World No. 1 Iga Swiatek made it perfectly clear in a very funny way that reporters should stop revealing her draw during her press conferences because she sometimes feels like covering her ears when that happens.
After the Wimbledon main draw was released on Friday, Swiatek learned that she would be facing 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round. But Kenin was only one of the big names that Swiatek could possibly meet en route to the final as her part of the draw also included the likes of Jelena Ostapenko, defending champion Marketa Vondrousova (who ended up losing in the first round), and Elena Rybakina.
For quite some time, Swiatek has been avoiding to look at her possible paths, instead just focusing on the next match. And during her Wimbledon pre-tournament press conferences, one funny situation occurred when the reporter started naming her projected opponents and asking the Pole about her tough draw.
After Swiatek started her Wimbledon campaign with a 6-3 6-4 win over former world No. 4 Kenin, the on-court interviewer joked about the moment from the Pole’s presser.
“One thing you don’t like… And I’m not gonna do it so don’t worry, is to know the draw in advance,” the interviewer told Swiatek.
Responding to the question, Swiatek delivered a very honest but also a very funny comment: “I had some interviews when the journalists are like telling me the route to the final and I was like ‘Oh my god. Should I cover my ears or?’”
Swiatek had a funny moment after beating Kenin at Wimbledon
“One thing you don’t like.. and I’m not gonna do it so don’t worry.. is to know the draw in advance..”
Iga: “I had some interviews when the journalists are like telling me the route to the final and I was like ‘Oh my… pic.twitter.com/1ohoFXLSQL
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 2, 2024
For a place in the Wimbledon third round, Swiatek will play against world No. 85 Petra Martic – the same opponent she beat in the Wimbledon third round last year.
What Swiatek said about her performance versus Kenin?
Early in her Wimbledon opener, Swiatek looked a bit shaky as she blew an early break before going up by a break again in the fourth game. Later in the set, the Pole missed out on a set point in the eighth game but converted her second set point on her serve a game later.
The second set was a pretty tight battle but Swiatek came up big in the key moments after she broke Kenin in the seventh game and saved a break point in the following game before serving out for the match in the 10th game.
After the match, the five-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that Kenin was a pretty tough start and said she was happy with how she did her job.
“It was a solid start and not an easy draw. I’m happy I have another chance to play another match here. Nowadays in WTA it’s pretty easy to play against a Grand Slam champion even in first rounds. You have to be ready for everything. These are experienced players. there’s no time to get into the tournament slowly. You need to be ready straight away. I’m happy I did that today,” Swiatek reflected.
Swiatek explains what’s her priority at this year’s Wimbledon
Despite not playing any grass tournaments leading up to Wimbledon or having a grass title, Swiatek still entered The Championships as a contender and there are expectations on her to deliver. But the 23-year-old insists the next two weeks will be more about improving and developing on the surface rather than the actual result.
“I mean honestly on this surface it’s not about the result for me. It’s about the progress and how I’m gonna feel in terms of if I’m doing things better than last year. I’m not looking at numbers and statistics. Trying to be better every day,” Swiatek explained.
“For sure on matches it’s different. There’s a bit more tension and everything. On the practice court I feel like every year I’m playing a bit better on grass. Obviously I had a great beginning of the season so I feel like I can come here and not worry about points or anything. Just focusing on what I want to focus on. Just making progress.”
Iga Swiatek on beating Kenin at Wimbledon:
Iga: “It was a solid start and not an easy draw. I’m happy I have another chance to play another match here. Nowadays in WTA it’s pretty easy to play against a Grand Slam champion even in first rounds. You have to be ready for… pic.twitter.com/985JDCJ4EU
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 2, 2024
Meanwhile, Swiatek will be looking to go 4-0 up on Martic when she takes on the Croatian on Thursday.