"Iga Swiatek represents women's tennis not only on the court but off-court as well" - Beatriz Haddad Maia
Beatriz Haddad Maia shared her admiration for Iga Swiatek following her defeat to the Pole in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open.
Haddad Maia made history as the first Brazilian woman to reach the semifinals of the clay court Major after securing a 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 win over seventh seed Ons Jabeur. She took on defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinal on June 8.
After losing the first set 2-6, the 14th seed had a chance to be the first player to take a set off Swiatek in the tournament, at 6-4 in the second-set tiebreak. However, the Pole saved the set point en route to her 6-2, 7-6(7) victory and advanced to her third Roland Garros final in four years.
During her post-match press conference, Haddad Maia expressed her belief that it is important to play aggressively against top players such as Swiatek.
"I think everybody who plays top players as her, we have like the mentality that we need to go for it, we need big courage, we need to be aggressive, because otherwise she's gonna come," Haddad Maia said.
The Brazilian remarked that Iga Swiatek was on a different level mentally, compared to other players, and also credited her hard work and her close-knit coaching team for her success.
"So I think she's in, like mentally she's in another step, level from the other players. I think, yeah, like she works very hard with her team as well. They are always together, always doing things, new things. So this is very nice from her," she said.
She further expressed her respect for the World No. 1, highlighting her as an excellent representative of women's tennis, both on and off the court.
"And also, I respect her a lot, because she's a really nice person as well. She represents the women's tennis not only on the court but off court, as well. She's like a nice person. So, yeah, it's tennis. It's a battle, but yeah, I respect her. It feels great to share the court with her," she added.
After win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, Iga Swiatek looks ahead to French Open final clash against Karolina Muchova
Following her win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, Iga Swiatek will be up against Karolina Muchova in the 2023 French Open final.
Looking forward to the clash, Swiatek stated that she held a deep respect for Muchova's game and recognized her as a player who can do anything she wants on the court.
"And I really like her game, honestly. I really respect her, and she's, I feel like a player who can do anything, you know. She has great touch. She can also speed up the game," Iga Swiatek said.
Swiatek currently trails 0-1 in her head-to-head against Muchova, having lost their sole previous encounter in the first round of the 2019 Prague Open, 6-4, 1-6, 4-6.