NATIONAL BANK OPEN

August 13, 2026

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/E. Rybakina

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Iga, congratulations. First title here in Canada, and your first title of 2026. Just what does this title mean to you?

IGA SWIATEK: Thank you. It means a lot. Yeah, I'm speechless a little bit because the journey has been bumpy this season.

So, to be here and to hold the trophy, and to win against the best players for sure means a lot. I'm just proud of myself and super happy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Questions, please.

Q. Over the past year, obviously your last title was 11 months ago. How much did that kind of weigh on you to not have been in the final, and not having a title in 11 months?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I wouldn't say it mattered this week. But overall, obviously we all work to have these moments, and for sure I was missing it a little bit.

Sometimes I was impatient throughout the season. I was, like, seeking it while maybe my game was not ready. So I'm happy at the end I stayed focused on just grinding and improving because that's the most important thing. This season it has been necessary.

For sure this week my tennis clicked, physicality as well, the mental work also. So, for sure best week of the season so far.

Q. You were saying after the match that this was the first time you were feeling anger as an emotion. I was just wondering, did you see a value in that anger over the course of this week and playing with that, and do you think that's something that you maybe want to keep with you going forward?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I didn't feel it during the tournament. I guess now, I mean, after I won, I kind of let myself feel it a little bit because, yeah, as I said in the speech, you know, there are plenty of things that athletes, not only athletes, all the people have to struggle with.

Sometimes we need to fight things that we shouldn't. That's why I'm even more proud of myself that I focused on my path, and I didn't let that to define me.

I believed, and I know what my game is worth, and I just need to focus on the right stuff, do the right work, and the bright days will come.

Q. It felt like you had the crowd support for all six of your matches here in Toronto. I know you arrived here early to experience a little bit of the city. What was it like to be here in Toronto, and what were the fans like over the course of the week and a half?

IGA SWIATEK: They were amazing. You could hear them. Sometimes it was a little bit wild (laughing). They were screaming in unnecessary moments. But besides that, really supportive. I heard many great things from them. This is the best thing you can experience on the tournament.

Also, like, after the matches, I had opportunity to always sign and to be close to them. I felt the support, and I felt the love. I heard from, like at the beginning of the tournament, that there's like big Polish community here, but I didn't know it's that big. Half of the stadium was probably Polish. So I really appreciate that, and for sure it gives you extra energy. I felt it on the games.

Q. Your previous answer back there, what you said on the court about being angry. For those of us who don't quite understand what you were talking about, can you clarify what was making you angry?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, all the things that I mentioned in the speech. Like, just the unfair judgment, and sometimes the, like, people just judging and hating.

But it's good to focus on how to create space for you to just focus on yourself. It's not so easy to do that. But the best thing about this two weeks for me was that I could kind of let it go. Yeah, this anger came like after I won. But during the whole process I was really focused on just growing and progressing.

The same happened after Wimbledon when I started practicing on hard courts. So, for sure I feel like I worked hard through kind of all this noise, and unnecessary noise, that's what makes me angry. Because it shouldn't be like that and it doesn't need to be like that.

Q. Do you mean like on social media?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, if you would be Polish you would know (laughing).

Q. Can you describe a little bit your winning reaction once you captured match point? You started with a big smile on your face, and then looked immediately to your team and pointed to your head. You looked so intent and just so dialed in and fired up. Can you explain the emotions that were going through your mind in those two moments?

IGA SWIATEK: You can explain them well. I was really fired up. I kept my composure until the end, even though there were moments during the tournament where I lost the level a little bit or I had a little bit of doubt.

In the final today I was certain what to do, and how to use all my strengths. I felt during the whole week my mentality was in a good place. I reacted well to positive things that came, but also to the challenges. I could problem solve basically on every match. That really gave me confidence. So that's why I pointed to head.

Q. On the match today, you entered this match losing the two previous matches to Elena. Curious what changed going into today's match in terms of how you approached this matchup, and how proud you were of today's performance against Elena.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, she's a really tough opponent. If she plays her best game, she's probably better than everyone, you know. So you need to use all the opportunities. You can't let yourself make mistakes or bad decisions.

So I was really in the zone today. I wanted to make the match physical, and, yeah, to use my top spin and to remember that I have a game that I can control with the spin and with the curve that the ball has. So in these conditions also I found confidence in that.

Yeah, but, you know, any match against her is tough, especially knowing how she serves and she can win so many points for free. You need to really stay patient and don't let that annoy you a little bit, you know.

Q. You have a 26-5 record in finals now. Wondering what allows you to play your best tennis when it matters most.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't really know because I try to approach these matches, the last match as the same as the ones before. I know what I did right. I'm just trying to continue that.

I guess if I'm in the final it means that my game is good, and that gives me confidence, for sure. It means also that I play, like, some matches, some were probably tough, some were not. So I know, I just know what to do, I'm already in the rhythm, and I guess the focus, and not letting your head go to places where it can distract you to be in the final, you know, and you can feel the pressure.

You know you need to go all in if you want to win the tournament because you're going to face the best player in the final. So just trying to focus on that.

Obviously sometimes it's impossible. Sometimes there are finals or other matches where it's just hard to handle. But you need to always try. So I'm happy that most of times it went good for me.