Iga Swiatek recently won the 2024 Madrid Open, and it was clear that the win at the WTA 1000 tournament meant a lot to her.
Only a few days before the tournament in Madrid started, the Polish player lost her unbeaten streak at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, and it was clear that she was more motivated than ever in the Spanish capital.
It showed on her results, because she was beating one opponent after another without having to spend a lot of time on the court, and it all came in handy in the final match of the tournament.
Swiatek took on her rival Aryna Sabalenka, who has spent much more time on the court during the tournament, and maybe that was also one of the factors that proved to be decisive in the final.
The final match lasted over three hours, and ultimately, Swiatek won the trophy in Madrid, celebrating by falling onto the ground. It was a surprising celebration, given it’s the way that players usually celebrate after winning a Grand Slam, but that didn’t matter to the 22-year-old.
She explained that it didn’t matter to her if it was a Grand Slam or a WTA 1000 tournament, what mattered was the fact that the tournament was really important to her.
After the win, she moved to Rome, where she’s set to compete at the 2024 Italian Open, and during her pre-tournament press conference, she admitted that it will be challenging to adapt in shorter time.
“Well, for sure it’s life on tour. It’s pretty crazy being in Madrid, packing straightaway after the final and coming here. I’m happy to be here because I love this place. I have already practiced today in the morning. It’s fun. For sure it’s a challenge to adapt. But it’s nice to have problems like that.”
Still, Swiatek realized that it’s a privilege to have such problem, and she also admitted that she chooses to have it, because this time, she made an exception in celebrating the Madrid Open triumph, prolonging the usual celebrations.
“Usually I would say, even if I win, it doesn’t stick in my head. I celebrate for one day, then I’m off to another tournament in my head even. Right now I really want to celebrate this one because we just fought for it really hard. I don’t do that on purpose.”
The reason is simple. The four-time Grand Slam champion feels like celebrations are deserved after working hard for the win, and even though it may disrupt her preparations for the Italian Open, she thinks it won’t matter in the end, given how long these WTA 1000 tournaments last right now.
“I don’t think it’s going to matter because these first two days on court, you can kind of… I would say I’m giving myself time to play tennis more relaxed way, not think about playing matches or points because really we don’t have time to rest properly.”
“You also have to use these days and I treat them a little bit like days off. I only try to focus to get used to the bounce and the (indiscernible) honestly. I try to use this time as a reset as well. But I’m not forcing it, yeah.”
