"I really messed up" - Iga Swiatek rues 'mistake' in Wimbledon preparation after shock 3R exit, admits to making errors following French Open win
Iga Swiatek has opened up about where she went wrong in her preparations for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships following her third-round exit from the grasscourt Major on Saturday (July 6). The World No. 1 also shed light on her strategy to avoid the same fate next year.
Swiatek enjoyed an immensely successful claycourt season prior to her campaign at SW19. After winning back-to-back titles at the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, the Pole clinched her fourth French Open title by beating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in the final.
The 23-year-old opted to skip all preparatory tournaments in the lead-up to Wimbledon after her grueling claycourt swing. Nevertheless, Swiatek appeared to be in fine form as she commenced her campaign at SW19 with a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win over Sofia Kenin, followed by a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Petra Martic.
However, the five-time Grand Slam champion couldn't replicate her earlier success against Yulia Putintseva in the third round. Although the World No. 1 clinched the opening set in commanding fashion, she faltered in the face of Putintseva's impressive comeback.
The Kazakh produced a clinical performance in the next two sets to claim a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory, snapping the Pole's stellar 21-match winning streak.
In her post-match press conference, Iga Swiatek admitted to mishandling her recovery after her demanding claycourt season and French Open triumph, vowing not to repeat her "mistake" in the future.
"I know what I did wrong after Roland Garros. I didn't really rest properly. I'm not going to make this mistake again and after such a tough claycourt season, I really messed up my recovery," Iga Swiatek said.
The World No. 1 also disclosed that, while she hadn't rushed back to the court after her Roland Garros campaign, she did return to fulfill her off-court commitments. Swiatek emphasized her determination to take a vacation after next year's French Open to ensure that she's fresh for Wimbledon.
"I literally came back to work, not tennis-wise, but like off court stuff and I shouldn't have done that so maybe next year I'm going to take a vacation and literally just do nothing," she added.
Iga Swiatek set to compete in Paris Olympics 2024 after Wimbledon exit
Following her Wimbledon exit, Iga Swiatek will begin gearing up for her return to her favored hunting grounds at Roland Garros in pursuit of a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Despite the quick change between surfaces, the World No. 1 expressed confidence in her ability to readjust to the clay in an interview conducted before her campaign at the grasscourt Major.
"I think it would be a bigger challenge if there was grass first, meal in the middle, and grass again. Going back to the meal won't be a problem for me. When I come back to it after a whole year, two days are enough and I feel great on clay," Iga Swiatek told Przeglad Sportowy.
Swiatek will have plenty of time to reacquaint herself with clay before the commencement of the Paris Olympics on July 26.