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Iga Swiatek recently stated that she has achieved her season's goal following her title run at the 2023 French Open.
Swiatek emerged victorious in the third round of Wimbledon, defeating Petra Martic, 6-2, 7-5 in straight sets on Friday. The win propelled her into the second week of the tournament. The Pole will next face Belinda Bencic for a spot in her maiden quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon.
Swiatek's win over Martic marks her 13th consecutive victory, a remarkable streak that commenced with her title-winning performance at Roland Garros just last month. After losing her first set on grass this season against Tatjana Maria in Bad Homburg, Swiatek has since emerged victorious in an impressive 12 consecutive sets.
During her post-match press conference, Iga Swiatek was asked if she is feeling more relaxed at SW19. She affirmed, stating that winning Roland Garros had indeed brought a sense of calmness.
With the title in Paris under her belt, Swiatek felt a slight release of mental pressure, as if she had already achieved her season's goal.
"I do feel more relaxed. I think also because I won Roland Garros and I feel like after that the pressure is a little bit off because I reached my goal kind of for the season. I don't have to think about anything else other than playing," she said.
The World No. 1 expressed her contentment with this year's Wimbledon, stating that she feels significantly more at ease compared to the previous year.
Swiatek attributes this newfound relaxation to the increased mental clarity she experiences, allowing her to focus on honing her skills and refining her game on the grasscourt.
"But this time is a little bit different because I feel like I have more kind of, I don't know, free space in my head to develop my game and to work on my skills on grass. Overall, yeah, I feel more relaxed," Iga Swiatek added.
Iga Swiatek will take on Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon 2023
Iga Swiatek successfully advanced to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon for the second time in her career. She will next face 14th seed Belinda Bencic on Sunday in a bid for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Swiatek secured a resounding 6-2, 7-5 victory over Petra Martic in the third round. Earlier, the World No. 1 recorded straight-sets victories over Sara Sorribes Tormo and Zhu Lin. Impressively, the Pole only conceded a mere 13 games in the first week of the tournament.
Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic have faced off three times previously, with the former leading the head-to-head with two wins to the Swiss' one. Their initial clash took place at the Adelaide International in 2021, where Swiatek emerged victorious with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 scoreline.
However, Bencic retaliated at the US Open later that same year, securing a hard-fought 7-6(12), 6-3 win. Their most recent encounter occurred at the 2023 United Cup, where Swiatek clinched a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory.
The upcoming match at Wimbledon 2023 will be their meet-up on a grasscourt.
