This week Iga gave two interviews to polish press which were quite interesting. I think some people for outside Poland could be interested, so I listed talking points of each of article. They are in polish of course, but online translators are doing good job. I will be happy to clarify if something is unclear, needs polish context or needs better translation.
Interview by Dariusz Faron to sportowefakty.wp.pl
“I am not indestructible”
https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/premium/1092984/nie-jestem-niezniszczalna
Topics:
- Winning WTA Finals and bad organization of tournament.
- Exhaustion due to long season both physically and mentally.
- Her absence in Billie Jean King Cup and huge discussion in Polish media about it.
- Burden of staying no. 1. Iga said that she felt freed with losing it to Aryna, but then it was hard to come back in Tokyo. She felt like everyone is looking how if she bounce back and was overwhelmed with this feeling. She thought that it could be dip of form that could last few months and accepted that’s happened to everyone (but as we knew it lasted few weeks).
- Showing emotions on court. She used to feel shame about showing emotions on court, but now thinks that it’s normal and how media overreacts when WTA player shows emotions.
- Ash Barty retirement
- Response to voices that role of Daria Abramowicz is too big in her team
Interview by Kamil Kołsut to rp.pl
“I have the desire to win in my blood”
https://www.rp.pl/tenis/art39453361-iga-swiatek-pragnienie-zwyciestwa-mam-we-krwi
Topics:
- Tough year and how it was mentally challenging to play well after amazing 2022
- About Tomas Wiktorowski and his idea of Iga’s playstyle
- Adapting to conditions in WTA Finals
- Organization of WTA Finals
- Refusing to play BJKC
- When she believed that she could be no.1 and if it was tougher to became such player form Poland.
- About picturing Aryna as bad on and her as good one in Polish media and disagreeing with this approach. Iga said they are just different characters and both respect each other.
As far as I remember she had it in Tokyo, so it wasn’t so long ago. In Beijing it was probably banned. In Cancun? I would probably bet that she forgot in those organizational chaos or decide not wear, because of weather. We’ll see if it will be back during Australian swing.