With a historic triumph now behind her, Iga Swiatek is keeping perspective and hoping that the lessons which took her to the French Open title will serve her well moving forward as she adjusts to life as a Grand Slam champion, on and off the court.
By WTA Staff
PARIS, France – In the aftermath of a ‘life-changing’ fortnight in Paris, newly-crowned French Open champion Iga Swiatek is aiming to keep her feet firmly on the ground.
While a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Australian Open Sofia Kenin in Saturday’s final marked a whole host of milestones for the 19-year-old — from making her the first Polish woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, to assuring her of a Top 20 debut — the teenager is hoping that the unflappable mentality she showed on the terre battue will serve her well moving forward into a new reality.
“I’m just proud of myself. I’ve done a great job past two weeks. I wasn’t expecting to win this trophy. It’s obviously amazing for me. It’s a life-changing experience,” the 19-year-old said after Saturday’s final.
“It’s hard to comment on that right now because I need to come back home first, see what’s going on in Poland. I know it’s going to be crazy. I think I’m going to get used to that, it’s not going to be a problem for me. I didn’t have problem with getting attention, with people surrounding me. I think it’s going to be okay for me.
“I really appreciate all the support I got during whole two weeks. Even though I wasn’t on my phone and I wasn’t answering every person, I know that the whole country was behind me and they all believed in me. I’m going to be happy and proud.”
????????It’s hard to describe how special this day is for me. It’s so strange to achieve something that seemed so distant… But yup… It’s here – I’m a grand slam champion (whaaat?). Thank you @SofiaKenin for this final. I wish you all the best.???????? #RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/ktIShQZLnj
Speaking openly and candidly over the course of the Paris two weeks about the work she does with her traveling sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, Swiatek also revealed in her post-championship press conference how the recent success of other young players on the game’s biggest stages helped set the stage for her.
“Even though you’re really young and you’re an underdog, you can do a lot in a sport like tennis,” she said. “On one hand, it’s [the wins of other young players] pretty inspiring.
“Sometimes, I caught myself visualizing that I’m also winning a Grand Slam. But on the other hand it was also really far away. Right now, when I’m here and I’m a Grand Slam champion, it’s crazy.
“You believe in things, but in the back of your head you know that there’s going to be a huge amount of work that you have to do to win that. Then after two weeks of great playing, you already have it. It’s just overwhelming.
“I use everything that my psychologist taught me during a match. For sure, I’m doing the biggest work on the court… I think there is a huge role. I can see the difference when I’m mentally prepared and I’m ready to handle the stress, the pressure. I can see the difference where I can’t. That’s why I’m sometimes losing in first round and sometimes I can win a tournament.”
By capturing a Grand Slam title, something never done by Poland’s previous standard-bearer Agnieszka Radwanska, Swiatek has already written herself into both tennis’ history books and those for sport in her country overall.
Despite that, the Raszyn resident says that it’s only the beginning, and that she has a long way to go to match the career résumé of her country’s best player, who ranked in the world’s Top 10 for nearly a decade and peaked at World No.2.
“I just feel like I kind of made history. But I still think that Radwanska, she achieved a lot because she played on the top level of WTA for, I don’t know, 12 years. I don’t even know the number,” she added.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of people who are going to compare us. But I think I have to be really consistent for the next couple years to everybody to name me the best player in Poland, because still I have a lot to do. Still I think that’s kind of her place.”
“Really, I feel like I can do progress in most of the things because I’m only 19. I know my game isn’t developed perfectly. I think the biggest change for me is going to be to be consistent.
“That’s why my goal is going to be to be consistent. It’s going to be really hard to achieve that. Right now, I’m just going to enjoy the moment. I’m going to think about my future goals later.”
2020 Roland Garros presser: Swiatek – ‘It’s a dream come true’
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
