Iga Swiatek, new world number one: “For three days, my phone was in birthday mode”

It’s a bit like Act II of Iga Swiatek’s career which begins in the spring of 2022. Revealed to the general public by her surprise title at Roland-Garros in the fall of 2020, the young Polish (22 in May) has since grown to become number one worldwide. This week, in Stuttgart, she will enter a tournament for the first time with this status of patron of the WTA rankings.

At the beginning of March, you were world No. 4. A month later, you are in power. Everything has gone very quickly for you in recent weeks, between your hat-trick in the WTA 1000 and the retirement of Ashleigh Barty. Do you still have to pinch yourself to realize you’re the new #1?

Iga SWIATEK: At the beginning, yes, I felt a bit like that. There was a surreal side to it that was a little beyond me. But the advantage is that it happened at the start of the Miami tournament. I had to stay focused on my tennis and the next match, so that helped me stay the same player I was before becoming world number one. There were a lot of emotions of course, but I had to push them back at the end of the tournament to stay focused and continue to play well.

Have you received many congratulatory messages? Has your idol Rafael Nadal come forward?

IS: I received a lot of messages, yes. For three days my phone was in birthday mode (smiles) with messages everywhere. Many people congratulated me. Ash (Ashleigh Barty, Ed), for example. She was one of the first to text me. Rafa also sent me a message. Then a lot of players on site in Miami, plus everyone on Instagram and Twitter. I can’t even remember everyone!

In any case, you have confirmed your love of the finals. You had lost your very first on the circuit, before winning the next six. How do you explain this success rate?

IS: I just try to approach a final like any other game. I have often noticed that, for most players, the level in the final is a little lower precisely because of nervousness. So I work a lot on the mental side to be able to play the same tennis as throughout the tournament. But you know, in Indian Wells, I was very nervous. I couldn’t even tell you why. Maybe because it’s the biggest tournament in the world after the Grand Slams. In Miami, I didn’t make the same mistake. I was much more relaxed. Avoiding stress is the key in the endgame.

You have a good chance of approaching Roland-Garros as world number one. Do you see it as an opportunity or a form of weight?

IS: I’m always happy to play at Roland-Garros. It’s always been my favorite tournament. Coming as number one is nice. But I’d be happy to get there even if I wasn’t number one. It’s not extra pressure. Last year, it was different because I was defending champion, it was a big challenge for me. I didn’t really know how I was going to react and handle the pressure.

Have you felt it a lot in this fortnight?

IS: It was a little weird. I had only won one Grand Slam but I was already the girl to beat. I would say it was mostly stressful off the court. It was the most difficult, the most exhausting. It’s not easy to focus only on work and not waste energy on the side. Once on the court, during the matches, it was fine, it was as usual. Outside, no. But it was a good experience.

Since your title at Roland-Garros, you have shown consistency in Grand Slams, but without managing to go all the way or even in the final. What predominates? Satisfaction or frustration?

IS: Honestly, I’m satisfied. I knew I needed to evolve my game to be competitive on hard courts. This year, reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open, winning some very complicated matches, was a step forward. It was a good result, even if we always want to go further. So I have no frustration with my Grand Slam results. Even last year in Paris, the fact of managing to play well while being defending champion, it was a satisfaction. Overall, I try not to set too specific goals in terms of results, laps to achieve. I want to do the best I can, but also continue to have fun.

There’s a lot of talk about mental health in tennis right now. You who have been working since the age of 18 with Daria Abramowicz, a specialist in sports and performance psychology, what is your relationship to this problem?

IS: When I started working with Daria in 2019, my main goal was to make things better on the court. Be more focused, control my emotions. Then it switched to something else. We talk more about my personal life, how to gain confidence as a person, grow, deal with notoriety, or the more business side of sport. I feel like we worked on everything (laughs). Seriously, it’s important to have someone to talk to freely. Sharing experiences, talking about very different stuff.

Does she hold an important place in your team?

IS: Daria helps me a lot, yes. It is very important for me to be able to count on my team. My coach takes care of my tennis. My physical trainer takes care of my body. But I also need someone who is there when I need and want to talk. I want to succeed as best I can but I don’t want to lose myself. I want to have fun and I need to enjoy life on the circuit. So I try to stay cool.

You were talking about dealing with notoriety. You are becoming a real star in Poland… It is said that in your country there are Robert Lewandowski and Iga Swiatek…

IS: It’s pretty cool to be in this position with Robert. Of course, I feel the expectations, and my growing popularity. People recognize me everywhere. To be frank, I like it. I want to make tennis more and more important in Poland, get kids to practice it more and today I really have the opportunity to do that.

Does this status ever weigh on you?

IS: After my victory at Roland-Garros, it was a bit complicated to manage. It’s better now. Then I travel a lot, I’m always out on the circuit. I had to spend four days at home this season. But when I go back to Poland, like to play the Fed Cup last week, I feel people’s enthusiasm and it’s nice to see.

How do you see your long-term career? More Barty, in early retirement mode, or rather Federer or Serena Williams?

IS: I think if you ask any 20-year-old, they’ll say they have no idea. I can very well imagine myself playing tennis at 30. I hope to have a long career. But will my body still be in good condition? Will I always be satisfied with my results? Will the fun still be there? I think I would always need challenges anyway. But for now, I have a huge desire for tennis.

What makes you and will make you move forward? The titles ? The records?

IS: No, I prefer to focus on day-to-day work. This is the best way to see things clearly for me. If I start thinking about records, wanting to be the first in this, the best in that, it won’t be good for me. I don’t want to be always chasing after something. So day after day, game after game. It helps me stay calm. Just if I project myself on the whole season, it will already be too much for me.