Iga Swiatek recently opened up about the emotional aftermath of her intense match against Naomi Osaka, revealing why she was seen crying at the gym. The match was a grueling encounter, with Swiatek pulling off a remarkable comeback in the third set.
“Well, it’s hard to have any logical thoughts because, for sure, it was really intense and on a really high level. I was in huge trouble in the third set, but I somehow managed to win this match, which is kind of abstract. But I’m glad I didn’t give up,” Swiatek explained.
Despite her victory, Swiatek admitted that she struggled to maintain confidence throughout the match. “I honestly didn’t believe that I could win because that would be pretty naive. But that didn’t change the fact that I just tried to work hard to play better,” she noted.
Swiatek felt out of her usual “zone” during the match but managed to find a way to succeed under immense pressure. “I felt like I was not completely in the zone. And when I was under the biggest pressure, I was actually able to switch that, and maybe that made the difference. But honestly, when it’s so tight, it’s just, I don’t know, it’s not like I have influence over everything,” she added.
Down bad crying at the gym. 🫠#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/5H1o4iSet1
— TENNIS (@Tennis) June 1, 2024
The emotional toll of the match hit Swiatek hard once she left the court. “Honestly, it’s not the worst. Like, I felt worse, for sure. I cried when I got off the court,” she admitted. Reflecting on her journey, she found a sense of perspective and gratitude. “But then for me, I kind of realized that I was watching Iga win this tournament last year and I was pregnant. And it was just my dream to be able to play here. So when I think of it like that, I think I’m doing pretty well,” the new mother added.
Swiatek’s candid reflections highlight the intense emotional and physical challenges of professional tennis, even for a player of her caliber.
Swiatek at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2024
Ranked world no.1, Swiatek has achieved a compiled 41-4 record in 2024. The Pole is currently playing at the French Open where she managed to beat the world no.148 Leolia Jeanjean 6-1 6-2, the world no.134 Naomi Osaka 7-61 1-6 7-5 and the world no.42 Marie Bouzkova 6-4 6-2.
Iga Swiatek will fight against the world no.41 Anastasia Potapova in the 4th round on Sunday at 11:00 am on Court PHILIPPE-CHATRIER. In the past, they have never competed against each other up to now in top competitions.
Iga clinched 5 titles in 2024 in Australia, Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome.
The Pole won 22 titles in her career: 13 on hard courts and 9 on clay courts. (See the list of her titles)
Naomi Osaka in 2024
Ranked world no.134, Osaka played her last match on the 29th of May when she surrendered to world no.1 Iga Swiatek 7-6(1) 1-6 7-5 in the 2nd round of the French Open (draw).
Currently, during this season Osaka has managed to achieve a compiled 13-10 record.
Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka squared off 3 times. Their current record is 2-1 for Swiatek. Previously, the last time they played each other, Iga Swiatek won 7-6(1) 1-6 7-5 in the 2nd round in Paris (French Open) on the 29th of May 2024.
Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka |
Embed from Getty Images |