Iga Swiatek is a phenomenal ambassador for tennis, as a supremely talented but emotionally available individual who is not afraid to speak her mind.
Whether it be speaking out on injustice or her reaction to certain events, the 24-year-old’s greatness on court marries perfectly with her openness.
And having just won Wimbledon, she has retained those traits to give unique, insightful interviews with various publications.
One particular one, as she spoke whilst clutching the trophy she had just claimed in record time, saw her reveal exactly how she felt before playing what, for many, would be the biggest match of their lives.
Iga Swiatek on how she dealt with Wimbledon final pressure
Whilst Anisimova clearly struggled under the emotional weight of such a grand stage, Iga Swiatek shone, and was asked exactly how she managed that by Polish outlet Polsatsport.
She began by replying to one question about dealing with pressure, admitting: “To be honest, it’s a lot, but a lot of these things you just have to ignore, focus on your work and in a sense let it go. Let it come to your mind, but let it out immediately because for sure these are stressful moments and it’s a lot, so I’m glad that I did the right job with Daria [Abramowicz].
“I used the experience I already have from all the finals I had played before to simply enjoy playing today and approach this match like any other and to simply appreciate every minute of being on Centre Court.”
She then went on to reveal her reaction to playing in front of such tennis royalty like Andy Roddick and Bjorn Borg over the last few weeks, counting: “Speaking honestly, it’s a little easier because, you know, it’s a very popular game and sometimes I, as a person who, I don’t know, never thought I would be in such a world, sometimes it’s hard for me to grasp that basically everyone is watching us.
“But I just try to concentrate on my work and still kind of enjoy the game as much as I did when no one was watching and when I was just playing to myself.”
Swiatek achieved a feat nobody had since Serena Williams by winning Wimbledon this year.
How many Grand Slams has Iga Swiatek now won?
In winning Wimbledon, Swiatek has added to her already sprawling collection of major titles, further adding to her legacy within the sport.
Her maiden triumph at a Grand Slam unsurprisingly came on the clay of Paris, at an event where she has since largely dominated. She won the French Open for the first time in 2020, and would then go on to win three titles in the following four years.
Midway through that mesmeric run, she added a US Open to her résumé too, meaning that before this year’s Wimbledon, she had five majors to her name.
Now, she has six, having won every single Grand Slam final she has been a part of, and done so with relative ease.
