls.

Q. The topsy-turvy second, do you think you can use this experience to reignite your career a bit, kick on and be overwhelmingly positive going forward?

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, definitely. I have loved my time here this week. It's quite surreal to think I was playing on Court 1 today, and 14 months ago I was playing a 15K in Sharm El Sheikh. I have come quite a long way.

It's been gradual and steady. That's kind of the goal from here, is to keep building my ranking week to week and my spot at these big tournaments.

This time next year I'd love to be in Wimbledon on my on rank and go also giving myself a shot at the other slams as well.

Q. Madison said afterwards how the sound kind of echoed whenever you won a point and how she dealt with that. How was that for you to hear? How different is the focus and requirements you need to focus on the match when you're on a show court versus a much smaller ground court when the noise is moving around, a lot more movement around players?

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I was trying to go into the match today and get the crowd behind me early, because obviously I said before, Madi is such a great player, and I was definitely the underdog going into this match. If there was any way to disrupt how she was feeling, I thought using the crowd to get behind me would be that.

I just thought it was so fun, to be honest. When I won a big point and the crowd went nuts, haven't experienced that kind of support before. So it was amazing really to feel that for the first time.

I mean, it's completely different to playing on the court I was on the other day. You know, the crowd still erupts, but it's on a much smaller scale.

Yeah, those were different kinds of nerves out there today. I really just tried to embrace it and do the best that I could.

Q. What is it that sparks nerves? That's the court that you might have watched on TV growing up. You watched great stars play on that, and suddenly it's you on there and you're there waiting to come out. Explain what that's like for someone that's watched that growing up and suddenly it's you there. Is that why it's so nervous?

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I mean, I hit on Court 1 a few years ago with Venus before the tournament started, and even just practicing on there, it's, like, Wow, if this was a full stadium, I don't know how I would feel out here. Walking out there, it was amazing. But I felt so small, like, on that court compared to the amount of people that were around. But I thought I settled quite well into the match, actually, once I started playing.

Yeah, I guess it's just growing up and seeing all the top players that have played on it, on Centre, and getting to be part of that and putting myself in a position where I get to play on Court 1, it's an amazing feeling.

Q. Kate, she was watching, you didn't know she was there, how does it feel to know you had the support from her?

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, that also feels very surreal. She's such an inspiring person. I would love to meet her if possible one day, but to know that she even knows who I am is pretty cool (smiling).

I wish I could have had a better result with her supporting me, but, I mean, it's amazing to know that she was there.

Q. Just on hoping that you can get into the slams off your own back, what has this week shown you about how much you can still achieve in your own career?

KATIE SWAN: This has been really positive for me, this Wimbledon, and the grass overall. I've had a few wins against girls who are here in the main draw. I'm still ranking-wise a fair way off being at that point, but like I said before, if I keep building week to week, I just don't want to take anything for granted.

It's not a given that I'll get there, but if I keep putting in the work every day, yeah, keep believing in myself, I know that my level is good enough to reach that goal.

Q. You're doing your own coaching. You have been coaching. You know what it's like to take someone and give them feedback. If you were coaching yourself and giving yourself a debrief now, what would you say?

KATIE SWAN: Yeah, it's a good question. I think I have to give myself a bit of time to process kind of everything that's happened this week. I think reflecting on where I was even 14 months ago without ranking, to be playing on Court 1 at Wimbledon is an amazing achievement, which I need to be proud of.

In terms of my tennis, there is a lot still to improve, but there is a lot also that I feel I have done really well and showing that my level, I don't have to try and overplay in these matches, that my base level is good enough to compete with the top girls, and just to keep trusting that and putting in the work physically and to get stronger so I can maintain that level for longer.

Yeah, I guess just keep going, really.