US OPEN

September 5, 2026

Iga Swiatek

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/M. Bouzkova

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Two very contested sets. Your thoughts?

IGA SWIATEK: Yeah, for sure, it was a really tough match, point by point. Many also breaks or breakpoints. Like, many tough situations.

So I'm happy that I raised my level in both tiebreaks to close it, because I feel that was important. I think it was a good match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. The way you saved those set points in particular in the second set was really impressive. Like, all of them were really good. I'm curious how -- it seemed like you were thinking really clearly. How did you feel on them, and also, how much confidence does it give you that you reacted in that way?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't remember them quite well. Honestly --

Q. (Off microphone) -- three backhand winners, and then you came to the net on the third one.

IGA SWIATEK: I came to the net? Oh, wow. Well, the thing is that I tried not to think of these points as set points. I tried to play them as I would any other point. I didn't want to create too much pressure.

Obviously if I'm focused well, I don't know what the score is. So that's this time on the match where I can just focus on my tasks, and then I can be more consistent no matter what the score is. It wasn't easy to do that today, but that's how I felt in the tiebreakers, as well.

When I was, yeah, saving these set points -- was it 5-4? I don't know. Okay, but she was playing great. I remember one point when it was, like, 5-4 to her, and I had my serve, and she played this amazing backhand down the line, really low.

I was, like, well, you know, hopefully I'm going to have chances to get this set back. I just focused on, like, using them when I did. I'm happy that I did that.

I was just accepting, you know, that she's playing good, accepting that some mistakes may happen, and just trying to really stay present and not think about the previous games and just focus on the next point, and that's it.

Q. What does winning a sort of tight, hard match like this during the first week when you may not be playing your best -- even when you're not playing your best, what does that do for your confidence, or how does it affect you?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, for sure, getting through these tough moments, it's a nice, like, practice for the head a little bit, you know? You're not going to get this kind of pressure on the practice.

So I'm happy that I went over them, and that gives you, like, an ability to maybe do that better next time, I guess. But, honestly, every match is a different story, so yeah.

Q. I wanted to ask you about on-court interviews, the process of them. Do you enjoy them? Are they awkward or fun? How do you find them?

IGA SWIATEK: No, I like them. I think we're closer to the fans. We can hear their reaction. Honestly, this is why we're doing interviews, to reach out to the fans, you know?

That's why it's important with you guys, right, because that's what fans are going to read or something. On court is the only moment where you can actually talk to them not through you guys, so I enjoy them.

Q. Does your mind ever go blank sometimes?

IGA SWIATEK: Sorry?

Q. Does your mind ever go blank sometimes with a difficult question?

IGA SWIATEK: On court it's not so difficult usually. But, no, it's not like -- I think I answered many questions in my life, so sometimes I'm not that, like, focused, because this is actually, like, right after the match where I can relax a little bit.

So I don't exactly remember what the interview might have been about, you know, but I enjoy them during.

Q. After spending so many years playing most of your matches on Ashe, what is it like playing in sort of a smaller stadium where it's maybe smaller, but in some ways it's more alive and more intense maybe?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, Ashe is really alive. Sometimes too much, I would say.

This court is nice. I feel like, honestly, I don't see any negativities about it. It has, like, less screens. It's smaller in a way that is more normal, I would say because Ashe is, like, huge. The court seems small comparing to the green part that you have around it, you know, so it's not easy to play on this court.

The grandstand seems nice and, like, normal, nice court. I don't really mind, honestly.

Q. Were you saying the green in Ashe around the court seems smaller, because the stadium is so big?

IGA SWIATEK: No, it's bigger. Like the whole court is kind of big.