"Winning the US Open is different than winning a Slam in Europe or Australia; I don't know how the popularity is going to change or if it's going to" - Iga Swiatek looks to the future after New York triumph

For a three-time Grand Slam champion, there is no question that Iga Swiatek is not nearly as popular as she should be. Hailing from Poland, a country that does not have as big a tennis history as other countries like Spain or the United States, the World No. 1 has always flown under the radar despite her obvious talent.

A title run at the US Open, therefore, could turn out to be the exact result the 21-year-old needs to jumpstart her rise to fame, and Swiatek herself is of the opinion that it is a real possibility. Speaking at her press conference after her 6-2, 7-6(5) win over Ons Jabeur in the final of the 2022 edition at Flushing Meadows, the World No. 1 was asked her thoughts on what the future had in store for her.

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Swiatek remained cautiously optimistic, stating that she was going to lay back and observe how the response to her title run in New York is in the coming days. Having won both of her previous Slam titles at the French Open, the Pole opined that a triumph on US soil could likely be a game-changer for her popularity, although she chose to wait before making any concrete declarations of the same.

"For now I got to settle with what's happening right now. I'm going to see how I'm going to react," Iga wiatek said. "Because also winning the US Open is different than winning a slam in Europe or in Australia because I don't know how the popularity thing is going to change, if it's going to change."

Her on-court game, however, was certainly in need of change, according to Swiatek, who added that she was looking forward to seeing if she can play with more ease following her first Grand Slam win on hardcourts.

"For now I'm kind of going to observe and learn. For the future, I know I still have a lot to improve on court," Iga Swiatek said. "That's something that I'm excited for because maybe it's just going to get easier to play these matches."

In the lead-up to the US Open, Iga Swiatek had pointed out her dislike for the balls used at the tournament, noting that they were not as good as the ones the ATP Tour used and that there was a need to make them more durable. Now that she has won, though, the three-time Grand Slam champion claimed that she had simply needed more time to get used to them.

Swiatek: "I wasn't sure if I was on the level yet to win a [hard-court] Slam, especially #USOpen where the surface is so fast.

"It's something that I wasn't expecting for sure. It's also like a confirmation for me that sky is the limit. I'm proud, also surprised a little bit."

At the same time, she admitted that she was glad about the fact that the encounter against Jabeur did not go to the third set, implying that an extended match might have made life more difficult for her.

"I feel like I can adjust to anything. Right now I feel that. For sure I needed more time. That's why Toronto and Cincinnati didn't work probably," Iga Swiatek said. "But when I was lying after the last point, I was kind of relieved that we didn't go to a third set."

The 21-year-old further revealed that she was so relieved when she sealed the clash in her favor that she simply had to lay down on the ground, joking that she was overcome with such a sudden burst of emotions that she wanted to cry.

"Physically, with that stress and everything, I know that I also played some more intense matches, but still final, it's a different feeling. For the body it's also hard. I was relieved it ended in second set," Iga Swiatek said. "So many emotions that you kind of have to lay down. I'm happy that I didn't start crying that badly so I can look okay right now."

"Mentally, I think Roland Garros was little bit tougher, but tennis-wise and physically here for sure it was tougher" - Iga Swiatek

When asked to elaborate on the differences between her title runs at the French Open and the US Open this year, Iga Swiatek admitted that she felt more in control in Paris. In New York, however, the World No. 1 revealed that she felt almost like an outsider, but was proud of herself for remaining focused and not letting such thoughts distract her.

"For sure Roland Garros I always feel like I have more control and I feel like Philippe Chatrier is kind of my place. Here on Ashe, I still need to figure out the atmosphere," Iga Swiatek said. "I wasn't sure before the match if this is actually my place. I was pretty focused and I didn't let myself, like, get into these thoughts."

Swiatek: "I don't know if it's more [satisfying] than the 2nd win at RG b/c I feel like back then the pressure was really on and everybody was kind of expecting me to win.

"So mentally I think RG was little bit tougher. But tennis-wise & physically here for sure it was tougher."

With fans expecting her to play better on clay, the 21-year-old added that she was mentally more stressed during her run at the French Open. In terms of tennis and physicality, however, Swiatek noted that she found the US Open harder to navigate.

"Here I managed to go ahead my expectations lower, and also I feel like people were not expecting a lot from me on hard court," Iga Swiatek said. "So mentally I think Roland Garros was little bit tougher. But tennis-wise and physically here for sure it was tougher."