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Alize Cornet reminisced her upset win over World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round of Wimbledon last year, saying that she knew someone had to break the Pole's streak at some point and knew it had to be her.
Swiatek came into the contest with a 37-match unbeaten streak since the Qatar Open in February - the longest WTA winning run in the 21st century. Against the Frenchwoman, though, the 22-year-old fell in straight sets (6-4, 6-2).
Recalling that experience in an interview with the WTA, Cornet admitted that she believed she had the game on grass to upset the four-time Grand Slam champion despite the phenomenal run Swiatek was on.
Having beaten top players like Serena Williams on the surface in the past, the former World No. 11 was confident of beating the top seed and ended up justifying the feeling in some fashion.
"Someone had to do it and it had to be me. That's exactly what I told myself. Someone has to break the streak, and I have everything to do it on this surface. If it would have been in Paris or even the US Open, I wouldn't be that confident, but I knew on grass she was not feeling comfortable yet. She's a young player still learning," Alize Cornet said.
"With my experience, I'd already done it against Serena, also in the third round, on the same court. That was a sign. I felt super-confident, but not in a cocky way. I was believing in myself. I have a lack of this very often in my career, and it was very enjoyable to play with that feeling," she added.
Cornet also added that she had just broken up with her boyfriend a couple of months before Wimbledon, playfully adding that the win went a long way in cheering her up.
"I was not going through an easy time in my personal life. I'd just broken up with my boyfriend a couple of months before. This win, again, cheered me up and gave me something to be happy about," Alize Cornet said.
"Last year, I was a giant-slayer" - Alize Cornet
Apart from her Wimbledon win over Iga Swiatek, Alize Cornet reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last year, beating the likes of Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep along the way. At the French Open, she reached the third round, beating 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko in the previous round.
The Frenchwoman admitted herself that she was a "giant slayer" in 2022, acknowledging that she often played her best when there was no pressure or expectations on her.
"Last year, I was a giant-slayer, it is true. People just know I can do it, and I know it, too. But it's still not easy to put it out there. Against a player like Iga, c'mon! But I think I play so good against Top 10 players because I have no expectations," Alize Cornet said.
"All the other times, I have so much expectation on myself and I put so much pressure on myself. These matches, I have 'nothing to lose,' let's say. I can just play my game, and my game is good. Then I get frustrated because in the next match, it's not so good. It's a vicious circle, but I'm still working through it at 33," she added.
This year, the 33-year-old will begin her Wimbledon campaign against Nao Hibino, followed by a potential second-round clash against defending champion Elena Rybakina.
