Who will stop Iga Swiatek’s almighty walk on clay-courts? The WTA No.1 seems to have no rivals on clay-courts. the dominance displayed from April to today is devastating. Iga has reduced its rivals to impotence. The two victories obtained in Madrid and Rome, both against Aryna Sabalenka, leave no doubt: Swiatek is the heavy favorite for the final victory at the Roland Garros. The final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, won against Sabalenka, was another domination. Iga left nothing – NOTHING! -of her to her rival. Not even crumbs.
At the press conference after the victory, the Pole analyzed her performance, admitting that she had improved further compared to 2023.
“I’m really proud of how I’ve played in recent weeks. I took advantage of my chances, I put pressure on my opponents at all times and I managed to escape from difficult situations, without putting too much pressure on myself and playing those points to the best of my ability. I know that I will be the favorite at the Roland Garros, because I come from WTA No.1, I have great confidence and I am playing excellent tennis. I know that Slams are different and that’s why I want to stay humble and focus.
ROMAAAAAA🏆🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/oA9y7CkLiB
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) May 18, 2024
I don’t take anything for granted, I will have to work very hard if I want to win there. This year I’m much less focused on everything related to the ranking and the points I defend in each tournament. Last year I played a bit anxiously this period because I felt that they could take away the number 1 from me and I gave too much importance to this. I have improved on this compared to last year. These are never useful thoughts, it means wasting energy. It gave me confidence to finish 2023 well because it showed me that, even if you come from bad tournaments, things can always change,” she told.
Again at the press conference after the final in Rome, our colleagues from Tennis World Italia asked runner-up Aryna Sabalenka what sensations she feels on the eve of the upcoming Roland Garros.
“I’m super excited, I love Paris and I love Roland Garros. Last year I did well and I’m excited. Even though I lost these two finals, I never focus on the past. It doesn’t matter how many times I lose to a player, I know however that I will be ready to fight thinking of myself. I go to Paris with the belief that I can do well. Maybe I’m not the favorite, but at the same time I believe I can win. I hope to reach the final and win against anyone, whether we are talking about Iga or another tennis player. Today wasn’t the final I really expected. I didn’t play to the best of my ability. In any case, thoughts remain positive after these two weeks. I’m proud to have managed to fight until the final.
Even though it didn’t go the way I wanted, I’m still happy with the result achieved in Rome. I didn’t feel comfortable in the first set and I just tried to stay aggressive. If I had taken advantage of my opportunities in the second set, the match could have found another epilogue. I’ll try to do better next time. When you have some problems and try to recover during the tournament, the injury stays in your mind. But I wouldn’t say I lost today because of my back. I think I did quite well here in Rome considering that a lot has happened,” explained Aryna.
Aryna Sabalenka to her team after losing to Iga Swiatek in Rome final:
“Of course last but not least I wanna thank my team for helping me lose another final” 😂
This woman is pure comedy. pic.twitter.com/ro2I6UqDUv
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 18, 2024
Iga Swiatek after beating Aryna Sabalenka to win 3rd Rome title:
“Aryna, another final, another great battle. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. Thanks for sharing the court with me and really pushing me to be better. We’ll see about that Roland Garros final” 😂 pic.twitter.com/tmhfIphwNC
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 18, 2024
Aryna Sabalenka after losing to Iga Swiatek in Rome final:
“This time I’m not gonna forget, I’m gonna start with Iga. Congrats on an incredible couple weeks. I hope we’re gonna make it to the final of Roland Garros and I’m gonna get you there. Just kidding. At least I’ll try to… pic.twitter.com/HpHIMNq4ew
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 18, 2024