"I had a heart rate of 120" - Iga Swiatek's father reveals how nervous he was watching Pole's French Open final live
Iga Swiatek's father Tomasz Swiatek recently revealed how tensed he was while watching his daughter play live at the 2023 French Open final.
Swiatek ranked World No. 1, was denied an easy win by Karolina Muchova in the Roland-Garros final. However, the Pole emerged victorious after surviving an emotional rollercoaster of a match.
Muchova tried her best to stop Iga Swiatek, but the Pole held on to clinch her fourth Grand Slam singles title and her third French Open title overall. The Czech also became the first player to take a set off the 22-year-old in any of her Grand Slam finals to date.
Tomasz Swiatek recently told the Polish news outlet Rzeczpospolita that watching his daughter play live was different from watching her on television. He added that he was very nervous during the match, having a heart rate of 120 and couldn't leave the stadium because it was inappropriate.
"I experienced the Roland Garros final strongly. There are matches when I can be very nervous. It's different at home, in front of the TV, when sometimes I can just cover my face and differently at the match. Sitting on the stand in Paris, I had a heart rate of 120, and it was not appropriate for me to get up and leave," he said.
"I'm used to it, Iga Swiatek is an adult" - Tomasz Swiatek on not being able to spend time with his daughter
Tomasz Swiatek then stated that due to Iga Swiatek's busy schedule, he doesn't get to spend much time with her, adding:
"Very little. A little bit more when I manage to go to the tournament. Then we have afternoons or evenings when there is no training. We can go to dinner, talk. However, this time is missing."
"When she returned to Warsaw, she was at the airport at eleven. The next day she had her classes. We exchanged a few words in passing, she returned in the evening. This is the gray reality," he added further.
When asked how he feels about it, the former Olympic rower who represented Poland at the elite level, said that they are in constant virtual contact, so he is used to it.
"I'm used to it. Iga is, after all, an adult. She drives the car herself, runs her own affairs. When she's at a tournament and I'm at home, after the game I write to her or record a few words and then she calls back. We are in touch all the time," Tomasz Swiatek said.