Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Stuttgart winner Iga Swiatek simply ignored her doubts
Iga Swiatek (WTA No. 1) celebrated her fourth tournament win in a row at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. It wasn't a matter of course, especially not for her.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Apr 25, 2022, 03:46 pm
In the final she was there again , the "old" Iga Swiatek of the last few weeks. Who plows through the fields of draws as she pleases and only grants her opponents a few game wins.
Only Liudmila Samsonova was able to take a set from Swiatek in the semifinals in Stuttgart after a long time (before that she had won 28 sets in a row!). And now, against Aryna Sabalenka, it was another standard result for the 20-year-old - 6: 2, 6: 2, Swiatek's final balance sheet reads pretty flawlessly anyway.
The Pole had to solve an additional task after the late semifinals on Saturday and early Sunday afternoon: that of regeneration. She did it like a top performer, too. "I didn't focus so much on the short time I had to recover," explained Swiatek after winning the title. She simply had faith: in her team, and in her body - that it would play along. Extra energy to worry about? Didn't want to waste it.
In any case, Stuttgart is "another tournament where I surprised myself," Swiatek admitted with a laugh. And that showed her that she doesn't have to be 100 percent perfectly prepared, doesn't have to feel 100 percent in top form to have good matches. She came here with some doubts. "But I didn't want to focus on that, I wanted to focus on what I can influence. And that was another tournament that showed me that I can do it."
Swiatek: "Not the best at making decisions"
However, Swiatek still had a luxury problem after the celebrations. Where is it going now and how would she get the Porsche home in the meantime? she was asked. "I have no idea how that works," Swiatek said. Especially since the problem of selection is still pending - the winner of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is usually allowed to express the color of her winning car. "I'm not the best when it comes to making decisions. I need the opinions of others," Swiatek explained with a laugh. But her father and her coach would certainly help her.
Despite her series (now 23 wins in a row!), she didn't deal with this "problem" in advance, "because it seemed almost impossible to me to win the tournament". Also because of the unfamiliar surface - Swiatek had never played in Stuttgart before.
A new challenge is waiting right away: Swiatek will be in Madrid next, the main draw starts on Thursday. The time to adjust to the Madrid conditions (at an altitude of around 700 meters) is once again running out.
This time, however, Swiatek is not afraid of it. The week in Stuttgart showed her that she can make the change in just a few days. "So I have a lot of confidence in myself."