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Iga Swiatek admitted that after multiple seasons of playing well, she was 'judged' in the past few months after some turbulent results. However, the Pole seemed ready to shrug the "spotlight" and give her best at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Swiatek was on a roll during the clay season last year, winning both the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Italy. Later, she even grabbed her third consecutive French Open title. However, she has not been able to reach a final at any event since then, which has raised many questions.
This season, Swiatek holds an impressive 21-6 record, including three semifinals. But her inability to surpass that stage might have led to her being "judged." Ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, she addressed this during the media day.
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"Certainly, my goal is to focus on myself. It hasn't been easy in recent months because after having such good seasons, I have been in the spotlight and judged for everything, expectations are high. My goal is to focus on myself and the process, on what I want to change on the court," Swiatek said, via Puntodebreak.com.
Further, Iga Swiatek expressed optimism for the future as she has worked on several ideas with her coach, Wim Fissette.
"Surely, with Wim, we have many ideas on how I can improve my technique. On the practice court, it has looked pretty good, so I want to put it into practice in matches. I try to keep myself busy with these things. I am sure that if I work hard, the results will come. People will also, I don't know, say what they want. Sometimes you have to ignore that," she added.
Iga Swiatek to face Donna Vekic or Jana Fett in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2R
Second seed Iga Swiatek will receive a first-round bye in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. In the second round, she is set to face the winner of the battle between Croatians Donna Vekic and Jana Fett.
Ahead of the event, Swiatek talked about adapting to clay but expressed optimism for the upcoming events.
"We play on hard courts most of the year, so I need time to adapt to clay, but I am confident that I am in the right place. With a good amount of work and focus, I will be able to start playing my game," Iga Swiatek said during the press conference.
Swiatek holds an exceptional 4-0 record against World No. 20 Vekic and a 1-0 record against Fett. The Pole has a great opportunity to qualify for the quarterfinal, no matter which Croatian she faces.
