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Iga Swiatek has graciously accepted her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 Madrid Open final on Saturday, May 6.
Swiatek went into the contest with the upper hand, having never lost a set to Sabalenka in their three previous claycourt meetings. The two met recently in the Stuttgart Open final, where World No. 1 Swiatek won in dominant fashion (6-3, 6-4) on the indoor claycourt.
Sabalenka, however, played with grit and determination to defeat Swiatek 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the Madrid Open final and clinch her tour-leading third title of the year. In a match that lasted two hours and 26 minutes, the Belarusian defeated the top seed to take home the Madrid title for the second time in the past three years.
At a press conference after her defeat, Swiatek stated that Sabalenka was the better player and insisted that she did not have any regrets about her approach to the match.
"We just played on a good level, but she was better today. Sometimes it was about, you know, a few shots that I could play a little bit better. She played some shots in that were, you know, risky. Maybe sometimes I could be more proactive, but honestly, I think we both played good. I don't have any like big regrets," Swiatek said.
Swiatek also refused to use the conditions on the court as an excuse for the defeat.
"Well, honestly, I don't think we should talk about that [the conditions[, because she played a really good match, you know, so I don't want to blame my loss to conditions or something else. Sometimes it's tougher; sometimes it's easier," she said.
"That's why we have variety in tennis, and that's why sometimes players are playing better on some surfaces and some on different. Yeah, but it doesn't really matter because she won, and I just respect that and I don't want to kind of take it from Aryna," Swiatek added.
"Totally different story, different tournament" - Iga Swiatek eyes fresh start at Italian Open in Rome
Following her Madrid Open campaign, Iga Swiatek will next be seen in action at the Italian Open in Rome. The Italian Open is the last big tournament before the French Open, and Swiatek is the defending champion at both events.
When asked about the positives from Madrid she can take to Rome, Swiatek responded that she was proud of how she performed over the previous two weeks. The Pole also stated that she would be starting afresh in Italy without looking back on her Madrid campaign.
"I don't think taking anything to Rome is that important, because I'm gonna treat it as totally different story and different tournament," she declared.
"But overall, you know, just the experience of playing here and at different times and being able to also recover from these late matches, that's something that's going to give me confidence that I can manage anything. And just playing well consistently, it's something to be proud of," Swiatek added.
The Italian Open is scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, May 9.
