“I was crying when Rafa lost,” Iga Swiatek reveals she was “pretty sad” after watching her idol lose against Novak Djokovic
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Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek’s unbeaten record continues. She swept past qualifier Eva Lys 6-1, 6-1 in 1 hour and 2 minutes to win her 20th straight match and 26th set in a row in her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix debut. Swiatek has the world at her feet at the age of 20, as she is already a Grand Slam champion winning the French Open in 2020 and the World No. 1 player.
The Pole is also a strong contender to win a second major at Roland Garros in June, as she is in top form, having won three WTA 1000 titles in a row, and many believe she will go on to win more important titles and break records. However, the WTA World No. 1 admitted in a recent interview that she was “pretty sad” after watching the 21-time Grand Slam champion fall in the quarterfinals of last year’s Roland Garros to Novak Djokovic.
“I have pretty sad memories of Roland Garros last year”- Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek told Eurosport France that her emotions during the duo’s 2021 Roland Garros match were diametrically opposed to how she felt after witnessing their 2020 showdown. Two years ago, the Spaniard beat the Serb in the final in straight sets, even delivering a bagel in the first set to win his 20th Major. In the same year, the Pole won her first Grand Slam championship by winning the women’s singles in Paris without losing a set. Swiatek remembers watching the men’s final in the same dress she wore for her trophy picture because she didn’t want anything to distract her from seeing her idol compete.
“Rafael Nadal has always been my idol. I have pretty sad memories of Roland Garros last year because I was crying when Rafa lost against Novak [Djokovic]. But two years ago, I was watching the final. I had the trophy photoshoot [after I won the women’s title]. I was wearing this really nice long dress and went to see the final like this. It was nice because I didn’t get the chance to see [Nadal] play so often. I wanted to use that occasion,” the Pole remarked.
During the interview, Iga Swiatek also stated that she felt most at ease with Rafael Nadal’s way of playing. The World No. 1 was impressed by the Spaniard’s focus on “day-to-day” practice rather than records, and she added that it was the mentality that proved successful for her as well. “I see my career plan as] like Rafa [Nadal]. I feel closest to this approach. I want to focus on my day-to-day work,” Swiatek said. “It’s important, it’s the most clear situation for me. If I start thinking about records, or ‘I want to be the first in this, the first to do that’, it’s not good for me.”
While Swiatek acknowledged that she understood other players’ motivations, including as Novak Djokovic’s explicit declaration that he wanted to smash records, she believed it would suffocate her in the long run. “I don’t want to be like I’m always chasing something. So focus on the day-by-day, the next match. It helps me to stay calm. Don’t waste energy on other stuff,” Swiatek said. “But everyone is different so I can also understand Novak [Djokovic’s] way [of openly declaring which records he wants to break].”
Iga Swiatek joins Serena and Venus Williams
Iga Swiatek joined Venus and Serena Williams as the three youngest players in the 2000s to win 20 or more consecutive matches. Swiatek won her 20th match in a row in Stuttgart, defeating qualifier Eva Lys 6-1, 6-1, marking her the third-youngest player to achieve the accomplishment at the age of 20 years, 10 months, and 20 days. She follows Venus Williams, who went undefeated in 35 matches for 20 years, four months, and six days in 2000, and Serena Williams, who won 21 wins in a row for 20 years, ten months, and twelve days in 2002.
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