"Carlos Alcaraz has a completely different personality... I'm an introvert" - Iga Swiatek on coping with 'pressure' and importance of 'peace'
Iga Swiatek has drawn comparisons between herself and ATP colleague Carlos Alcaraz. According to the WTA world no. 1, her way of celebrating her successes is totally different to that of Alcaraz because of their contrasting personalities.
Swiatek is currently preparing to kick-start her 2024 Cincinnati Open campaign after taking a brief break from tennis following her run to the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. The Pole was the favorite to win gold in Paris, especially because the tennis tournament was held at Roland Garros, where she has won the last three French Open titles.
However, Swiatek's hopes were surprisingly dashed by eventual gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals. Swiatek ultimately had to settle for bronze after winning the third-place match against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Recently, the Pole was interviewed by Polish media outlet WP SportoweFakty, and one of the questions that came her way was about how she is handling being the WTA world no. 1 these days. Swiatek had previously confessed that being the top-ranked women's tennis player can sometimes be mentally exhausting for her.
In her answer, the five-time Grand Slam winner brought ATP world no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz into the mix. According to Swiatek, she and Alcaraz are poles apart in how they handle pressure and celebrate their respective achievements. The Spaniard is known for his extravagant celebrations with family and friends. For instance, after his 2024 French Open success, Alcaraz partied in Ibiza.
"Carlos Alcaraz has a completely different personality than me, he travels to tournaments with many people, enjoys life, has fun and celebrates successes in a completely different way," Swiatek said.
Iga Swiatek went on to say that being an introvert, she prefers "peace" and simplicity.
"For me, it's more important to have peace around me, take care of simple pleasures and spend time with my loved ones. I'm an introvert, and if I did more, I would feel very tired," Swiatek added.
"I am in a privileged position" - Iga Swiatek
In the same interview, Iga Swiatek was asked if she consciously thinks about her ranking. At the time of writing, the Pole has spent a total of 116 weeks as the WTA world no. 1 (75 consecutive weeks during her first spell and 41 consecutive weeks in her second and ongoing spell).
The five-time major winner confidently said that she has "reached the level" where she does not have to think too much about her ranking. However, she acknowledged that in all likelihood, this mindset is due to her being one of the most dominant women's tennis players.
"I have reached the level where I know that tennis is not played for the ranking. And when I go out on the court, I am able to focus on improving my strokes, and treat the ranking points only as the result of this work. Of course, it is easier to do this when you are at the top, because it is probably a bit different when you are in trouble, and the result of each tournament determines, for example, the budget for coaches and trips to the next tournaments. I am aware that I am in a privileged position," Swiatek said.
Iga Swiatek, the No. 1 seed in the Cincinnati Open women's singles draw, is set to begin her campaign in the second round of the WTA 1000 event on Wednesday, August 14, having received a first-round bye. The Pole will face either Ajla Tomljanovic or a qualifier/lucky loser.