Iga Swiatek Press Conference - US Open 2024 Round 3

What's on the match? Well, for sure, I'm happy with the performance because I felt like she's a player that can play really powerful first shots. So I wanted to be ready for that and then I was. So I'm happy that I was in control of the match. Thank you. Name and affiliation, one question each so I can get around the room. English. Courtney, WTA, Congrats, Iga. Thank you. I just wanted to ask you about the the forehand stab. I practice that all the time. Yeah, it seems really, it came so naturally to you. How much of that is luck? How much of that is at all hand skill, eye skill? No, I think mostly luck. Yeah, I would be giving too much credit to myself if I would say I've had control over it, but. I guess in situations like that, if you remember, it's worth to kind of reach for every ball, even though you think you might not get it. So it was mostly like. I saw the video of you and Serena chatting. Just curious what was it like to see her and if you want to, what were you chatting about? It was really nice to see her. She has, you know, a lot of positive energy, so it's nice that she came on site and she was chatting with the players, because for me I still felt, even though we met before and the first like couple of years we've been on the same sides and on tour together, she's still like star striking me. So it was nice that she she approached me, because I wouldn't for sure find courage to do that. If it was the other way. But yeah, she's really nice and really positive and I'm happy that she's following tennis and like my games because she told me that she's training for me. So it's always nice to hear that from somebody like Serena. I think so, but I think so, yeah. I mean, I'm not that shy for sure as I was a couple of years ago, so it feels better. Hi, Aki Ojida from Smash Magazine. Congratulations. So it's not about only about today's match, but in general you have been in the number one for more than two years already and many players say that women's tennis is evolving so fast. If you stay in the same level, it's not good enough to be a same ranking or same position. Do you agree with that? And how much progress do you think that women's tennis has made in like the last couple of years or like five years or something? I didn't understand the first part of the question. If you are if you maintain your level, you cannot stay in the same same ranking. Do you need to get better? Yeah, yeah, to maintain your ranking. I think I think it's hard for me to judge like the whole level of the game, because I'm mostly looking at myself and probably a few other players. So it's hard for me to judge if we're playing better tennis than than tennis you know five years ago. I think for sure we're playing better tennis than like 20 years ago, because our physicality is getting better and some other stuff, I think people are as general, they're like kind of going forward. So but it's still, I mean I'm not an expert. I haven't watched like a lot of matches from the past to kind of know exactly. But for sure you need to get better because I would say like getting to #1, it happened like out of it happened suddenly for me. But at the beginning I feel like my opponents didn't really know what to expect from me and how I play. And I think like 2023 was challenging because I had target on my back and also players actually learned my game style. So I think you always need to learn and try to have more variety and many options on the court because it's not like you can keep playing the same tennis, people will figure it out and it's going to be much harder to win. So yeah, I think in in these terms rather than if I'm getting, if tennis is getting overall better and better because it's hard for me to judge. But I think, yeah, you need to kind of mix up your game because at the beginning you might be there for a while, but then everybody will analyze you and focus on how to win against you. We good, Courtney. You seem like a player who has very specific ways that you like to warm up before matches. So to have Serena kind of be a part of that, I mean, did that distract you at all or kind of phase you at all? Oh, come on. I mean, I have my routines, but it's not that bad. Like, I can mix them up and change them as well. But she approached me like at 4:00 today. It was before my warm-up, so I wouldn't say it matters. I mean, if it did, like anything would distract me. But I would say it more inspired me, and it gave me like a positive kick, so it was nice. OK. Last one. I'm curious how you spend your days off? How has that changed over the years, and how have you been doing it here? Well, I wouldn't say it changes comparing to other tournaments, but it changed comparing to like me in New York one year ago, two years ago. Because I'm staying in a different part of the city, and I'm enjoying some restaurants, and and I'm doing some Legos, so that. And I'm reading a lot. I mean, I was watching Modern Family for the past few weeks, but I was watching it too much in Cincinnati, probably. So I have to balance it. So I'm reading more, and actually Beatriz Haddad Maia recommended me a nice book. I don't remember the name. I'll tell you the title next time. I'll tell you next time because I just started it so and it seems nice. So I have something to read. Same the like the the machine, like the old one from the 80s when you played games. Yeah, a Pac-Man. So it's a nice one. And also I chose it because you can kind of when when it's going to be build I can kind of travel a little bit because it's just like a kind of square. It's not something crazy because I've been doing like flower sets and then they broke like after 30 minutes in travel. So I just left them in these places. But this one I want to get home. All right, David, last question. I'm just curious who recommended Modern Family to you and who's your favorite character on that show? Who recommended Modern Family? I'm not sure, honestly. I think I just started watching it because I wanted something light and it was funny. And who's my favorite character? It changes like every season, so I can't really say. It was easier with Friends than with Modern Family because I feel like I think Manny for me is the funniest one. Yeah. When I first watched it, it was Phoebe. When I watched this for a second time, Monica. So yeah. Thank you.