Iga Swiatek in Paris: Victory thanks to instinct and tactics
Iga Swiatek surprised everyone in Roland Garros. Her secret of success: this time she also added some tactics to her instinct on the pitch.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Oct 13, 2020, 02:23 pm
Iga Swiatek only played 28 games in her French Open run, memories were awakened of Mary Pierce in 1994, who only played nine (!) Games during her run into the final (including a 6: 2, 6: 2 against Steffi Graf), but then lost to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the final. And to Steffi Graf in 1988, who then only lost 20 games and won the French Open, including a 6-0, 6-0 win over Natalia Zvereva in the final.
Swiatek's Success? Was only in question for a short time. At match point, she lost her focus for the first time during the tournament because she realized how close she was to the goal , she explained in an interview with the WTA . But then she did everything again as in the previous games - which worked.
A large part of the success, as Swiatek herself repeatedly emphasizes: her team. Consisting of mental trainer Daria Abramowicz and coach Pietr Sierzputowski. "I did what my team told me, I trusted them throughout the tournament," said the 19-year-old. In her conversations with Abramowicz, she sometimes thought, "Oh, that's too easy, I won't win a Grand Slam title if I just think about my legs." But she did it, "so it works." Sometimes it's just the simple things.
Swiatek: Win against Halep as an eye opener
In the USA, at the tournaments in New York, she still thought that the big success would have to come now, because for the first time a season preparation was injury-free and she played so well. However, the breakthrough did not materialize, but she still pulled off hard mental training. And everything has changed in Paris. She realized that she wouldn't get very far with a wrong mindset - but also that she could change her mind in 30 seconds. After beating Simona Halep, it was finally clear to her: "I'm in the right place mentally, now I can win against anyone." Said and done.
When it comes to tennis, she often relies on her instinct, "but the tactics helped me a lot here," said Swiatek. So far, she has often done the exact opposite of the tactics discussed, "but at this tournament I did 100 percent of what he told me," she referred to her coach Sierzputowski.
Swiatek's conclusion: In order to be successful, the mix must be right - a mix of instinct, clever play and tactics. "I know that I have a good instinct and that I have to work on bringing in a little more tactics. It worked out quite well at this tournament."
You could say that.