"It doesn't matter for me, I want to win no matter what they say" - Iga Swiatek on playing at US Open with a target on her back
Iga Swiatek got the better of Ons Jabeur in the US Open final last year, lifting her first Grand Slam outside of the French capital. The Pole, who has been the World No. 1 since April last year, returns to New York with the target firmly on her back. If her words are anything to go by, however, she has come to terms with being "the player to beat," so to speak.
Speaking to the media at the pre-US Open press conference, Swiatek was asked if her opponents dubbing her the "target" bothers her.
In response, the defending champion said she simply wanted to win matches, irrespective of the labels that others put on her.
"No, it didn't, because I know that I won many matches against these players in the past," Iga Swiatek said. "I understand their feelings. But, yeah, it doesn't really matter for me. I want to win anyway, no matter what they say, so yeah."
Elaborating on her feelings about being the defending champion, Swiatek said while she could draw strength from last year's experiences, this year was a "totally different story".
"On one hand you always want to kind of take experience from last year, find all these positive things that happened, take strength from that," the World No. 1 said." On the other hand you have to remember that it's totally different story. A lot can happen during like these 12 months."
"I need to do something more because last year I won the US Open" - Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek reiterated the fact that this year's US Open marked a completely different chapter for her and that she felt the pressure to do "more" in order to keep her title defense alive.
"I try to, yeah, take everything step by step," Iga Swiatek said. "Not really go forward with my thoughts, think that I need to do something more because last year I won. Yeah, remembering this is a totally different chapter always help."
The Pole said she wanted to take some lessons from her performance last year, noting that the 2022 US Open was the most important tournament for her in terms of building that self-belief that she could win big on hardcourts as well.
"I also want to kind of just take a lesson from last year," the World No. 1 said. "I learned a lot during US Open. This was probably the most important tournament in terms of me believing in myself and progressing on hard courts. So, yeah, I'll try to just focus on that. As I said, yeah, take everything step by step."