Iga Swiatek on people's expectations - "Sometimes they're not treating you as a human, but like a robot who has to win"

After winning her first-round match at the 2023 Australian Open on Monday, Iga Swiatek weighed in on the pressure of entering tournaments as the World No. 1 and top seed. She criticized people who expect her to win easily all the time without realizing how difficult it is.

The Pole commenced her hunt for a first Australian Open title on Monday at the Rod Laver Arena. She defeated 69th-ranked Jule Niemeier of Germany 6-4, 7-5 in one hour and 59 minutes. The two players also clashed at the 2022 US Open in the Round of 16, with Swiatek coming from a set down to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

The 2023 Australian Open is the fourth Grand Slam event that the 21-year-old has entered as the top-seeded player. When asked about it in a press conference after the match, she stated that people care about numbers more than anything else.

"For sure, I feel like people are really focused on the numbers and on the statistics," Swiatek said. "I feel like they're looking at those matches, like, not seeing that we are still people, and we have to really fight for it, you know? They're just like, I don't know, 'you have more skills and you're using them, so you're going to win'. They're just looking at numbers."

Swiatek added that the onlookers treated her less like a human and more like a robot.

"I don't know. I know that I also put a lot of expectations on myself, but I'm working on that. It just feels like sometimes, they're not treating you still as a human, but more like a robot who has to win. Maybe it will be a little bit easier if there were less people that are kind of judging," she added.

---

"Ashleigh Barty really inspired me to work on myself" - Iga Swiatek

Ash Barty (L) and Iga Swiatek

In an on-court interview after winning her opening 2023 Australian Open match on Monday, Iga Swiatek showered praise on former World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty.

Barty and Swiatek faced each other twice on the tour, and both contests were won by the Aussie. Barty announced her retirement after winning the Australian Open last year.

Swiatek lauded Barty for her mindset whenever she faced a challenge and added that she inspired the Pole to work on herself.

"She’s just a huge inspiration and the way she behaves, she’s so classy," Iga Swiatek said. "It just seemed like she really enjoys competing and having a challenge which I really admire because sometimes for me, a challenge is something that I tend to get nervous about. So I really wanted to kind of have this mindset and she really inspired me to work on myself."