"For me, a week without crying is not a week" - Iga Swiatek after reaching Australian Open QF
Iga Swiatek admitted in her post-match interview on Monday that she cries after almost every match, whether she wins or loses. The World No. 9 pointed out that athletes are "human beings", and also claimed that crying is a part of her weekly routine.
Iga Swiatek made an incredible comeback against Sorana Cirstea, beating her in three sets to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2022 Australian Open. Maintaining a whopping 76% win percentage on her first serve, the Polish player won with a final scoreline of 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
Welcome to the final eight, @iga_swiatek 👋
The world No.9 comes from a set down to defeat Sorana Cirstea 5-7 6-3 6-3 and advance to her first #AusOpen quarterfinal.
#AO2022 https://t.co/2mG6JFQVgs
Surprisingly, Swiatek broke down in tears despite winning her match against Cirstea at the Happy Slam. In the interview, the 20-year-old claimed that since she had a lot of "stress," her emotions just burst out after her victory.
"I cry when I lose and I cry when I win!" 😭
Iga Swiatek reveals why she felt so emotional when reaching her first Australian Open quarter-final
#AusOpen | @iga_swiatek https://t.co/hpzau6FW8M
"I feel like during this whole match, my stress level was higher than the previous ones," Swiatek said. "That's why, at the end you know, all these emotions came up. Yeah for me, a week without crying is not a week, so I cry when I lose, I cry when I win. It is like that. So, you have to get used to that."
When the WTA posted her statement in the caption of their recent Instagram picture, Iga Swiatek reposted it on her Instagram story, stating that she was a "human being" before a player.
"An athlete is a human being first of all..." Swiatek captioned the story.
Iga Swiatek set to lock horns with Kaia Kanepi in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open 2022
Iga Swiatek will square off against Estonia's Kaia Kanepi in the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Slam on Wednesday. Kanepi stunned the tennis world by getting past second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round, making a phenomenal comeback after losing the first set.
HUGE stunner! 😮
At 36 years old, World No.115 Kaia Kanepi stuns No.2 Aryna Sabalenka 10-7 in the super tie-break. Awesome! https://t.co/K2qS5nZnVe
Currently ranked No. 115, the Estonian had knocked out Angelique Kerber in the very first round of the tournament last week.
Swiatek and Kanepi will be facing each other for the first time in their careers on Wednesday. Thus, their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Interestingly, this is the first time that Iga Swiatek has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam other than the French Open. She will be eyeing her second Grand Slam title in Melbourne this year, to add to her Roland Garros crown from 2020.