Iga Swiatek takes mind off tennis at French Open with Ted Lasso and East of Eden

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek has disclosed what she's currently reading and watching to keep her mind occupied when not training or playing matches at the 2023 French Open.

Swiatek defeated Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros quarterfinals in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday, June 7, to reach her fourth semifinal in the last six Grand Slams.

During the on-court interview after the win, Swiatek was asked what she did to disconnect from tennis during high-pressure tournaments like the French Open. She then proceeded to list a bunch of shows and books.

"I finished watching Madame Secretary. Right now I'm watching the second season of Ted Lasso, but it's pretty short so I guess I'll be done tomorrow. About books, in Rome, I finished Leonardo Da Vinci's biography, and right now I'm reading East of Eden. But I don't know if I'm recommending it yet, we'll see," the World No. 1 said.

Speaking about her match against Gauff, Swiatek was happy with the result and pinpointed the key moments in the win.

"I feel pretty satisfied with my game after the match. I'm happy that I was able to make it in two sets. In the first set, in the important moments, I was the one that was more solid, so for sure it wasn't easy, especially with the wind today, but I'm happy that I'm into the semifinal," she added.

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Iga Swiatek set to face Beatriz Haddad Maia in 2023 French Open semifinal

Iga Swiatek will continue her quest to defend her French Open title when she takes on Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semifinals on Thursday, June 8.

Swiatek is yet to drop a set at Roland Garros this year. The World No. 1 defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 6-0 in the first round, Claire Liu 6-4, 6-0 in the second round, and Xinyu Wang 6-0, 6-0 in the third round.

In the fourth round, the Pole was leading 5-1 in the first set against Lesia Tsurenko when the Ukrainian had to retire due to injury. Swiatek dispatched Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals to register her seventh win against the American.

Meanwhile, Haddad Maia reached the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career, after failing to go past the second round in all other occasions. She defeated Tatjana Maria 6-0, 6-1 in the first round, Diana Shnaider 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the second round, and Ekaterina Alexandrova 5-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the third round.

The Brazilian then beat Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-5, in the fourth round and followed it with a 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 win against Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals.

Swiatek and Haddad Maia have played each other once before. They met in the third round of the 2022 Rogers Cup in Montreal, where the latter won 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.