“A roller coaster story”, retains Iga Swiatek

A double fault from Karolina Muchova released a deep wave of emotion. On either side of the net. Victorious 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, Iga Swiatek won a 3e title at Roland-Garros, a 4e coronation in Grand Slam (after Roland-Garros 2020 and 2022 and the US open 2022). Then the world No. 1, shared a long time with those close to her, made goat jumps on the court, knocked the lid off the cup, before presenting herself with the sparkling gaze of a fulfilled champion at a press conference. Extracts.

The final

“A roller coaster story. I have various emotions running through me. This match was very intense, a lot of downs, a lot of ups. I’m happy because I stayed solid in the last games, I finished the match. Karolina played very well too. It was a big challenge for me. I am happy, proud of myself, I succeeded.»

At 3-4 in the 3e set

“After so many ups and downs, I stopped thinking about the score and wanted to use my intuition more, because I knew I could play a little bit better if I was more comfortable, less tense, and that helped me in the third set. Frankly, this match was so long, with so many ups and downs that I don’t really know. I’ll analyze it later, I’ll watch it and I’ll understand a little better what happened.»

Karolina Muchova

“I saw all of Karolina’s matches when she came back after scores like that. Before the match point, I said to myself: ”No, it’s not going to happen now”. I played, I played and I gave everything I could. I’m surprised that happened, because she got so many comebacks. All of a sudden, I felt very tired, tired of three weeks. Maybe my matches from a physical point of view weren’t exhausting, but it’s hard to stay focused for almost three weeks, then there’s also the whole season because since Stuttgart I haven’t been to the House. I finished the whole season on clay; I survived in a way and it gave me strength maybe thanks to that.»

The title after weeks of doubt

“Last year, for example, was a confirmation for me that the first time was not luck, chance. This one, on the other hand, was tougher, the injuries, the pressure and then also making a comeback as a champion defending her title. I needed to deal with all of this. I am extremely happy, because I managed to manage all that, because these three weeks were not easy and the efforts of my team helped me.»

His position on the war in Ukraine

“The only thing I can say is to repeat myself, to repeat my point of view concerning the community of tennis players: the world of tennis must be united. We must do everything we can about Russian aggression to stop it. I support all Ukrainians. I know the situation is not easy. For example, if I were in their shoes, I don’t know if I could even play tennis. I fully respect them. I want to focus on what I need to do for them, what’s good for them, and that’s about all I can say about that.»