Iga Swiatek says "not putting too much pressure on herself" after RG loss to Maria Sakkari, looks ahead to Tokyo Olympics
Iga Swiatek's Roland Garros title defense came to an abrupt end on Wednesday as she suffered a straight-sets defeat to Greece's Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals.
Swiatek, who won the title last year without dropping a set, was the highest-ranked player left in the women's draw but succumbed to Sakkari's power-packed display.
Speaking to the media after her loss, Swiatek said Sakkari did a good job of making the Pole "feel bad" on court.
"I know her style of game. It didn't surprise me," Swiatek said. "It surprised me that she played so much to my forehand. But I made some mistakes at the beginning, and she just took the lesson from that. Really I was feeling so bad today that I don't think it would matter.
"Obviously she did a good job. All credit to her because she also made me actually feel bad. That's what players do to each other. She did that better today."
Asked about her aspirations for the rest of the season, Swiatek said she was tempering her expectations heading into the grasscourt swing and that her main goal was the Tokyo Olympics.
"I don't know if I remember how to play on grass. I don't put too much pressure or expectations on myself for Wimbledon, learning how to play on the surface might need years again. My next big goal is the Olympics."
I had more pressure this year, but quarterfinals is a good result: Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek acknowledged she felt a lot more pressure this year defending her crown compared to last, when she stormed to the title as a relatively unknown teenager. The Pole, however, is looking to take away the positives from her fortnight in Paris.
"I had more pressure this year but I think I did a good job, quarterfinals is a good result," Iga Swiatek said. "The most important thing right now is to take lessons from it."
Iga Swiatek said she was looking to unwind after a busy few months on the court.
"I'm happy with the results I had so far in the season, I played a lot, but now I'll try to chill out, cool down a little but and find some perspectives. When I close my eyes, I don't see tennis court or a tennis ball," Swiatek said.