Iga Swiatek: "Last year I wasn’t even asked about other players, this year I’m asked basically in every press conference"
Iga Swiatek has dismissed the talk surrounding a new three-way rivalry between herself, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek's triumph at the 2023 French Open intensified discussions of a potential Big 3-esque rivalry between herself, Sabalenka and Rybakina. The trio currently hold each of the four Grand Slam titles among them and at least one of them has featured in every WTA 1000 final so far this season.
Questions regarding their budding three-way rivalry were posed to Swiatek incessantly over the course of her Roland Garros campaign. The Pole highlighted the noticable shift in attention towards her rivalry with other players, as compared to last year.
“Last year I wasn’t even asked about other players and this year I’m asked basically in every press conference a couple of times, even though they’re on the other side of the draw, there’s nothing really connecting us in this tournament — there’s always something around that’s implying that things are different,” Iga Swiatek told Arab News.
The World No. 1 highlighted the importance of focusing on her own goals rather than being consumed by other players and their rankings.
“But you always have to come back to what it is you want to achieve because it has nothing to do with other players, even rankings sometimes. Because you want to win matches and tournaments, and rankings go up after that," she added.
"Last year I didn’t really feel like I was being chased" - Iga Swiatek
On Monday, June 19, Iga Swiatek entered her 64th consecutive week as World No. 1. She tied Simona Halep's record as the active player with most weeks at No. 1.
The Pole refected on her ranking and stated that her focus on her new achievements allowed her to not feel chased in the rankings last year. She disclosed her decision to maintain a similar mindset following her defeat to Elena Rybakina at the 2023 Australian Open.
“Last year I didn’t really feel like I was being chased because I felt like all the things that are happening were so new that I was just focusing on achieving. That’s what I also tried to do after Australia this year and I think it’s working," Iga Swiatek said.
The Pole expressed pride in herself for her consistency atop the rankings in the face of immense pressure.
“Even though the difference in points is smaller (between myself and the world No.2), I feel like it’s a great achievement for me to keep a consistent level with all that pressure. Because there is pressure; and you can see it on social media and everything," she added.
In other news, Iga Swiatek will commence her grass-court season at the Bad Homburg Open, where she will feature alongside Liudmila Samsonova, Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, and Bianca Andreescu.