"I have skills on court that I can come back from any situation; I really feel I can face anything" - Iga Swiatek exudes confidence in her 'new approach' to tennis
Iga Swiatek is known to be a highly analytical player who is constantly strategizing during matches. However, the Polish superstar now feels ready to move away from that approach as she believes she is adequately equipped to overcome any kind of difficulty she faces on the court.
The World No. 1 notched up her eighth title and 64th match win this season with a victory against Donna Vekic in Sunday's San Diego Open final. It was another week in which Swiatek came up on the winning side each time she was in a challenging situation during a tense match.
This time, however, Swiatek did not analyze her way through those challenges but relied on a more relaxed approach, which stemmed from a high level of belief in her own game. Speaking during an interview with the WTA after winning the San Diego Open, the Polish superstar stated that she feels she has the skills to come back from any situation on the court.
"I just realized that it's working and it's not fun to always think about stuff," Iga Swiatek said. "I just accepted that sometimes it's going to happen. I'm just getting more sure that I have skills on court that I can come back from any situation."
Swiatek has won 64 of her 72 matches and 8 of her 9 finals so far this season and has not relinquished her World No. 1 spot even once since first earning it in early April. However, the Pole has not dominated all her matches. She has been forced to grind through many intense matches this year and has played and won in many different conditions across surfaces.
Swiatek believes that the experiences of this season have taught her a lot and enabled her with the skills to face anything. The 21-year-old hopes to ride her wave of confidence for a long time to come.
"This season, playing in different conditions and sometimes coming back, playing really long matches or even keeping your focus and being sharp in these short matches, it really gave me the confidence that I can use all these skills. I really feel I can face anything right now, you know? Hopefully this feeling is going to stay for a long time," Swiatek added.
Iga Swiatek looks forward to "most intense tournament of the season" at WTA Finals
Iga Swiatek has been the most successful player this season by a considerable margin and is only the fourth player since the turn of the century to cross 10,000 ranking points, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to achieve the feat. Despite all the records and achievements this year, Swiatek still has a bit of unfinished business - capping off the season with the WTA Finals title.
The WTA Finals will only have the best players in the world as the Top-8 face off for the prestigious title, and Swiatek expects the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, to be the most intense tournament this season.
"The Finals, I think, is going to be the most intense tournament of the season, playing against the top players from Day 1," Iga Swiatek said on the same.
After a hectic few weeks in Ostrava and San Diego, Swiatek will need some time to rest before going all guns blazing to prepare for the season finale.
"We'll get back to intense practicing when we get to Dallas, but I'll have a few days in Florida to get into the rhythm before going," Swiatek expressed.